As we say goodbye to August and hello to September, I thought I’d share a summer summary post. And just for the record, I’m well aware it’s still summer until mid-September. However, it’s time to transition to fall. 

And I’m starting that transition by looking back on the summer of 2022 and sharing some things I’d like to remember about it. I’m also starting my post in late May though I also know summer doesn’t technically begin until mid-June.

Over all it was a fairly low-key summer around here but that’s okay. I’m being lazy and sharing pictures already posted in previous posts for this with maybe a bonus photo thrown in here or there.

MAY:

G turned 21! J finished his junior year of high school (whew!). I got a little more serious about my gardening adventures. Even had a rose bloom though sadly said rose bush is no more, we’ll see if it rebounds next year.

And then, it was onto the month that truly starts summer.

JUNE:

J got to go on a band trip to Disneyworld in Florida! I was jealous (as we opted not to go) but happy he obliged my request to text me one photo a day while he was there. The rest of us toiled at our jobs. When he returned from Disney, J had summer school. Thankfully, it went fairly smooth. And my green thumb improved enough to grow flowers out of the cracks in the sidewalks (not really but I did have some volunteer flowers that way). One day I ran into my sister and nephew in a garden center. That was a good day. 

JULY

Definitely our busiest summer month! We had a low-key Fourth of July at home. I worked and watered the garden and flowers. My older brother came into town from Texas and I was able to reconnect with family we’d not seen since 2019 (stupid pandemic and politics!). Three of us went to St. Louis for a music competition for J. We were able to visit the St. Louis arch while there. While J got superior ratings on all his performances, I think my proudest mom moment was on the grounds of the arch when my son stopped to pick up someone else’s abandoned trash and throw it away. Nice to know I at least did something right in raising him to be a good steward of the Earth.

And of course, I worked. Some work weeks were better than others but I generally enjoy summer as I typically work to cover vacations so my schedule is set for a week at a time.

AUGUST

July ended and August started with a sweltering heat wave. Hot even for us summer weather loving types. Band camp for J. More work for me. Less blogging than usual. A summer of Sonic Sour Patch Kid Floats. Another family gathering and reconnecting with more family!  Monthly get togethers with friends, my Mom’s Night Out friends. Game nights the first Saturday of each month with husband and different friends (in honor of his friend who passed away one year ago).

More watering, garden planning. And twice a week filling of the hummingbird feeders.

Since I mentioned J in July, I should mention how proud I am of G’s kindness. Brings me home spring rolls from Panda Express whenever he stops there on his way home from work simply because he knows I love them. Always sharing funny and interesting memes he finds on his phone. And has helped out so much with picking J up from school for us.

And Finally, here we are at the last day of August. My mind is on a very long list of end of season garden chores (though I have plenty of time with our weather here). A stack of new September magazines. Marching band (football) season at the high school with a senior! Fall cleaning. Festivals! Blogging more. Focusing on a sorting and saving (money) kind of September. And a return to the fall tv schedules.

What are you thinking and doing as you say goodbye to August and hello to September?

Read something interesting this morning. Today starts 10 days of numeric palindromes. (On the Farmer’s Almanac Instagram page). What’s a palindrome? Reads the same left to right or right to left.

First Inauguration in history to take place on a palindrome date. Next time it happens won’t be for one thousand years!

Did you watch it?

My Thoughts about the Inauguration

I admit to getting a bit emotional watching the Vice President take her oath of office. Hard to imagine that any of us raised during the 70’s and 80’s decades of “girls can do anything” did not.

This is not to imply those older or younger were not as moved. Just a comment of how it felt to someone old enough to remember the Ford/Ferraro ticket back in 1984 (I wasn’t old enough to vote, just in high school). For the most part, I prefer not to talk about politics at all. Doesn’t mean I’m not aware, just not my favorite topic.

Commented to J this morning (home from school so I made him watch the Inauguration with me, history and all that) how I realized I feel as though politics has been everywhere for the past few years. It’s tiring. Too much, I’m looking forward to a bit more balance of conversation moving forward.

However, I do want to talk a little bit more about the entertainment part of the ceremony today. What did you think?

Personally, I didn’t care for Lady Gaga and her rendition of the national anthem. And what about her gown? Haven’t quite decided if I loved or hated it. However, she wore it well. Too shocked from a “Who is Jennifer Lopez?” question to really remember her performance. My favorite was Garth Brooks singing Amazing Grace. We thought the poet talked a little fast though reading her words, they are nice.

Positive Thoughts

Like many, I hope and pray today signals the end of so much hatred and bitterness and a movement toward more kindness and civility within our country. It is so very much needed.

Looking forward to perhaps, a spring and summer where we can do a bit more.

