SUMMER - The Beginning or the End

Today Grace started back to school so my 10 wonderful weeks of babysitting have come to an end. I already miss the little darling and actually considered going to school with her but thought better of the idea. First, I would be hard to explain to the other kids and even though she is only 6 I have learned that when her friends are around I drop to the "B list." So I took a look around my house at all the things that need to be done and checked my many lists of all the things I want to do and made a plan.

After the laundry and ironing clothes I haven't worn since June I moved to the kitchen and cleaned and reorganized the fridge and the pantry. Next up the pickles. One little vine that Grace planted has produced enough cucumbers for 8 quarts of pickles. I've never made pickles before so I'm not sure but I think this is alot of pickles. I have jars sitting all over my kitchen - there are jars that have to be shaken daily, oh so exhausting, and jars of pickles that are waiting to be sliced, sugared and shaken.

Then on to my next project, ME! You might think I would be just too tired but NO! It may have taken many years but I have learned to practice the art of living my life rather than just maintaining it. First up was a trip to my favorite second-hand book store and a stop at Borders with a 40% off coupon resulting in 7 new reads. Although I have been reading alot this summer I am excited about reading something other than Pinkalicious and Fancy Nancy! At Borders I picked up Lisa See's Shanghai Girls (I loved Snow Flower and the Secret Fan). Two of the books I got at the used bookstore are Raising Lambs Among Wolves, about your children and spiritual warfare and Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov. I still can't get enough of Russia. And a wonderful find there was the Bobbsey Twins! Oh my gosh! I had forgotten all about Bert, Nan, Freddie and Flossie and I am so excited that they are still around! It makes me wonder about The Boxcar Children.

And it seems I never go to town without a stop at the infamous Joann's. This time it was for patterns, I mean they are on sale so it just makes sense to buy them, right?and other notions to either complete existing projects or start new ones.

It is now 2pm and all I have to do is shut up and go play!