Went for a walk with my camera at one of my favorite parks on Tuesday morning. Founding it very soothing. Here are some of the images that caught my eye. It’s late (oh dear, when did 9:30 pm become late?) so I’m only sharing photos with an occasional caption. Enjoy!
Until next time!
Hello, August! And where did you come from exactly? Wasn’t May/June/July just here?
August is always my reminder of a few things, some good and some sad (our wedding anniversary is the 29th, however, my father passed away 17 years ago on August 1) but mostly I use it as a reminder to make sure I embrace and enjoy the rest of my summer days before the crazy pace of fall starts.
However, can I tell you a secret? This year, I’m kind of looking forward to fall. Mostly, I think because I missed that crazy pace of fall during the pandemic. J’s school year was so rough on us especially him but this year, I’m hoping and praying we get that much desired normality. Or at least a touch of it. Marching band practices start back up this week so at least we have that (even if it does mean lots of running around for us).
Joining in with Sandra over at Diary Of A Stay At Home Mom as always. Go check out her blog!
Strange, true dog days of summer last week with crazy heat and advisories. Woke up most days last week to 80 degrees by 7:00a.m. with it feeling warmer. This morning it was 63 degrees out there! Highs in the mid-80’s most of this week but I did hear on the radio as I was out running errands they’re predicting a high of 95 for Saturday. So who knows?
A little tired but also a need to do ALL the things. Lots to do today that I didn’t do last week/over the weekend.
Flip yogurt (key lime pie flavor), coffee, vitamins. More coffee (an iced caramel macchiato at Starbucks in the grocery store, seems to be my go-to “fancy” coffee drink lately).
Finished Unrestricted Access, the collection of short stories from James Rollins. A library hold came up for me, The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave. A good suspenseful mystery. Read it in about a day. And I’ve started Walking: One Step At a Time by Erling Kagge (note: I know it sounds like an exercise book but it’s not, more of a philosophical type writing). 
Needed something light and happy that didn’t require a lot of concentration so I settled on The Good Witch over on Netflix. Not my typical style of show but I’m enjoying it. Not much else, a bit of the Olympics here and there. Whatever random thing my husband happens to be watching (so think Storage Wars, Yukon Gold, or old westerns…)
Seems early to already have this busy of a schedule for J but here we are…
MONDAY: ham steaks, potatoes (on grill), green beans from garden (we’ll all get 2 beans, ha!), salad *J has band practice 6-8:45*
TUESDAY: roast in crock pot *J has a baritone lesson time TBD*
WEDNESDAY: ribs, probably in the crock pot/maybe on grill, corn, salad *I have a hair appt at 11*
THURSDAY: Chicken (grilled, lately I’ve just been marinating it in a bit of balsamic vinegar, oil, and Italian seasoning/dressing mix), salad. Something simple and easy. *J has band practice 6-8:45*
FRIDAY: Leftovers or OUT or cereal. I’m not cooking it whatever we have.
All the things!
My flowers have been bringing me lots of peace and happiness lately. Hope you enjoy the photos here and sprinkled throughout the post.
Clean the house (It will help to relax later), sit on the front porch and pet the cat while enjoying my flowers, read, take that walk at the park
My blogging friend Rebecca, who recently lost her husband followed shortly by one of her oldest and dearest friends, my husband’s good friend who is battling cancer around his jaw and once again in the hospital with low calcium and possible more cancer, my sister-in-law by love who I just found out is hospitalized with throat cancer. Too much illness in this world. A normal school year for J with actual marching band performances. My family that recently moved to Florida (no reason just felt the pull to pray for them). Peace, kindness, and healing graces for us all.
I know I’ve shared this quote before regarding August but it rings so true, I’m sharing it again:
August is like the Sunday of summer. (unknown)
How are you spending your August days?
Except that in keeping with my word of the year (less), I only put 12 items on it total. And then, I revised it mid-January. I had to go back to my old post and grab my list as I’d forgotten a few of the items I put on there.
Isn’t it strange how we can lose focus in just a few short months?
Did you make a list or a word (I’ve not been doing great remembering my word either!) for 2021? How are you doing with them?
(And yes, I’m very much procrastinating another day of “basement camp“)
Well, my basement camp is off to a slow start.
I can see small differences but over all it feels a bit like a bigger mess than when I began. Not really following a set plan but doing what seems most needed and what I think will help make the space feel better. Some of these items were way overdue.
Thought I’d just list out what I’ve done so far.