My husband told me we had the dates for our Arkansas cabin getaway with friends though it falls in the middle band season. He thinks, no band again in the fall. I hope he is very wrong! I hope by next fall school is back on it’s normal rotation complete with marching band. As much as I enjoyed the getaway last October, I’ll gladly exchange it for watching my son doing his thing again.

Today’s Things

It’s been a bit of an off day here. I ended up working all day yesterday so today became my only day off this week (not counting Monday as it was a holiday!). J had anxiety happening this morning so stayed home to do school here.

Still need to call him in, honestly at the point of wondering what the difference even is between “excused” and “unexcused” absence and if it matters if they count them all the same. I’m sure part of my hesitation is the stigma of saying he’s suffering from anxiety rather than say a headache. Probably, just say he had a headache & I forgot to call for simplicity sake.

Managed to accomplish a few things today (not as many as I wanted but can’t really blame that on the teenager).  Cleaned out the fridge, cleared out and re-organized my clothes in the dresser (even put a few items in the donation bin!), caught up most the laundry, chopped up some celery for snacks, and went for a walk halfway around the block. A couple of suspicious looking dogs stopped our walk short, wasn’t feeling sociable nor did they look super friendly. Most excited about the dresser as I cleared the top of it off on Monday. A finished project. Hooray!

Going to go finish up another load of laundry, make sure everything is in order for the rest of this busy week (two full work days ahead), and then, read a bit more of my book (maybe with a cup of tea).

It’s still December of 2020 as I type up this post. My plan is still to switch over to this site starting on January 1. You may find this site a work in progress while I share new posts.

Either way, I’m fairly confident in saying I don’t think I’m the only one looking forward to putting 2020 in the rearview mirror. Not that I’m superstitious (well, maybe when it comes to Chiefs football and spilling salt. As an aside within an aside: My kids make fun of me but I always throw a little salt over my left shoulder when I’m measuring out the salt and spill a little. Something I saw my own mom do or talk about often. The memory fades. Something to do with warding off evil spirits. Might throw the whole container of salt over my left shoulder on New Year’s Eve!) but I’ve been hesitant to post on my new site over here too much in 2020. Don’t want to taint it prior to the new year.

My Early Blogging Ideas

When I first started blogging, it was with those crazy lottery dreams of being a famous (and rich!) blogger. Turns out in my heart, I couldn’t do it. Not that I don’t believe the famous and rich (or simply those who earn decent incomes) bloggers aren’t genuine but for me, the steps involved in simply trying didn’t feel genuine. I still follow blogs from those days of lists of “follow back” and Facebook like days. Some I find relevant but most, I don’t even read.

For the most part, I seldom read past the first two sentence of a post containing the words “sponsored” and even before my kids became annoying teenagers, I couldn’t bring myself to put our entire lives on line (for profit purposes).  I enjoy reading posts from the heart about kids and families as long as they aren’t using their kids to “sell” me something. That sentence doesn’t sound quite right so hopefully, dear reader, you know what I mean a bit.  It’s annoying starting in on a post that sounds interesting to realize it’s a veiled attempt to sell me something.

I’m not a famous (or even almost famous) blogger earning a 6 figure (or any) income from my blog. And really, that’s okay with me. I prefer the conversational side of things and I don’t need money to chitchat with anyone.

Finding Readers

Of course, it’s not fun talking to yourself. So I still needed readers. See above about blog following and Facebook page likes. All the “advice” said I had to have a central theme on my blog.

Thus, the many posts about organizing attempts. (Don’t worry I’ll still share my attempts and failures over here.) And the title of my previous blog, So Not Organized.

As my kids grew and I learned more about life, I realized I needed more freedom in my blogging. All a mental game, of course, but I felt stalled by my blog title. So, new year, new blog with more freedom. Hopefully, my readers follow me over here from So Not Organized. I might have a few ideas to entice you all to stick around here and for a few new readers to join the party.

My Blogging Ideas Now

On this new blog, I plan to share more of my heart. More chit chat on whatever subject I feel like discussing. Note: I will still almost never discuss politics on here. One of the things I’m looking forward to in 2021 (hoping and praying for it) is a year where politics once again take a seat in the background. And we focus more on friends, family, and simply being kind to one another.

I want blog visitors to feel like they’ve walked into my house and sat either on the couch or at the kitchen table, enjoying a cup of coffee (or tea) and maybe a small treat. And we’ll share about whatever’s going on in our lives at the moment.

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I did manage to add a “subscribe by email button” over in the side bar, if you follow So Not Organized by e-mail, I’d appreciate it if you’d switch over and start following Chit Chat With Jean. Or you can always also follow on Bloglovin’ (also a follow button on the side bar). Thanks!