I'm back....

Outside my window... 

 ...I see sunshine. A rarity this summer. Kinda nice.

I am thankful for... 

...family.

From the kitchen... 

...it's Friday which means I don't cook. I have been super lazy in the chef department this summer. But, then I have been somewhat industrious this summer regarding the kitchen in general... well, with a hammer and crowbar. (Post coming soon!)

I am wearing... 

...my "uniform"-- jeans and a scoop neck T (branching out in BRIGHT orange today).

I am creating... 

...absolutely nothing. Burned myself out on the construction. Maybe a knitting project is in my future.

I am reading... 

...Love Does by Bob Goff. Love it! And, of course listening to the Outlander series while I clean.

I am hoping... 

...for a calm soul. And, for summer not to end.

I am hearing... 

...nothing. Sleepy teenagers...

Around the house... 

...things I need to finish... shoe molding, painting baseboards, dining room ceiling and floor.... the list goes on.

I am going...

...to drop the linens off at church. "Laundry for Jesus"

One of my favorite things... 

...La Croix hits the spot this morning

I am praying for... 

...military men and women and their families.
...those who have no one to pray for them.
...my neighbor who is been hospitalized for most of the week. And for his wife who never leaves his side.

A few plans for the rest of the week... 

... see around the house... all of it.

Photo thoughts... 

...Still giggling over my sons' torture of their "uber-organized" aunt. Every book turned backward. Her head almost popped off. I think she is still looking for things out of place.

How To Make Vietnamese Coffee

Yum! Looks like I need to make a trip SOON to Super H-Mart.

FOR TODAY
Um... last blog post was right about now... last year.  Time to get the old brain working again.  TODAY is my first day of summer break.  And, I am stranded.  Ah, the joys of 3 drivers and ONE car.  First day of summer and the lists begin....

Outside my window...
A beautiful sunny day.  Loads of green.  Makes me happy.

I am thinking...
Of the wonderful potential for this summer.  Time to spend with all my kids.  Sad that this is the last summer for a house-full.

I am thankful...
For all God's blessings in my life.

From the learning rooms...
Everyday is a learning opportunity.  Happy that #2 son is reading for fun -- and that a school year of "no X-Box during the week" may have had a lasting impact on them.

In the kitchen...
Pantry is FULL and counters are CLEAN!  What a great way to start the summer. Cooking?  Guess I'll have to get back to that since I won't have the "work" excuse any more.

I am wearing...
The same thing I did yesterday.  YUP, I said it.  Not proud, but I wanted to get up early and get a jump on some computer projects and MOUNDs of laundry.  It just seemed more efficient.

I am knitting...
Featherweight Cardigan.... still.  It seems to only come out on Friday trivia nights.  Sigh.

I am going...
nowhere and I kinda like it.

I am reading...
Outlander---Audible version.  Makes cleaning a breeze.  As much as I thought I would HATE a book on tape I like it.  Don't know if I could tackle something new, but it is a great way to re-read old favorites.
47 different magazines-- because I am addicted.  'nuf said.

I am hoping and praying for...
--my daughter as she begins real life  this summer.  

--those afflicted with the horrible scourge of cancer.  And for their families.

--Rhett's Aunt Elaine, who lost a husband and a daughter in a week's time.  And for Catherine's husband and children, that they find peace in their loss.

I am looking forward to...
Summer projects

I am hearing on my ipod...
cheating actually... Claire's Pandora station.  I like.

Around the house...
Carpet is coming OFF the basement stairs.  Yahoo!

One of my favorite things...
Rainy days.  Come on summer...

A few plans for the rest of the week...
Who knows?  Love me some summer.

Hosted by The Simple Woman's Daybook

A summer day book

Outside my window...

...I see way too many pine cones that need to be removed from the yard.  Darn storms.

I am thinking... 

...that it has been SIX MONTHS since my last blog post. Darn Facebook and Pinterest.