We have a trundle type daybed down here partially broken though still functional. So my husband had to fix/replace the bed risers to get the 2nd mattress to go back underneath it.
Before replacing the mattress, I took the opportunity to deodorize (found an old jar of carpet fresh sprinkle stuff…a bonus declutter item!) and vacuum underneath it.
Washed the sheet from the bottom mattress though I need to replace it still.
Vacuumed part of the area in front of the bed.
Pulled down some hanging backpacks from when the boys were in elementary school (high school and college now!) to donate. Started a bag of books to sell to the used book store. Not looking to get rich from the books but figure that’s the best course for them.
A late start because I had to run to the grocery store, wanted to post on my blog, and do a little laundry.
Also, I had to go pick my son up for lunch in the middle of my progress. He’s been wanting to just come home and eat lunch so far this week.
We had to go to the hardware store to get the risers. They actually lift the bed up too high so we’ll need to find a different set somewhere. That turned into another side errand with my husband so we could look at new doors and keyless entry knobs. Someone stole our neighbor’s truck Sunday evening/Monday morning and I’m no longer comfortable leaving the key in the mailbox as we’d been doing for our youngest son sometimes.
I’m not finished yet so I might have other items to come back and add. It was another slow start though.
Wiped off TV and TV stand (we have 2 remotes down here and neither seem to go to the TV so I do need to solve that mystery)
Vacuumed area in front of TV stand
Decluttered a trash can not in use and an old step stool
Shredded a huge pile of old paid bills that were just sitting on the TV stand
Had husband take down super dusty blinds that provide privacy from stairs (kind of a make-shift 3rd wall) and set them up outside. Washed them with some dish soap and sprayed off with the hose.
Fixed arms to my computer chair with duct tape (chair is very old but so comfortable that we just fix instead of replace)
Husband decided in the morning we should go take care of some banking business that we both needed to be present to do.
Stopped to take pictures of trash and recycle bins for “evidence” in ongoing battle with our trash service. Had to figure out how to set the date/time stamp on one of the cameras. Turned out to be a mute point as they actually picked up our stuff today. (I need to turn the date stamp back off now) 
Had to pick up J from band camp as he wanted to come home for lunch.
Writing this post.
As I “attend” my basement camp, I’ve been making a list of the items I need for down here. Here’s what is on my list so far:
Although it doesn’t feel like I’ve done much, it’s been such a mess down here that even the tiniest bits should help during my basement camp week. I keep reminding myself of one of Gretchen Rubin’s secrets of adulthood:
I’m hoping to make the area nice for when the kids want to have friends over so they can have this space back as a hangout spot again.
Are you cleaning or decluttering any areas of your home? How’s it going?
Nope, I’m not going camping this week. However, I am off work. J has band camp and I’ve decided I’ll have “basement camp” and try to make it decent down here. 
Had a few errands and things to take care of this morning so getting a bit of a late start with my post (and my basement camp, ha!). Joining in as always with Sandra over at Diary Of A Stay At Home Mom.
It rained a little over the weekend which was nice and cooled things down just enough to take us from an excessive heat warning to an excessive heat advisory for the rest of this week. Last Friday and Saturday were miserable hot. Today feels pretty nice so far. It’s about 85 right now but there’s a breeze so that helps. Sunny days most the week. It’s summer!
Recharged, energetic, and ready to do all the things. We’ll see how long that lasts. And also, I’m missing my sweet preschool kids just a bit. However, it’s nice having a week at home (other than band camp chauffeur duties) to take care of things. And oh boy, I do have lots to take care of around here.
Didn’t go to the store over the weekend (went this morning) so I just had a chocolate chip muffin from home and an iced caramel macchiato from Starbucks in the store. Need to take my vitamins still.
A bunch of overdue library books. I need to see if I can renew them as there are couple, a book of short stories by James Rollins and Peaceful on Purpose by Joel Osteen that I’d like to read still.
Last Wednesday, I watched the finale of Crime Scene Kitchen and was frustrated with how they determined the winners. Not that I don’t think the winners deserved to win but it’s like they threw the whole way the show was run out the window for the last episode. Did you watch? Thoughts?
Friday into Saturday I binge-watched Mare of Easttown on HBO Max. Very good! Kept me guessing until the end. Thank you, Carrie from Northwoods Scrapbook for the suggestion.
This week’s a hard one with J having band camp, the heat, and really me just not being super motivated. Of course, I’m also debating trying my hand at a homemade angel food cake. I usually buy a box mix but I could use the extra egg shells for my garden.
