Rain!

We actually had rain last night, almost a whole inch.  Too late, I think, to help the corn crop in this area, but it will ease the drought a bit.  I won’t say plants look perkier but they do look less droopy…  Hopefully it will help farmers with the vegetable crops, the selection at the farmer’s market hasn’t been the greatest.  The storm that dropped the rain moved some of the very hot weather out, so we have the windows open.  It’s still quite humid, and the heat is coming back. I’m getting more used to the heat, though.  On Sunday Madeline and I went to the Art Fairs on and off the Square in Madison, with a friend and her daughters.  It was in the 90s and sunny, very hot, but I was fine.  I used to positively wither in weather like that.

This past weekend was a big one for son Jacob.  He passed the check ride for his CFII certification.  He is now a certified flight instructor for both private pilot and instrument.  This is good because he is now eligible to be an instructor at the school he attends, and because it means that the bulk of his flight training is over.  So a big milestone for him, and he’s about the happiest he’s ever been.
On Tuesday Madeline and I went up to American Players Theatre with the Shakespeare group she belongs to.   There were about 30 of us total, we saw Twelfth Night.  I’d already seen it a few weeks ago, and although well done I didn’t care for the story and could have lived without seeing it again but they needed drivers.  I did enjoy meeting some of the other parents, and it was fun to see the kids enjoying the show and talk about it.  There was a Q&A session with the cast afterwards and the kids really enjoyed that.  They even had a chance to talk to one of the actors as they walked down the hill– very special.  Altogether very worthwhile, but it made for a late night, we didn’t get home until 1 am.  I still haven’t caught up on sleep.

Speaking of American Players, Madeline and I are going up again on Saturday to see Royal Family.  Sometimes I think I’m crazy to spend so much time and money on APT, but the truth is it is something she and I both enjoy.  It’s kinda our thing, and really not the worst way to spend out time or money.

I went through CPR certification this past Saturday, which was very interesting.  Although, as another not-so-young person in the class said, it’s real hard on the knees.  It’s actually a good feeling, though, to know that I can perform CPR, use an AED, and help a choking person.  A big responsibility too, of course.  One of my class mates is also starting the PTA program this fall, so it was nice to see a familiar face.

I’ve managed to keep up the bike rides as time allows and feel better for it.  The eating right part is not going so well– easy to fail on that when I’m busy.  But I keep working at it– small steps forward!

I have the day off today which is wonderful.  I have some things to get done today so I’ll be busy, but a break from the cafe is good.  We’ve been busy, and that is a blessing and I’m grateful for it.  For the most part customers have been great, but there have been a few days where the tips have been pretty poor, in spite of good service.  That wears me down a bit.  So I’ll enjoy the day off.  We need to start getting ready for our vacation, coming in a week and a half!  I am so looking forward to that.

I missed a day of blogging again but for a good reason.  Yesterday was just plain busy.  I had work and then Faith Formation in the evening.  I had today off, which was lovely.  I managed to get some errands done,and I put the screens in the windows.  It’s been quite warm for a few weeks and the house has been quite stuffy, but I’ve help back from putting the screens in, mostly because I’ve been busy but also because it just seemed too early.  Plus the screens are new ones to go with the new windows, and I had to get them out of their boxes and haul out the ladder… it was a bit of a job!  But they are in now and the windows are open and the fresh air is coming in.

Faith Formation went well last night.  We had a decent turnout, only one of our regulars missed.  I’d hoped to see some of our not-so-regulars there but no luck.  I really need to find a way to reach out to them and encourage them to come.  Anyway, we talked about Holy Week, starting with Palm Sunday and the Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem touching on the cleansing of the Temple, and finishing with the Last Supper and the garden of Gethsemane.  Then we actually showed a few scenes from “Jesus Christ, Superstar”.  I think the kids liked it, we hoped it would bring the Gospel stories alive for the kids.  Next week we will do avery modified Passover Seder/Last Supper.

I did this once before with another class about 3 years ago.  I’d worked long and hard, researched extensively, made all the food, brought nice candlesticks & table linens, the whole nine yards.  It was interesting and fun but I definitely got a bit carried away and it was a little too much.  I love this kind of stuff so it is easy for me to overdo it.  Years ago I went to a Seder presentation by Jews for Jesus at a friend’s church.  It was a Bible church, and I found it curious that many of the people at the church weren’t particularly aware that the Last Supper was a Seder.  I had always been aware of it, since in the Catholic Liturgy the readings for Holy Thursday’s Mass of the Lord’s Supper includes the story of the first Passover from the Book of Exodus.  The Seder and accompanying explanation from the representative for Js for J was very interesting, and I was so fascinated to realize how directly the Eucharistic Liturgy draws from it. This spurred a curiosity that has had me delving deeper into Catholicism, something I have enjoyed very much.   Hopefully I can come up with something by next week that will educate the kids without overwhelming them!

I was able to get to church early enough to participate in Stations of the Cross and Benediction, along with about 10 other people.  The Stations are a lovely devotional activity for Lent.  It makes me really think about my behavior, and I was forced to admit that I’d not been really doing well in some areas.  We’ll do reconciliation for our class during Holy Week and I know I’m in need of it.

