Life: It Goes On - August 15

Happy Sunday! What a beautiful weekend we've had here. We spent both evenings sitting outside and it was absolutely perfect. I feel like I've been waiting all summer for a weekend like this - I can't help but wonder if I appreciate them more because of all the weekends when it's too hot or it's raining or it's winter. 

I've had such a productive week and it feels so good so have gotten so much done after months of not having the energy or the mental capacity to get much done. I've gotten some deep cleaning done, rearranged things in the backyard and inside, and cooked real meals. I did not solve my blog problems. You know that seems like an overwhelming prospect when I'd rather scrub out my refrigerator than tackle that project!

Last Week I: 

Listened To: I finished Alex Michaelides' The Maidens and then spent the rest of the week listening to podcasts, including several episodes of Glennon Doyle's We Can Do Hard Things. 

Watched: Preseason football; HGTV's latest show, Cheap Old Houses; and the Field of Dreams baseball game. 

Read: Kim and Penn Holderness' Everybody Fights: So Why Not Get Better At It? - definitely some things I cannot seem The Big Guy and I doing but a lot that is good food for thought. 

Made: Shrimp and roasted tomato pasta, BLTs, cucumber dip, chicken breasts with tomatoes and purple onion, super nachos, and s'mores. 

Enjoyed: Dinner with friends on the patio last night. One of my friends brought a charcuterie board, the other brought potato salad and cookies - I "made" absolutely nothing! We grilled hot dogs and burgers with the fixings, had watermelon, chips, and I bought dessert. So easy, so summer fresh - it was nice to get to dinner time and not be tired from all the prep. 

This Week I’m:  

Planning: Here's what I am not planning on doing this week - decorating for fall. I know that once the kids go back to school, it starts to feel like fall to a lot of people and the "influencers" on Instagram are all about the change of seasons (a lot are already talking about Halloween!). Let's enjoy these last few weeks of summer. Why are we always in such a rush to move on from one thing to another?

Thinking About: Mini-me and Ms. S's move to Alaska. They have a move date and have bought a house. They will walk out of the house, look right and see a mountain. They will be less than four hours from Denali. Ms. S's job will be a wonderful challenge and Mini-me will get to try farming in a whole new environment. I'm happy for them - what a wonderful adventure - and trying not to focus on how far away they'll be. 

Feeling: This week marked six months since my mom passed away. The shock has worn off and the reality has set in; and yet, I am constantly still thinking that I need to pick up the phone to ask her something or share news with her. My mom loved daffodils so my sister sent me two of these little pressed glass pieces in her memory. It's just the kind of thing my mom would have given me and it's yet another way that my siblings and I have worked to keep her alive.

Looking forward to: Book club on Tuesday. I so appreciate that these ladies are all vaccinated so that, even as Covid numbers increase again, I feel safe with this group.

Question of the week: Are you Team Let's Move On To Fall or Team Let's Hold On To Summer?