MONDAY: Possibly out? Maybe ham steaks and salad. *J has band camp 8-4* *J has a baritone lesson at 6:30*
TUESDAY: taco salads *J has band camp 8-4*
WEDNESDAY: pork chops, baked potatoes *J has band camp 8-4*
THURSDAY: hot dogs on grill, chips, watermelon *J has band camp 8-4* *I think I’m meeting with friends, need to check date*
FRIDAY: Roast in crock pot (might switch this to Thursday) *J has band camp 8-4*
I went with my husband yesterday to his hunting lease land so he could trade out the SD cards on the trail cameras. The landowner’s home on the property has so many feeders full of hummingbirds and the most beautiful patch of zinnias! We also did lots of hiking through the woods to get the cards. 
Take care of the garden and my flowers, catch up with friends, work on my garden journal
Watch the bugs if you go hiking, they’re bad around here this year. Even with insect repellant, I had my fair share of seed ticks clinging to me yesterday. Yuck. My husband swears by this stuff. You spray it on clothing but they also make a lotion that I dearly wished I’d applied a bit better.
This is my last week of working a full-time schedule for a bit. It’s been fun but also a bit exhausting. This last week of it should be interesting as lots of kiddos are coming back from vacation and we are on a three teacher rotation in that classroom. 
This is yet another Sunday Evening posting but I will be joining up with Sandra and the other fabulous bloggers over at Diary Of A Stay At Home Mom tomorrow morning or evening. Depends on how the morning goes.
We had a beautiful weekend! A few sprinkles here in the afternoon (poured just a few blocks north of us) but mostly sunny and in the mid-80’s. This coming week is showing sunny and in the 80’s as well except when it inches toward the 90’s on Friday. I’ll take it!
My back is a little sore as I planted lots of flowers over the weekend. And can you believe I only took one early picture (shared on Instagram) of my project? I’ll have to take a few during the course of the week. However, I’m happy because my edge of the driveway butterfly garden is much closer to a reality.
Same boring flip yogurt and vitamins I always eat (both today and tomorrow). However, this morning I did treat myself to an iced caramel macchiato from the grocery store Starbucks, thought it was pretty good.
Not too much. I read Summer Island by Natalie Normann last week and really enjoyed it. Nice romantic escape to Norway. Some magazines, my favorite free (local) gardening magazine. I’ll need to find something before J’s lesson tomorrow night, something light probably.
Not much. Watched the season finale of Loki on Friday. And then, we watched The Tomorrow War which we’ve subtitled Tremors meets Jurassic Park meets Predator meets Terminator meets….you get the idea. However, still fairly enjoyable, not one you have to think too hard to watch.
Another week of keeping it simple!
MONDAY: chicken on the grill, tricolor pasta *I work 8-4:30* *J has a baritone lesson at 6:30*
TUESDAY: pepper steak, rice *I work 8-4:30*
WEDNESDAY: turkey sausage and zucchini skillet *I work 8-4:30*
THURSDAY: pork chops on the grill, baked potatoes *I work 8-4:30*
FRIDAY: Homemade pizza or OUT *I work 8-4:30*
SATURDAY: maybe ribs in the slow cooker?
If you spend the whole weekend outside doing yardwork, then you don’t have to look at your messy house as much. My tip. Ha! Suffice it to say getting the house clean again and in a bit of order is on the list of all the things.
Take care of my flowers, work on my garden journal
Plants I’ve found that repel mosquitoes. Lots of lists on-line but the ones from those lists that I find actually work the best are: Lemongrass, lavender, scented geraniums, marigolds, and basil. Basil was a new to me discovery for the mosquito repellent list. Apparently, basil leaves are toxic to mosquito larvae. I did go and put the basil leaves in some standing water in the yard during our heavy rains and the mosquitoes didn’t seem as bad as they could’ve been this year.
So much for scheduling a few posts last week. Maybe I’ll do better this week. After, I figure out exactly where my weekend went?
Right now, I’m just glad to have some photos to go along with my posting. As I was coming down here to write my post, I dropped the camera SD card under the basement steps. Not a great place for it to land. Or for me to really want to search. It’s not exactly a finished basement down here. However, I found it so hooray for pictures with the post! Not too many though as now the computer is acting up. Always something.
Writing this on Sunday night because I do indeed work every single day again this week. So, I’ll be linking up later tomorrow afternoon or evening with Sandra, our host, over at Diary Of A Stay At Home Mom.