 

Monday, Monday

Not a bad day for a Monday. This morning the sun was shining and the sky was blue and it looked so beautiful, so I wore my lighter jacket rather than my winter coat.  This was a mistake and I was chilled by the time I got to work, especially my ears, since I hadn’t worn a hat.  I don’t have a hat that matches my jacket yet.  I started knitting one before Christmas, but figured I wouldn’t need it any time soon since I’d be wearing my winter coat with the lovely, warm alpaca hat I knit a few years ago.  But it’s been warmer, so I’ve been wearing the jacket, and still haven’t finished the hat.  This is silly– there isn’t much more to do, I just keep procrastinating.  As I do.

Today tickets went on sale at American Players Theatre in Spring Green, so I spent about 35 minutes online buying tickets.  Got a total of 12 tickets to 5 different shows.  Madeline and I love going to APT, and this is her last summer before college, so I put aside some money so we could do this.  Jacob is coming with us to one of them, and I bought an extra ticket to another of the shows so she could invite a friend if she likes.

I have a free evening, I will get the dishes done– we don’t have a dishwasher and Madeline hasn’t had time to do them today. Then it’s off to the grocery store, where I will no doubt forget to buy water softener salt for the 12th week in a row.  I have to remember it when I’m at check-out and I just get distracted with the paying and all and forget.  Pathetic.

Maybe tonight I will start trying to de-clutter– things are pretty bad right now.  I have so much homeschooling stuff, I need to see if I can sell it.  I don’t expect tons of money for it, but I’d like to recoup some of it– I spent a lot of time and money choosing good stuff.

August

Where did July go?  It’s been hot and humid for a few weeks now, and it’s getting old. We’ve had a lot more rain than we usually do this time of year, which means the weeds are flourishing and the lawn needs mowing frequently.  The dehumidifier in the basement runs incessantly.  We broke down and turned on the air conditioner during a  brutal few days.  I’m tempted to do so again– the nights have been sultry and it’s hard to sleep.

More rain also means the mosquitoes are flourishing, which is miserable.  They make it hard to enjoy the porch in the evenings.

Last week I finally had a chance to do something fun with friends– between my own crazy schedule and my friends’ equally crazy ones it has been impossible to get together.  But on Friday I went with my friends Denise and Wendy to see Of Mice and Men at American Players Theatre in Spring Green.  It was a lovely, clear summer evening, the mosquitoes were not bad, and we got there early enough to enjoy a very leisurely picnic and some conversation.  The show was wonderful, as it always is at APT.  I’d never read Of Mice and Men nor had I seen it performed before, but I thoroughly enjoyed it, serious though it is.  Some of my friends and acquaintances have been reluctant to see it because they want something lighter, and I can see their point, but I’m very glad I saw it and would willingly go again.  There is humor in it, the kind of humor we encounter in our daily lives, even when times are hard.  Of course, there was also so much that was sad and tragic.  But life is like that sometimes, the funny mixed with the misery, and there was such truth and such beauty, the characters were so incredibly human in their actions and choices, I was deeply moved by it.

It was the second show I’d seen there this summer, daughter Madeline and I went to Blithe Spirit a few weeks ago and enjoyed that– a rather silly show but the dialogue was wonderful– Noel Coward.  I have tickets to 3 more shows, two with Madeline and one with Wendy, and I may squeeze in another.

We leave for our now-traditional week in Grand Marais, MI this weekend, and I am so ready for vacation.  I know my kids are, too.  Jacob has been working full-time plus this summer, and Madeline has been very busy too.  We are all looking forward to relaxing and reconnecting by beautiful Lake Superior.

August

Summer is waning fast.  Where does the time go?  It has been a very busy summer, yet I don’t feel I’ve accomplished much.  Probably because I haven’t accomplished much.  No, that isn’t true, but I didn’t accomplish what I wanted to.  That’s not true either.  I didn’t accomplish the things I felt  I was supposed to.  I didn’t paint my room or tuck-point brick or re-do the bathrooms.

But I went to Vermont to see my niece graduate, and in addition to seeing my sister and one of my brothers I saw two good friends I hadn’t seen in years.  I also got to see the state I was born and raised in for the first time in almost 6 years.  (The last time I was in Vermont was right after I had separated from my then-husband for the second and last time.  The kids and I drove to Vermont to my parents and stayed there for 2 weeks while I licked my wounds.)

I helped out on a play our local theatre guild did, in a very small way, which was all I felt up to. I’ve been ultra-involved for the last 4 years and needed a break!

I’ve gone to American Players Theatre in Spring Green 4 times already (As You Like It twice, Another Part of the Forest once, Major Barbara once) and will go at least 2 more times.  I first went to APT three years ago and couldn’t believe I hadn’t gone before.  It’s absolutely fantastic and it is a little more than an hour from home– though it would be well worth a longer drive.

I haven’t had enough time with my kids, but in a week we go up north to Grand Marais, MI for the 3rd year in a row.  It is our special vacation time and we are looking forward to it.  Jacob leaves for college right after we get back and we’ll be right back into the busy time again, but I’m looking forward to a time of peace and togetherness.