Life: It Goes On - August 2

August?? How did that happen already? I know those of you who have school-aged children feel like summer is over once they go back to work but I cannot emphasize to you enough that Summer. Is. Not. Over! We have another month. Heck, the calendar says we have seven more weeks but I'd rather think of September as fall so I'll go with four weeks of summer left. I got some landscaping stones from my parents today and I've started a new garden project so I'm going to need all of those weeks! This whole virus thing has given me entirely too much time to think of projects to do!

Last Week I: 

 Listened To: I'm still listening to Bill Bryson's At Home and learning so much. Dad, you'll be interested to know that there is a part about Thomas Jefferson and Monticello. Bryson says that no visitors are ever allowed to the upper floors but we know differently, don't we?!

The landscape stones on the right are my new project. 

Watched: Lots of HGTV (which doesn't help with me finding all kinds of new projects to do!), including Hometown and Good Bones and some a couple of episodes of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. 

Read: I finished Ron Rash's latest collection, In The Valley, and loved the novella at the end, in particular. Then I started The Mirage Factory by Gary Krist which I'll be alternating with Untamed by Glennon Doyle. 

Made: Pasta with fresh-picked tomatoes and basil, Austrian potato salad, fresh-picked green beans with bacon and purple onion, and, for Mini-him's birthday dinner, Asian chicken salad, red velvet cake, and homemade ice cream. 

One of Mini-him's birthday
presents when they were
nearly finished. 

Enjoyed: Mini-him's birthday dinner with his girlfriend, a six-hour happy hour evening with one of my besties and a visit with my parents and Miss H today. It was just what I needed to start digging myself out of the blues. 

This Week I’m:  

Planning: Continuing putting Miss H's room back together as a guest room (including painting a headboard) and organizing the things she left behind. 

Thinking About: What I can work on in the basement while I'm keeping Mini-him's cat company. We're cat sitting this week and his cat and our cat do not get along. So he has to stay in the basement for the most part when he's here and I like to turn on some bird videos and keep him company. Lord knows, I have plenty to do down there, as always. 

Feeling: Tired. I haven't been sleeping well. This tends to run in cycles for me so I'm hoping this passes soon. 

Looking forward to: Cooler temps for the next few days. This weekend has been glorious and we've enjoyed a lot of time outdoors. Looking forward to more dinners on the patio. 

Question of the week: What's your favorite quick and easy summer dinner?