So. Many. Appointments.
And Buttercup's soccer workouts right smack in the middle of the day.
It all aligned to make my summer days go KAPLOOEY!
Don't worry, I still love summer.
To the thankfuls:
1. We had three days in a row without rain. It looked like it was going to rain most of the time, but it didn't. We managed to dry out a bit before the next multiple day onslaught began.
2. Produce in our yard is plentiful, and I'm managing to get things used and preserved. Each night for dinner we have yet another green thing from the garden. Zucchini, green beans, lettuce, and (still!) asparagus are all in the rotation. We've had raspberry cobbler twice. I've canned 13 quarts of beans and frozen 12 cups of raspberries. Next up are the 15 zucchini sitting on the counter and another 7 quarts of green beans I picked last night. (If you live in town and would like some zucchini, let me know!)
3. Star made it home safely from Boy Scout camp. He had lots of fun and even managed to learn a few things.
4. A gigantic pile of dirt arrived Friday morning. Operation Landscaping This Giant Mess of a Yard has begun. Bryan finally had the time and weather to get a huge tree branch that fell cut up and relocated. Things are looking so much better already, and I haven't even planted anything yet.
5. Cuckoo has been begging to go to KidsCommons in Columbus, IN for months. On Friday, I finally had the chance to take Cuckoo, Turken, Giant, and Giant's friend. They had a great time.
6. So, if you've read Dyanne's post already, you heard the news that we have a cat. It just showed up on our porch and looked in our window. It is the friendliest little thing, and the kids have become attached quickly. Unfortunately, the dogs are not nearly so fond of it. They keep chasing the poor cat away whenever they realize it has come into "their" yard. Yesterday, they almost caught her. If she comes back, we already have a family who will take her. (We can't keep her as an indoor cat, as Bryan is allergic to cats.)
7. Related to #6, this morning I had a huge scare. Roy ran across the front yard barking, so I looked out to see what was going on. There was Hershey, with a light gray and white animal in her mouth. I panicked and ran outside to let her have it. When she saw me, she dropped the animal and came to me. It was an opossum. Not a cat. We're good.
8. Phoenix had his last driving lesson. He has his 50 hours. On Monday or Tuesday he will be able to take his driving test. I darn well better have a licensed teenager in the house by Wednesday. I'm sure I will be a nervous wreck when he pulls out of the driveway alone for the first time, but oh my word, this is going to make things so much easier around here!
9. The mother of one of my best friends in the world is making the move to an independent living facility. It is a good thing. Her mom made the choice, so it is as peaceful a move as it can be. Going through a lifetime of worldly possessions, choosing what to keep and what not to keep is not easy, but it is going well. I am happy that my schedule allows for me to go help them do it.
10. Bryan and I celebrated our 21st anniversary this week with dinner and a movie. It has been a long while since we've had the chance to go out on a date, so the night was appreciated even more.
I'm going to be honest here and say this post almost didn't happen. The only reason it did is because I had started writing it on Thursday morning. Since the Supreme Court ruling was announced, I've been reading through all sorts of posts and opinions. My mind has been consumed with it all. I have a post almost finished with my own thoughts. Since you know I'm Catholic, you probably know I did not cheer the ruling. I'm not posting any rainbows. But I'm not booing it either. It was what most of us expected. Well, you'll see when I post it. If I have the courage to post it.
The sun is shining. It will be a beautiful day. I'm planning on making the most of it.
I pray you have a lovely day, too.
Your turn. What are you thankful for this week?
Your hosts
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You really will enjoy having another licensed driver in the house. It makes life so much easier. My 15 year old just got his permit a couple of months ago and I can't wait until he gets his license! I'm thankful the AC tech is finally coming tomorrow to fix our upstairs unit. One week without AC in 90 plus heat has been miserable.
ReplyDeleteButtercup is taking the online drivers ed courses now. By next summer I'll have TWO teen drivers. Bliss, I tell you. :)
DeleteYou were without AC for a week?!?! Misery for sure. Glad you got that situation straightened out. Of course, are you getting the cooler weather that we have now? Our air hasn't kicked on for two days.
