It all started with the 90º days and kids coming for dinner for a couple of weeks while “Airbnbing” in Rockford. Elaina tuned into my wish that I had at least one child settling in Rockford, so they could drop in for coffee or come for dinner and not have to stay overnight. Or we could drop in for dessert or be invited for dinner, and then say “good night”! That was the plan. So we had dinner together just about every night except when Elaina and crew were visiting the in-state siblings – including a Lake Michigan beach day with an overnight in Evanston, and another sleepover and an out on the farm day in Morris. The Peoria visit would include a wedding and overnights at another Airbnb.
Catherine and Andrew 
Visiting the air Airbnb 
Catherine and Nana
Dinner time, unfortunately, in some ways, became a practice time for the upcoming rehearsal dinner and wedding reception, and I apologize for being the “manners nazi” at the table: “sit in your seat”, “use your fork”, “wait for grace” , please pass the…”. Sometimes hearing all of that from someone other than mom and dad is helpful. After dinner the kids caught lightning bugs – there aren’t any in SLC – or rode around the block or hung out on the patio. It is so fun to have them here for longer than a couple of overnights, but then to combine it with the wedding of the first of our grandchildren to get married AND have the whole family together to celebrate – heaven! We’ll save all that for another post.
Matthew and snake 
Helen in Pool 
Riding around the block
With the heat wave that descended upon us, air conditioning was essential. And because we live in an almost century-old house which has hot water boiler heat , we have to install room air conditioners. For the first time, John put one in the eating area window to keep it cool for dinner instead of in my office, where I haven’t been working as much. The ac window was behind the dry sink and unfortunately the back of the dry sink interfered a bit with the air flow to the air conditioner, so yesterday after being greeted Sunday to a closed up “hot house”, I switched the room around.
before (New Year’s photo) 
before (fall photo) 
And After panorama
In order to have the dry sink under the other windows and still have room for the table, we had to turn the rug in the sitting area of the room 90º, narrowing the seating area and widening the eating area allowing us to put the table at a diagonal. It feels so open in the eating area. We added the banker chairs to the ends of the table, so it almost feels like a conference table. Does that give you any ideas? What would you like to talk about? johngile.us/programs
