Summer is winding down. We are again inundated with apples and walnut eating squirrels. School starts up in less than two weeks. The kid is excited to be going back to school, she misses her friends, but I am going to miss her. After weeks of going, going, going for various summer activities, we find the last couple weeks of summer with almost nothing to do. It has been a more or less slow week, but still busy, and next week really isn't looking much quieter. I am shaking my head, wondering what happened to last fall's vow of not so much stuff next summer.
All in all it has been good, and fun. We've seen progression up a level in both swimming and Taekwondo. A lot of reading, including a book I never actually read as a kid, The Black Stallion - although in my horse crazed life, I'm not sure how I passed it over. She loved it, and wants to read the next, and the next, and the next. Also read her one of my favorites, King of the Wind. Their quality of writing shows in their endurance as stories that kids continue to read. And I loved seeing her reactions to the suspenseful parts as I read to her, hiding her head under the covers, squealing "oh, no", or merely smiling a happy grin at the positive conclusions.
In some ways, a return to school indicates a return to a little more quiet, a little more 'me' time, which is both welcome and unwanted. Some how I hijacked myself on that this year though. Turns out I am PTA president for the next 12 months to two years. That in its self has been an experience so far, as I struggle to wrest control from the out going president, who seems to have trouble delegating even when the job is no longer hers to delegate. Hopefully today will find the turn over that should have been done two months ago, complete.
Our house is still in various stages of disarray as we recover from installing our new range! It was bittersweet to take the sawzall and cut into the cabinets and counter that my dad had built so lovingly all those years ago, but I love my new stove! No more expletives and "I hate this oven!" regarding burned or under cooked food. And there is room, lots and lots of room. Bye, bye 24", forty year old wall oven. Bye, bye uneven heating and "gas must be completely turned off at the shut off valve when not in use" gas cook top. Hello new 30" dual fuel range with real convection oven option. I am ready and looking forward to holiday baking and cooking this year!
We moved the whole thing to a different location in the kitchen, and hopefully stage two will be completed next summer. It will be nice to have it all finished, but I cringe when I think about getting the new counter top. It will be gorgeous, but around 250 times the price of the original. Yep, that is right. Sounds extravagant, and it probably is, but put into perspective my dad paid $20 for a sheet of laminate counter top that he installed himself. I'm sure he would tell me I am crazy for picking the beautiful granite we are hoping to get, but it will probably stand up better to 60 plus years of use than the old laminate did.
And the menagerie is growing again. A happy little girl now has a kitten of her own. An orange tabby, attitude filled, lovable monster of a fur ball she named Sun Streamer. He is sweet and cuddly, but a tough little guy with no fear of dogs who keeps the 80 pound hound occupied. Now if I can just convince him that certain things are not for sitting or even walking on. But, he is orange, so it is probably a hopeless battle.
It is a sunny, lovely day outside. I can hear the wind in the trees and I am glad for the cooler weather. There are apples to pick, chores to do, and phone calls to be made. Until next time, take care and have fun.