You did it! :-) I think the whole point of the TToT is to be able to see the good even when life is discouraging. Good job, you! I look forward to reading your post. Be brave.
ReplyDeleteI did. Barely. It is the point. I rarely have trouble with it, but man, this week I did. It wasn't that I couldn't think of anything. I just didn't want to write them down.
DeleteThanks. :)
I am amazed that you have so much produce already. It sounds wonderful. So far we have had strawberries and a few peas.
ReplyDeleteHappy Anniversary!
I am surprised, too. I keep seeing posts from people who have teeny tiny plants, and ours are fully matured! I miss having strawberries.
DeleteThank you!
I'll be writing back immediately about Friday. Can't wait to see you!
Congrats on your 21st anniversary, it was good that the two of you got to go out together :)
ReplyDeleteI've also gained another cat (plus a third dog) though in the most saddest of circumstances. My ex partner passed away very suddenly last Monday and there was no-one else to take his pets, so as I already knew the dog from when we were together I said I would have them both without question. We were very good friends and I'm devastated, so it's not been a good week for me :(
Thank you! It was good. It had been too long.
DeleteI am so sorry to hear about your ex partner. You have mentioned before that you were still good friends. While no loss is easy, the shock of sudden loss makes it extra hard. No doubt he would appreciate you taking in his pets. I'll be praying for you and all that knew and loved your friend.
Thank you.
DeleteHey! Happy Anniversay (so, what movie did you see?*)
ReplyDeleteDirt piles!! (Tell me that the new(est) generation (of boys) have not forsaken the time honored tradition of 'dirt bomb fights'… you know, the dried clumps of dirt that forms on the fringes of the rounded pyramid of dirt as it dries.)
Landscaping is one of my favorite home activities… biggest 'bang for the buck' in terms of after job satisfaction.
#1 when the hell did they move us all to the Pacific Northwest?! (I've never been there, but I believe that the climate, variously described as 'cloudy and rainy…a lot' seems to be what we're experiencing here in the Norheast)
* as if I needed to identify myself as a native of Y Chromia lol
Thank you! Bryan has been wanting to see Jurassic World, there was nothing I really wanted to see, so that is where we went.
DeleteHa! They have not gotten into a dirt bomb fight. No doubt they would if they ever heard of them, so I ain't gonna say a word. :) For now, they just see that pile as a whole mess of work.
No joke. It is so satisfying to see a section of yard go from weed-covered disaster to clean and orderly. And you get to do it outside in the fresh air.
That is exactly what happened! And we don't have the benefit of a beautiful, mountainous landscape with an ocean view. (Well, you have the view. I don't.)
I can't wait for the zucchini in my garden to start producing! Last year, it either wasn't prolific (who ever heard of that happening with zucchini) or one of my neighbors was making free with my little garden patch. This year the yard is fenced so only the squirrels can filch from it. Having an extra driver in the house is a nice thing - even if it's a bit scary too!
ReplyDeleteI have never, ever heard of zucchini not being prolific. They are like the mice of the plant world. I hope you get plenty of it this year.
DeleteHaving another driver will drastically change things around here, for sure.
Courage! I cheer the ruling, but I want to hear your thoughts and views too. I won't boo you.
ReplyDeleteHa! I don't know why I'm so worried about this. I know you all are my friends and wouldn't say anything nasty. I guess I'm worried that I won't say things the right way and mistakenly say something I don't mean.
DeleteHappy Anniversary to the both of you. And way cool that you got some time alone too. That's hard with kids sometimes. Okay most of the time.
ReplyDeleteYou've much to be thankful for and I always enjoy reading your posts. I'm looking forward to reading your upcoming post. Please post it. You are not a negative writer so I'm sure that your post will be excellent.
I'm thankful for waking up each morning. I'm thankful for my health. I'm thankful for my family. I'm just thankful for everything.
Have a fabulous day and a blessed Sunday. ☺
Thank you! You would think that with four kids old enough to babysit in the house, dates would be easy enough for us to do. Until you realize that those babysitters are the ones keeping us out until 9:30 at night many nights. We are too old to be going out that late. :)
DeleteI don't know about excellent, but it won't be negative. I'll try to get it posted tomorrow.
You have plenty to be thankful for, too.