We’ve had a bit of a rainy weekend after a super hot Friday (100 degree heat index). Right now it feels like fall out there, 69 degrees with a light mist falling. After a hot and humid week, it actually (dare I say it as a summer lover) feels kind of good. Supposed to be a bit cooler early this week and then gradually heat back up to proper summer weather where it’s in the upper 80’s and 90’s.
A bit scatterbrained. I can’t believe it’s already Sunday evening. Seems as though the weekend just started but no, it’s already ending. Lots of projects on my mind for when I’m off work again.
Unusual but I did not eat breakfast today (however, I still drank my coffee!). Tomorrow, I’ll have the usual Chobani Flip yogurt.
I did finish the Magic of Found Objects by Maddie Dawson last week. I usually love her books but for some reason this one wasn’t quite as good as previous books, I thought. Probably going to read a book of short stories by James Rollins this week as I think my library books might all be due back very soon.
Not a lot of TV watching happening. Did watch the latest Loki episode. And yesterday while folding laundry, I watched Into the Heights on HBO Max. Watching it was J’s suggestion, “even if it’s bad, maybe the music will be good” It was all around good, I really enjoyed it. Note: the teenager suggested it but did not watch it with me. Probably because I was folding laundry, ha!
Trying for simple again this week!
MONDAY: hot dogs on the grill, chips, watermelon (or if I feel like doing “real” cooking, we’ll have the 20 min turkey sausage and zucchini skillet) *J has a baritone lesson at 6:30* *I work 8-4:30*
TUESDAY: Pepper steak, rice *I work 8-4:30*
WEDNESDAY: Maybe minestrone? I’ve been craving it. Might move it to Monday. *I work 8-4:30*
THURSDAY: Pork chops and potatoes *I work 8-4:30*
FRIDAY: Homemade Pizza, salad *I work 8-4:30*
See #6 on to do list. G’s stuff is still in living room. We’ve all been busy but it’s starting to bug me a bit more.
Read my books, pick up the camera, have a cup of tea (either hot or cold with lemonade added)
I really don’t know why this old 80’s tune popped into my head when I started my post. However, here it is:
Friends who’ve lost loved ones very recently, our next door neighbor who is in poor health and once again the hospital, family, near and far, and strangers.
Keeping this short. However, I did want to make sure and share a few photos I took of the Cooper’s Hawk hanging out in the backyard on Thursday afternoon.
A robin was shrieking a warning for all the local song birds to be alert!
A cardinal was wary but not too worried. I thought that a bit odd. It kept it’s distance but didn’t stay out of sight. Maybe it was just staying out of range?
The hawk eyed me suspiciously and with not a little annoyance. I think I was making the hunting a bit more hindered tromping about with my camera.
My staycation comes to an end today. And after a week of waking up at the same early time each week, it figures today I slept in! Felt nice though I do hope it doesn’t mess me up for going to bed on time tonight.
Definitely going to need a plan for the coming week. Glad to join in with Sandra over at Diary Of A Stay At Home Mom for the Happy Homemaker Link Up.
While my staycation week started off rainy, it finished with nice sunny weather. Looks like more of the nice sunny weather for the rest of this week as well. It’s supposed to be in the mid 80’s to upper 90’s most of this week. Slight chances of thunderstorms, hope those chances stay very slight! 
Still a bit disoriented from waking up late. Also, still a little sore from some yardwork we tackled on Saturday. Mowed the lot of an empty house so it wouldn’t appear empty. My shoulders are still talking to me about how no good deed goes unpunished.
Chocolate chip muffins and coffee.
Just magazines. However, J has a baritone lesson later and I noticed there’s a new Maddie Dawson book on the Amazon Prime First Reads list so I’ll probably download that for tonight.
Finished up my Walking Dead series including the new one Walking Dead The World Beyond (only one season of that). Watched the latest Loki episode. And because it was randomly on TV one day, I watched Terminator (kind of a if it’s on tv, I’m going to watch it movie for me). Then, yesterday, because it’s tradition, I watched Independence Day. Not sure how much TV I’ll watch this week.
I’m still struggling with the menu planning. Different schedules for all of us. G is working now, keeping his own schedule hanging out with friends, etc. And my husband is probably going to work lots of hours to make up for last week. Probably going to end up shuffling the menu around a lot.
