Now we can relax again and not worry about summer ending soon. I may not even watch the news for the next couple of weeks so I can avoid all of the back-to-school news and ads and keep my mind in a summer zen state.
This Week I'm:
Listening To: I'm about halfway through Sarah Vowell's Unfamiliar Fishes and learning a lot. Although, I must say that sometimes, her voice can get kind of annoying. And she can really get off topic.
Watching: Last night we went to see Ian McKellen in "Mr Holmes." We both enjoyed it quite a lot - there's humor, sadness, little tugs at the heart strings (yeah, yeah - I know we're being manipulated but I didn't care) and McKellen is just superb. It's based on the book A Slight Trick of the Mind by Mitch Cullin; you know that's been added to my ridiculously long list of books to read.
Reading: I finished Go Set A Watchman the other day and started Paula McLain's Circling The Sun which I'm about a third of the way through already. Also finished Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl. Mixed feelings about that one.
Making: Oh have I been busy in the kitchen this week! Just because we had all kinds of fresh fruit that needed to be used up, I made a fruit pizza Sunday. For Mini-him's birthday dinner on Monday, I made Asian chicken salad, red velvet cake and stuffed hot banana peppers. Tuesday we made a pork tenderloin which lead to Cuban sandwiches on Wednesday. Thursday was peanut satay chicken stir fry - sounded delicious but the sauce was so bland. Will not be repeating that one. Yesterday we went to the farmer's market and brought home all kinds of goodies so I'm looking forward to working with those ingredients this week. I'm going way out of my comfort zone in working with beets - will actually be trying a recipe that included them with rhubarb.
Grateful for: Ibuprofen - and even it hasn't entirely been able to tame the headache I've had since Friday. All those peanuts in that picture above? Too many for a person who has something of a peanut allergy. Boy, is my body making me pay for that one!
Feeling: A bit anxious - two of our kids are going to have to be moving shortly and we're not quite sure what that will entail. Perhaps back with us, maybe short term, maybe longer. Just when I'd gotten used to us having the house to ourselves!
Looking forward to: Some time off work soon - although how that will be spent, I'm not sure yet. Perhaps a quick trip to Colorado, perhaps a few days at home to get some projects done. The debate wages on!
What are you looking forward to this week? What's the best book you've read so far this summer?
Regarding the semi-peanut allergy - that has to stink! I was going to suggest adding extra red pepper flakes and lime juice to the peanut sauce to jazz it up (that's what we do), but it sounds like you shouldn't be trying that one again anyway! As far as summer goes, my kids start school in about two weeks. Thankfully the pool will still be open, so I can take them in the afternoons and weekends so they can play with their friends and try to cling to at least a little bit of summer. My youngest is waiting eagerly for his teacher assignment. Usually they are here by now, but there's a few new staff members this year, so I think that must be slowing things down.
ReplyDeleteI'm just never sure when the peanut allergy is going to kick up or just be a minor inconvenience. I'm not going to give up on peanuts entirely because it's not life-threatening and I love, love peanut butter and peanuts in things.
DeleteI had forgotten about the excitement of waiting for the teacher assignments. Although there were several times when I needed the heads up just so I could convince my child that everything would be okay with that teacher and a once when I needed the heads up to make a change.
We are still in the process of getting everything ready for school to start in a few weeks. I suspect my kids are more than ready to go back. They do much better with a regular schedule.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your time with not having to worry about all of that!
I must say, I do kind of miss getting the new supplies for the school year (although not the expense!). When you look at all of those blank notebooks, and new sharpened pencils, it always held so much promise and kind of made me want to go back to school. And then homework help time started and I was so over it!
DeleteAll that food you've been making sounds and looks delicious! Yum! Love that you've been reading a lot too. Hope that headache goes away soon. I've been having one for a few days as well but thank goodness for ibuprofen!
ReplyDeleteI have gotten my cooking mojo back and it's fun!
DeleteI'm from that long ago time too when August meant one more month of summer. My friend who is a teacher starts with her new class tomorrow already. It seems way too soon! I'm trying not to think about next year, when my daughter officially begins school. Preschool is one thing, but kindergarten will be another.
ReplyDeleteI'm hearing wonderful things about Paula McClain's new book. I still am not sure if I'll read it. I didn't finish her last one.
I hope everything goes well with your kids' situations. I hear it is quite common these days for kids to move out and then move back in with their parents for a short while before moving out again. I imagine it will be strange all around if that does happen--for you who are used to them being out of the house and then them who aren't used to having to live with their parents in awhile.
Have a great week, Lisa!
Mini-him has moved back twice already. If he does end up back again, though, it will only be for a short time so that's doable. Miss H, on the other hand, would be an indefinite stay until she finds the right person to move in with. But we enjoy having them around for the most part; I just have to keep reminding my husband that our parenting job is largely over and they have to make their own decisions now and their own mistakes.
DeleteI always enjoy reading about what you've been making in the kitchen. The birthday meal must have been a hit. The beet and rhubarb sounds intriguing. Hope you get your home projects done this week and it's always good when you can plan a break away. I'm trying to fit in time out with friends and different members of the family during the holiday season. I've done quite lot of reading this Summer (by my standards). Recently read Liza Klaussmann's Tigers in Red Weather and the setting caught my imagination.
ReplyDeleteI did not end up doing the beets and rhubarb, yet; perhaps today. I think I have Tigers In Red Weather on my Nook. What did you think of it?
DeleteTime off? Fly to see me and take a road trip?! I am driving to New Englad sans hub who has a work trip. If only I could have had more notice to find another driver... Enjoy the beets and rhubarb - very curious.
ReplyDeleteI think I'm finally getting to the beets and rhubarb today. Hadn't quite worked up the courage yet!
DeleteI have been wanting to read Fangirl for ages and just got Go Set a Watchman for my birthday (but I skipped your review for now so as to avoid any spoilers).
ReplyDeleteYour meals all sound yummy! I would love to hear about what you do with the beets. We get them from our local CSA farm, and all I ever do with them is roast them and add them to salads - delicious but same old, same old. And I LOVE Cuban sandwiches!
Enjoy your time off -
Sue
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I had never had a Cuban sandwich until a year or so ago but it's one of my favs now! Every spring I think I'd like to join the CSA but then I'm worried that I'll be scrambling for ways to prepare a lot of food I'm not that familiar with. One of my friends got kale every week and her family was so over it after just a couple of weeks!
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