- We finally got the tree taken down. On Saturday we’d sawed off a lot of the excess branches, leaving just the largest portions. My lawn guy (who happens to be my friend’s husband and we’ve known them a long time) thought he might be able to get it so we kind of went back and forth and then finally decided he’d just rent a lift and get it gone. The claw came Tuesday and they took everything so, yay! I was glad to get that taken care of and he charged me less than the one quote I got back, from the one out of five companies I contacted!
- I’m writing on Wednesday and holding my breath about my son. In order to be in the yearbook, seniors have to make an appointment and go to a studio for photos. I made his for today at 10 and he is well aware. But he also spent the night at a friend’s. I was surprised when he got home at 6:30 but his other friend had to leave so he brought him home. Elliot went back to sleep though and even though we discussed setting an alarm, I am nervous. But you know, he was good about coming home and he’s been good about going to work on time every day so, here’s hoping.
- I was watching one of my favorite youtubes and she was talking about the sounds of summer. Funny enough, I knew exactly what she was talking about but didn’t know it was the katydid. She has a whole post about it here, if you’re interested. We hear them a lot in Florida, even though I wasn’t sure we had them. But then once I started looking them up, I know for sure we do. To me, that IS the sound of high summer. The fireflies sort of stop shining around mid June (in fact, I haven’t seen any the last 2 days) and then the katydids come out and serenade you with their chorus.
- Wednesday’s post had an entry about the simple life and there are moments in summer, in the late evening, when I can really relax, even though it is hot. I don’t know what it is but it’s a very still, calm time and my brain sort of lets go. I was meant to be in a warm climate. Though, fair to say, I do find myself thinking about eight or nine years from now when we want to think about moving north. I think Tennessee might be a nice place. I know they get more of the seasons. I think I want a suburb of Chattanooga or Knoxville where I can live a little far out but still have neighbors and get to stuff in a city. I know we’ll want breweries too so that would have to be a thing. LOL.
- I just went down a rabbit hole of looking at Knoxville suburbs on Zillow. Best to shelf that for now; I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself! But sometimes it’s fun to dream. It’s also a nice distraction when I am stressed about life.
- I’m grading papers and trying not to stress; only got one section for the next 8 week term so far but there have been many times I get one last minute. I can make it but that makes a pretty big difference in pay. Fingers crossed!
- As a follow-up, my son did get up and leave for his senior photos. I am relieved. I know he’s worried about it but only because he doesn’t know what to expect. But that’s life right? You have to go into new situations and take them as they come.
- When I got a little stressed, I took a walk and damn, it is hot. I felt better soon as I got back inside but I was definitely sweating out there! But it’s a bit early to be this hot. Hopefully after that set of storms rolls through this week, it’ll take some of that heat with it.
- We go on vacation in two weeks and I have SO not even thought about it, with how my life has been lately. I have to focus on my day to day, the job search/interviews, and what I can do now, as opposed to later.
- Thursday now and the morning was less rushed than they have been lately, which is good. Somehow the kids still haven’t adjusted to getting ready for camp. I’m planning to take one extra hour off today to get gas and make mashed potatoes. We are reprising the meatballs I made Tuesday because the kids liked them so much!
- I was super productive yesterday: mailed a CD someone bought off ebay, went to Publix, got the kids, made a spaghetti sauce and served it to them on tortellini, ran the sprinkler in the yard, raked the excess from the tree coming down, washed a load of towels, painted the camp shirts (photo at end), logged beer cans for our collection, and in the end, watched 2/3 of them swim in the pool just before dusk. And because I put some water in the pool and watered my lawn, we finally got rain! It keeps clouding up and threatening to storm but hasn’t so I was super thankful for it. Nothing cooled off after but it was nice to know the lawn and greenery got the rinse.
- Someone is eating a breakfast sandwich in here and it smells so good! I don’t really ever eat breakfast, and haven’t since about 2018, but wow, I kind of want a nice buttery biscuit with sausage, egg, gooey cheese. Doesn’t that sound fantastic?
- OK, I have a bunch of papers to get graded and since I’m rewarding myself with a 2:30 leave time, I have a goal. I am very excited about that but have to buckle down first. Enjoy this photo of my kids for “better together” duo day at camp. I suggested salt and pepper shakers but they wanted m&ms. Yes, I painted them.
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Great job with the shirts! So cute and I would have guessed the M´s were screen printed not hand painted. Another possible place to consider for a northern move would be Kentucky. It might get too cold for you/ be too far north but it´s a beautiful state and many people are really into Bourbon there (not sure if you like that or not!). There are Bourbon trails and breweries (maybe they are called distilleries?) that people go to. I like Tennessee a lot, too, and see that appeal.
Yeah we do like Bourbon and have plans to hit the trail at some point. I have relatives in Louisville and like it but I’m also trying not to go too far north because I assume my parents will stay in Pensacola. And if my son moves to the Toledo area, this will sort of be in between.
Great job with the shirts!!
Of the two, I prefer Knoxville (Cathy from MMMM lives there), but Chattanooga’s nice, and it’s right on the border with Georgia, so if you do move, you picked a couple of good places.
Yeah I think Chattanooga’s proximity to Alabama and Georgia, as well as being only 6 hours to Pensacola is what would probably push us there.