Sunday, August 14, 2016

Life: It Goes On - August 14

School started here this week for most of the area school districts. Which means my commute just got about 10 minutes longer each way; I'll try to think of it as 20 extra "reading" minutes a day. For all of those families, summer may be essentially over but not for this girl, not until Labor Day! I'm going to love every minute of the next three weeks of summer. I'm a sweaty, ugly mess when it's really hot but I'd still rather look like that than be cold and bundled up for months

This Week I'm:

Listening To: As for books, still And The Mountains Echoed. It's quite lovely, a quilt of interrelated stories about Afghanistan. I'll be listening to it for a couple more weeks, particularly as I've been mixing it up with some news while I'm driving. I've found another bookish podcast to enjoy, Reading Women, and I've been letting 80's alternative music keep me moving when I'm working out.

Watching: As much of the Olympics as I can possibly work into my days. I love, love the swimming but I will really watch almost any of it. This morning I'm enjoying a field hockey match. I do wish they would do more stories about the athletes from other countries like they used to do.

Reading: Finishing up The Aviator's Wife for book club this week then I've got Colson Whitehead's The Underground Railroad to read before Netgalley archives it this week. I swear they change the dates on me all of the time - I had my Netgalley reads all scheduled then checked yesterday and found I needed to rearrange several things.

Making: Poutine one night, with gravy my friends brought back for us from Quebec (thanks, Cheryl and Bruce!) and cheese curds we brought back from Wisconsin. The Big Guy and I enjoyed it; Miss H was less enthused. This weekend I'm playing with recipes for lavender cookies. Otherwise, all things I can make with fresh produce, especially if I can include tomatoes, peppers, and herbs from my garden: pasta with basil, oregano, and grape tomatoes; grilled burgers with the rest of those cheese curds, avocado, bacon and fresh picked tomato with a side of white peaches; breakfast burritos with garden tomatoes and just-cut chives. I love eating this time of year when everything is so fresh and flavorful!

Planning: Putting the finishing touches on the bridal shower for my niece this weekend. The lavender cookies are an experiment for that. Beyond that, a going away party for Mini-me who will leave for his new life in Milwaukee in a few weeks.

Thinking About: The rioting in Milwaukee. It's only a few miles from where Miss S lives.

Enjoying: Tomatoes from my garden!

Feeling: Lazy. We had nothing we "had" to do on the calendar this weekend and without that push, I've kind of putzed around all weekend.

Looking forward to: Book club Tuesday, bridal shower on Saturday, and a baby shower next Sunday.

Question of the week: What's your favorite season?

13 comments:

  1. Work has gotten busier for me, a sure sign that some of the schools are back in session in our area too. Mouse still has two weeks to go before she starts though. Then I imagien my work will really pick up. I haven't yet read And The Mountains Echoed, but I have heard such great things about it. I am glad you are enjoying the audio version so far. I've been hearing good things about Colson Whitehead's The Underground Railroad. I hope you are enjoying it.

    Autumn is my favorite season--it also feels like the shortest. Summer never likes to let go here, and this year will probably be no different.

    I hope you have a great week, Lisa!

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    1. I sure do not miss trying to keep all of the balls in the air the way I had to when my kids were in school. All of that correspondence back and forth, the goings on at the school, the homework. But I do miss my kiddos being that age at the same time!

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  2. Lavender cookies? That sounds so interesting!

    My favorite season is FALL. I love the autumn colors, the crisp weather, and a crackling fire in the fireplace :)

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    1. They were interesting and we liked them but they are not something I'd make to take somewhere unless I knew the people there were kind of foodies.

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  3. I've always said that autumn is my favourite season and, weather-wise, it still is. But now that I'm into my sixties, I dread winter more than ever, and autumn loudly shouts that winter is just around the corner, so loudly in fact that I've decided that summer is now my favourite season! ;-)

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    1. I've had to work so hard the past couple of falls to enjoy the season and not look beyond that. But it's hard when you know that you could have snow in October (or even sooner other places!).

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  4. I had to Google Poutine as I've never heard of it before. It sounds good. I do like cheesy fries but never had cheese curds before. I love Fall and Winter because those are knitters' excuses to bust out the woolly garments and accessories.

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    1. I really do need to learn to knit - maybe that would help me like winter more?!

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  5. My favorite season is fall, but it's a season that always seems too short. Hope your week is going well Lisa.

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  6. I have yet to try cheese curds. I don't understand what's meant when people refer to them as squeaky. In my mind I think popcorn packing material. LOL.

    One of the largest school districts started school today so my commute got longer too and when the university starts on 8/29 even more time will be added. That is the nature of the beast but it was nice not to have to deal with it all summer.

    My MacBook has a virus so my "from home" posting is limited which is why I haven't been able to do a Sunday post in awhile. It's a work computer and no one can figure it out. It's been weeks and still not resolution.

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    1. They are kind of squeaky, I suppose, if you rubbed your fingers over them. They're good for certain things, but I'm not sure I get why so many people love them so much.

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  7. I loved Aviator's Wife. I am hoping to read Underground Railroad soon too.

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