....how I need to be on the phone getting insurance quotes-- just added a new driver to the mix... but I am afraid of sticker shock.

I am thankful for...

...a husband who loves me, despite the fact that I am a little crazy this summer.

...actually winning trivia last week - so that I can actually feel smart for a few days.

...a trivia team member that lets me think I knew the answer, when we all know he knows everything.

...that my "adventurous" son was not bit by the baby copperhead he picked up while doing service work with a great Catholic youth organization Alive in You.  After looking at a picture I have decided, FOR MY OWN PIECE OF MIND (headed toward that "hope" up there), that it was only a racer snake.

 From the lesson plans...

...OK since I copied this from Sara I have blindly left this in.  No lesson plans for me, not for work or for keeping my kids "up to snuff".  It's summer.

From the kitchen...

...I have been a bit manic lately.  Really enjoying the time off this summer.  Yesterday included "silver turtles" on the grill (shrimp, spinach, cous-cous and cilantro) with mango-avocado salsa, Pioneer Woman's yummy jalapeno poppers and BOGO Ben&Jerry's.

...Then night before?  Grilled pizzas.

...Tonight?  Back to the basics...crock-pot chicken tacos.

I am wearing...

...white skirt and tank top.  Tried to look a little presentable for the DMV this am.

I am creating...

...giant messes all over the house as I attempt to make EVERY SINGLE craft I have thought of for the past year... all at the same time.  (that's another post)

I am reading...

A Breath of Snow and Ashes the sixth (?) book in the Outlander series.  A dear friend introduced  hounded me to read this wonderful series.   I am glad I took her advice.  Though, I have read all 6 books back to back and I think I may have to throw something 21st century into the mix soon... Bossypants is next on my list.  According to my daughter, I will love it.

I am hoping...

...for a calm soul.  Tired of anxiety of stupid stuff.

I am hearing...

...the x-Box, the tv, Ryan playing the bass upstairs and the click-click of my typewriter keys again. 

Around the house...

...lie the remnants of all my craftiness.

I am going...

...to get insurance quotes-- after I check Pinterest again.

One of my favorite things...

...family dinners.

I am praying for...

...my new driver, who also needs some peace from his anxiety.

...military men and women and their families.

...those who have no one to pray for them.

...my neighbor who is down at Emory beginning an intensive study for Parkinson's disease.

A few plans for the rest of the week...

...more craftiness.

...pressure washing and maybe painting my deck-- if the rain will go away.

...trying to remember to send my sister her birthday gift (crafted by yours truly)

Photo thoughts... do either of these look poisonous? 

Answer tomorrow.

The Ike Special

blog diet

Ha!  Fooled you didn't I. 

Bet you thought this would be about losing weight.  Ya right, that's NUMBER 21 on the list of things I was supposed to do over the summer that I HAVE NOT DONE!  I have to admit, it was an industrious list.

But stopping by Camicakes was on my list of things to do. A very nice mom brought some in to school last Fall and I have been dreaming of cupcakes all summer.

Of course, ever since I discovered that the best present eva to give a college girl was a cupcake token I have had THE CRAVING.  My college girl prefers these.... and I have to admit they look yummy.  So yesterday, realizing that we only had a few days of summer left-- we made the trek ITP (for those non-Atlantans that's inside the perimeter ) for yummy goodness. 

The cupcakes were good-- not amazing, but good.  But was amazing was the hour-long car ride there and back.  I've got a pretty amazing kid.  It's nice to know her as an adult.  :-)

Think you can overcome teen angst?

Have you ever "Googled" yourself?   I know, it's a  narcissistic waste of time.  But sometimes I just can't help it.

I have a friend, Robert, who believes Google is evil.  Something about ripping off iPhone development, yada yada yada.  So, this morning while wasting time doing research I decided to test Bing's research prowess.

Of course, the first search involved myself.

Lesson learned.

