Happy Sunday! This summer, like everything else this year, is moving along at a rapid pace. Even though we should have a much more relaxed schedule thanks to the longer days and warmer temperatures, we still seem to jam a lot into each and every week. In fact, I think we might be busier now than we were during the school year!
This weekend sees us at home recovering from the long work week, but last weekend, Jim and I spent a long weekend in Door County, Wisconsin. It has been several years since we have had a trip with just the two of us, and we could not have asked for a better trip. The weather was absolutely gorgeous – not too hot or cold. The rain we did get came before we left for the day. We stayed in a lovely bed and breakfast which meant amazing breakfasts. Thanks to Yelp, we managed to eat really well outside of breakfast too. It wasn’t a busy weekend in that we did a lot of different activities, but we got in a lot of motorcycle riding and walking, some shopping, and plenty of enjoyment in each other’s company. It was, in fact, exactly what the doctor ordered.
Speaking of weather, we got our first real summer temperatures last week, and it is safe to say that we have been incredibly spoiled by the cooler summer we have had so far. That jump into the upper 80’s and lower 90’s was brutal! So much so that our old dog, Gretchen was really suffering. She has always been a winter dog, and these warmer temperatures along with her advanced age make her so uncomfortable. Our solution was to get a baby pool specifically for her. She loves water, and this is one way she can cool herself down without exerting herself and causing a flare-up in her arthritis. She’s been such a good dog for so long, that it is the least we can do to help her regulate her body temperatures when her own body can no longer do so efficiently.
Jim experienced his own summer temperatures as he spent the last week in Savannah, Georgia on a business trip. There were no trips to pools or beaches for him, as he worked to resolve an issue with a major customer. For anyone who lives down south or has visited that area in the middle of July, you can imagine just how uncomfortable he was.
Speaking of uncomfortable, Connor found out firsthand just how much his life will change now that he has his braces, at least on his upper teeth. He was in the chair for about two hours on Monday getting them on and having the orthodontist walk him through the dos and don’ts of life with braces. He was particularly upset at the thought of no longer being able to bite into an apple or eat corn directly off of the cob, two of his favorite foods. He will go back after Labor Day to get them on his lower teeth, at which time he will get the added pleasure of bands as well to help move things along. After the pain he was in on Monday night and Tuesday morning, you can imagine his excitement. He’s bound and determined to get them off in the shortest amount of time possible, so I know he will take good care of them, no matter how much he might detest them.
He did have a band performance on Thursday after getting on his braces. I think he was surprised at just how few problems he had. This week is the big week of 8-hour marching band sessions. I know he was worried before the first practice, but he’s been fine. His only issue is that he is entirely too worried about breaking off a bracket. I just look at it as more proof he will be extremely careful not to extend his time with his teeth covered in metal.
Holly started her French horn lessons last week. Thankfully, they occur during the day, so we don’t get the “pleasure” of hearing her attempt new notes or work through fingerings. It gives her something to do during the day though and means we are one step closer to the school year. Another sign that summer is rapidly ending is the fact that Holly has already had one of her first of two tryouts for her dance studio’s competition team. Normally, they have only one, but as they continue to have success and pile on accolades in the dance community, the number of dancers trying out increases. In order for the coaches to judge them all fairly, they added a second tryout. So she went last Sunday and then will go back on August 1st, not only showing off her skills but her determination, hard work, and ability to learn and improve as well. I like that they are doing this but do not like that it will be several more weeks before we find out the results.
It’s been a rough week or two for reading. In other words, I’m not really reading at all. This means I am not posting anything. In the last two weeks, I finished and posted two reviews plus one regular Monday reading summary. I have been feeling some burnout lately on review copies, so last weekend I switched to some books that have been sitting on my shelves for ages. I need to find a better balance between review copies and owned copies, electronic versions and printed versions. Reading too many review copies solely on my iPad has made me not want to read. I haven’t stopped completely, but it might be a while before I am back to posting every single day. In the meantime, please check out the few paltry posts I did manage to release recently:
- Weekly Reading Summary
- Pretty Baby by Mary Kubica
- The Fifth House of the Heart by Ben Tripp
And now, it’s time to go back to relaxing. Our free weekends are few and far between, so I know the whole family wants to maximize the down time! Have a wonderful Sunday and an even better week, everyone!