Still, we have to eat so I’ll keep trying…
MONDAY: grilled steaks (didn’t make them yesterday), crunchy coleslaw (leftover), corn on the cob, and strawberries. Probably salads as well. *J has a lesson at 6:30* *G works 3-8*
TUESDAY: spaghetti, garlic toast, salad *I work 8-4:30**G works 3-8*
WEDNESDAY: grilled chicken, baked potatoes, watermelon *I work 8-4:30*
THURSDAY: pork chops, no idea what we’ll have with them maybe rice? *I work 8-4:30*
FRIDAY: tacos, pizza, out? Depends on how the week goes. *I work 8-4:30*
Decided I need to keep this category to stay somewhat organized and productive. Or at least to look and know the things I’m not doing that I should be doing. Ha!
Red, White, And Blue in nature
See above about the contents of G’s room being in the middle of the living room. Some is also in our bedroom as well. And on the kitchen table. A bit of a project for today.
Read, go for a walk, work in the flower garden areas in the yard or work on my garden journal.
So, I’ve been struggling with missing the way things used to be lately. The pre-pandemic days and really, even the times before that. Things are changing and that’s normal though I’m not one who does well with change. At all. I’m trying though. Interestingly, this was the verse in my Jesus Calling book this morning.
And while it wasn’t listed in the book, the verse right before that one?
Sometimes I guess we need a (not so) subtle reminder to look forward, huh?
Before I end my post, do you struggle with looking back? What are you looking forward to this week?
Happy Fourth of July! 
We have no plans. It’s been nice and yet at the same time I’ve been a bit lost all day. Since I was spending some time reminiscing about our previous holidays by going through my Facebook photos, I thought I better post about our holiday on here. And I wanted to share the rest of my Flags4Freedom photos I took on Thursday.
Why? Well, it seems I decided to more or less quit engaging on Facebook in 2019 and had a hard time remembering what we did for that Fourth of July. Finally, realized that sadly, we didn’t do much as we left maybe the day after the holiday to go through the contents of my husband’s late grandfather’s house before it went on the market.
Anyway, better to have a record of a low key holiday than no record at all. I do like to look back and see how we spent the holidays.
First, speaking of reminiscing, I’ve also been thinking about the Fourth of July holidays I had as a kid. 
My mom would fry chicken and then put it in the oven to make the best barbequed chicken (and no, I have no idea how to do it sadly). Plus homemade macaroni and cheese. And a lemon layer cake with vanilla pudding in the center and simple powdered sugar on top. We’d load up and drive to my Aunt Thelma’s house in the country. Relatives, kids, lots of fireworks, outside. A pond. That’s what I remember. 
One brother or the other would have a gathering. Lots of nieces and nephews (note there is a 7 year age gap between me and my siblings, I’m the youngest) running around with fireworks. Note the food, same as above or more…maybe my brothers grilling something, too much. Chicken, brats, hamburgers, hot dogs, pop, beer. Crazy fireworks. Let’s just say my husband’s introduction to my family’s Fourth of July was interesting. Did I mention 2 of my 3 brothers are retired from the fire department? Crazy fireworks.
One Fourth of July gathering on my husband’s side (too tame for me) and I declared Fourth of July as belonging to MY family. No alternating though we sometimes did go see his family for a bit on the way to my family’s gatherings. The irony of having a child who HATED my favorite holiday. Trading off with my husband sitting inside while one of us was outside watching the fireworks. Second child takes after my side and loves all things fireworks. More than I do, I think. Still going to family gatherings with good food. Taking my now signature dish of crunchy coleslaw. 
A rough one in 2017 after my nephew lost his father. Went to a friends with sister-in-law and nephew so as not to overwhelm (my family can overwhelm sometimes). The one from 2019 again lost in the black hole of grief. The weird pandemic one from last year. Sister-in-law and husband over for a cookout and then my nephew hanging out and doing fireworks with us. A pretty good time despite the pandemic. 
Did I mention we have no plans? Seems so odd. Family we spent the holiday with last year moved out of state. My family hasn’t had a gathering since 2018. G has his own plans tonight.
This morning, I made red, white, and blue strawberries. Then, we took J and bought a few fireworks (G was sleeping and see above, he still mostly hates fireworks). Went out for lunch at a local restaurant. It was very good and none of us are hungry yet even though we ate at noon and it’s now 6. I watched Independence Day (a tradition).
Currently, I’m waiting for J to wake up from his nap, trying to decide if I’ll even mess with dinner, and sometimes sitting outside and listening to the neighbor’s party (they live a few houses away and we don’t know them or I’d crash it, LOL). We’ll enjoy their show later.
And I’m thinking that it’s time to host a family gathering soon….
Are you off doing something fun? Maybe having a family gathering? Going out to see a display some where later?