A quick Bing image search pulled up 6 images of what Bing thought was me.  One from the school's website, bad picture... but me.  One was of a co-worker several years my senior, also from the school's website.  Two keyed in on my last name and grabbed shots of Rhett's cousin, an environmentalist and author in New Mexico, at a conference.

 And, then there was....  

THIS....

In the old days there was hope you could someday get away from that "angst filled -- ugly -- no hair products in 1979 -- Oh, my God it's a surprise party for my 14th birthday, I am SO glad I'm wearing my best jeans" picture.  By now, those old pictures should have faded into amber nothingness thanks to those handy "magnetic" photo albums.  But no. 


To the young people of today, be afraid, be very afraid.

Facebook will come back to haunt you.

I think I was born 20 years too late. 


Why does this picture touch me?



Happy July, on Cape Cod or hanging here in the south.

4th of July - Part Deaux

What can I say?  Can you experience the 4th in any better way? The only thing better would have been a soundtrack.  But I did enjoy feeling the fireworks.  Maybe we were  a little too close.

4th of July

I love celebrating the 4th.

The other day my sister asked me why?  She doesn't share the same affinity for this holiday.  We all suffer from holiday let down.  I gave up on New Years around 15.  Too many expectations, too many movies depicting engagements, reunions and confessions of true love just at the strike of midnight.  That is too much to handle on a teenage/twenty something brain.

But the 4th is ... well, not full of expectations.  It just is. Here are some random musings....

• it is always a day off from work-- OK, well for most of my adult life I have been a stay at home mom and now I work in the school system.  I have it off anyway.  OK, and yeah, all through HS and college I worked as a swim coach and lifeguard.  Never had that day off.  
• the 4th always meant NEW BATHINGSUITS!   They get their first mark down on the 4th.  Nothing like a new, non-Speedo bathing suit to break in at the neighborhood party.
• the 4th was usually spent at the neighborhood pool -- and nothing spells fun like silly poolside games.  As teenage lifeguard watching the dads in the neighborhood wrassle that greased watermelon up from the bottom of the deep end was strangely satisfying yet terrifying.  I was pretty sure I didn't want to put my skills to the actual test.
• greased watermelons aside, the 4th is synonymous with food.  Enough said.  Red, white and blue food...can it get any better?
• Um, yeah... cause the 4th means FIREWORKS!  And I mean the BIG explosions in the sky kind, not the blow your arm off kind.  Sparklers were as wild as things got in our household.  Fireworks were a no-no in our house.  Apparently, my dad had one blow up in his hand as a kid.  Thank you to the Chinese for discovering a beautiful use of gunpowder.  And, a little known fact... the Chinese shot off fireworks to scare away evil spirits... so the 4th is spirit free!  
• But thankfully, not spirit free.  The 4th screams cold beer and fizzy red cocktails. For kids, it was coolers full of soda we only got on special occasions.

My childhood 4th was usually marked by a neighborhood bike parade, a party at the pool -- or the lake depending on where we lived at the time, and a few sparklers in the back yard.

(actual film from back in the day circa 1980, when kids decorated their bikes and rode around the block to celebrate the fourth)

My kids' 4th memories are different.  Especially the fireworks part.  Just ask them, they'll tell you the story of dad shooting bottle rockets off his back in a PVC tube.  Hey, he was the tallest, it was the most logical.  HA. They won't have memories of decorating their bikes and riding around the neighborhood; or of watching the drunk neighborhood dads fight over a greased watermelon.  There will be no reminiscing about which neighborhood girl looks the best at the pool.   We don't live neighborhood with a community pool  and we choose not to join the Country Club in the neighborhood.  (Can't imagine what greased watermelon pulls look like with an unlimited bar tab). Hopefully, the majority of their memories will include picnics with good friends,  HUGE fireworks displays in our neighborhood (hey, that Country Club does come in handy sometimes-- despite having a golf cart parade) and family.