Thank you!
You definitely should post your thoughts. Even though I'm sure that our opinions on that matter will differ greatly, I'd still love to see your point of view, also because I know that it will be in a respectful manner.
ReplyDelete21 years, how wonderful! I'm so glad you had a great date with hubby. I'm so looking forward to having one with my hubby sometime soon :-)
Enjoy your week of canning and gardening :-)
I know I should. And I will. Thank you for your encouragement, especially knowing that we do disagree on some things.
DeleteDates are so important for a marriage. I hope you get to have one soon. They are hard to come by, especially with a little one in the house.
Thank you!
Wow, your garden is a month ahead of us!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on 21 years of marriage. That is something.
It's funny how the slow pace of summer can just about kill a mom with all the packing/unpacking/prepping/driving.
I know! I don't know what happened that we got so far ahead of everyone. The rain has helped things along, but my goodness. You all barely have little plants!
DeleteThank you.
Yes. Summer is supposed to be a down time. Except we have to fit in all of the appointments and things we don't want to do while the kids are in school. It's exhausting.
Happy anniversary! I can so much less than you and am not looking forward to it this year.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteCanning can be tiresome. When I got home from the store today, I went to put the groceries in the fridge only to discover FOUR bags of green beans in the fridge. Bryan had picked them while I was gone. Between the beans and the 16 dozen eggs, I'm glad I only bought one gallon of milk. It barely fit. Guess what I'll be doing tonight.
oy... too much for me today.... God bless ya!
DeleteWow, what a fabulous crew you have. And I admire your gardening abilities. I can't grow a vegetable for the life of me. My oldest is just starting her 30 hours of driver's ed classroom, so we're on our way, but it seems like a long haul ahead of her. You are one busy woman living a wonderful and creative life. Fun to connect her.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteWe have been gardening for 10 years. We were horrible at it 10 years ago. Each year we've gotten better and learned a few things. Thankfully, where we live, plants can take care of themselves for the most part. We aren't the kind of gardeners that water our plants. :)
Our daughter just started her classes, too. She's doing them online, which is boring but way easier on me. Do you all have the 50 hours of drive time as well? Those are ridiculously hard to get when you have a big family. Good luck!
We are busy, but from the looks of your blog, you know exactly what that feels like. :) The thankful hop is wonderful for connecting. Glad you are joining in.
Thank you! YAY! It will be a life changer when he gets that license. The younger kids will be especially happy to not be drug all over town each day.
ReplyDeletePretty sure you'll disagree with some things, but not all. I trust you to keep from booing, though. :)
Well, don't be throwing out accolades yet. The canning season has just begun. There is a better than good chance that I will fall behind. :)
Happy Anniversary to you and Bryan! 21 years can fly by in a flash, can't they?:)
ReplyDeleteI'm so jealous of your garden and your dirt pile and your working outside! I'm certain there's a tremendous sense of accomplishment and wonder when you've managed to grow a prolific vegetable producing garden and done so much canning. I can definitely relate to the landscaping thing. Our first year in Florida we went from being Oliver and Lisa Douglas to Euell Gibbons and Annie Oakley lol But it really is a great feeling to see a place transformed knowing you did it by your own hard work:)
I hope Phoenix passes with flying colors!
P.S. I like the new banner....but part of me misses the old one :D
ReplyDeleteIn some ways, 21 years has been a long time. But sometimes I stop and ask where the time has gone. I still see my high school boyfriend looking at me.
DeleteI never knew there could be such satisfaction in a green bean. I get so excited whenever a plant actually produces.
I have not been so good with flowers and non-veggie plants. We'll see how this goes.
Me, too!
While the old banner holds some fond memories, I can't get it back. Change and progress I guess. :)
Wonderful tens my dear - glad to hear everyone is home safe - another driver in the house keeping my fingers crossed for you; - I am looking forward to your post - I am sure it is a good post that is informative and thought provoking. I support the ruling but I also respect and listen to different point of views on almost everything. isn't that what makes us tick ... hey we can't all love peas and make everyone eat them! LOL!
ReplyDeleteI so would love to be be part of your bounty - wish you can ship them over to me - I have this zucchini recipe that is so delicious - its with onion grated zucchini grated, eggs and Bisquick and in the oven - yum I've made it like that twice and I will post the recipe soon just need tweak it a bit ... I have made the same recipe adding more eggs to come up with a frittata or souffle type of dish that was yummy too, I made a salad with it and some rolls dinner was served.
Last but not least Happy anniversary!
:)
Marisa
oh what's the cat's name?
DeleteHa! Please do keep those fingers crossed. :)
DeleteYou are on a roll today! Can't all love peas and make everyone eat them... Ha!
I wish I could ship some of them, too. It's gonna take a whole lot of time to preserve all of this.
I look forward to the post! I need some new things to do with zucchini.
Thank you!
…we might be needing a syllabus for the Clues to solve 'The Mystery of the Missing scott'
ReplyDeleteHa! Your latest post is so funny. I can't believe no one has figured it out.
DeleteYou are going to be SO happy to have another driver at your house! Once you get over the initial fear and panic of having him drive, that is.
ReplyDeleteI should have put a spoiler alert on my post about your (maybe) cat! My bad. I hope he (she) comes back, even if it's to live somewhere else (peacefully). We've had a cat hanging around outside our house for the past few weeks. He's a big guy and uber friendly. Seems like he's fed, but we don't know if he belongs to anyone or not. Thinking about putting a collar on him with a note to make sure he has a home, because, while I DO NOT want another cat, I don't want this fellow to be hungry and homeless, either.
Post it. If we all thought exactly the same way, then we'd be living in Stepford.
So, so happy. It's going to change our lives.
DeleteAh, no big deal. It is just a stray cat after all. As I type this, our cat is sitting on the window sill meowing at me. Ugh. I can't let her in! I will laugh if you get another cat. Yup. I will. :)
Working on it. It's not the easiest post to write.
First, happy anniversary!!! And a licensed driver? Aside from the mother's terror of her child behind the wheel, yes that will be fantastic!
ReplyDeleteI like what you said about this week's SCOTUS ruling - I think you put it just how I feel. I'm not posting rainbows, but I'm not booing, either. I don't know if I'll post about it. Probably not. But anyway, thanks for giving words to my thoughts.
A cat, eh? I'll have to get to Dyanne's post - I'm reading backwards this week, I think. :D
Have a great week - good luck on the driving test!
Thank you! Besides that... :)
DeleteI'm kinda surprised that I'm going to be posting about it, actually. It's not my kind of thing to do, really.
Yes. A cat. Meowing at me from outside the window as I type this. She is a cute little thing. And so friendly. A shame we can't keep her.
Thank you!
You had a very eventful week, as did the nation. So much has happened. Lots to think about and to consider. Sometimes we as a society don't realize how laws can change our society over a period of years in unexpected ways. It is hard to see all the ramifications.
ReplyDeleteHappy anniversary!
You are a very busy Mom. I'm glad that you have a helpful husband and children.
Vegetables fresh from the garden sound great!
ReplyDeleteHave a lovely week.
Happy Anniversary!
ReplyDeleteAnd the kid driving thing...you know part of you is still nervous and worried, but OHMYGOSH! One less person to drive around and once they gain experience-one more person to help with the driving around!
Happy Anniversary! We celebrated 21 years in May! Time flies when you are having fun, right?!
ReplyDeleteHappy Anniversary! Think of all the free time you will have to spend harvesting your garden assuming that Phoenix passes his driving test. Which I am sure that he will. What 16 year old boy doesn't want to drive?
ReplyDeleteTwenty-one years to celebrate... it's so nice to hear numbers like that in this time of disposable marriages. It isn't easy, it's lots of give and take and lots of love, and you've made it work! We've had endless rain here so far this summer too, and that's so very unusual for us, but it is helping tremendously with dust and keeping the risk of wildfires down, so we are grateful. A new licensed driver in the house... what a blessing with so many to transport to activities, and a great new role of responsibility for him! I love that you are so busy reaping the rewards of your gardening, it reminds me a time when more people did that, and it's such a healthy way to live. I just came from reading your commentary on the Supreme Court decision, you handled a tough subject with grace and dignity.
ReplyDelete