Pick Up Sticks

Weekends

I love weekends...spending time with my family and friends...relaxing...  This weekend was no exception. 

While the weather was unbelievably hot and humid, we found time to have some fun.  We are enjoying the World Cup soccer games and planned Saturday around watching the US play.  Unfortunately the US team did not move on as they lost to Ghana.  Our son had headed back to college for the day so hubby and I did some much needed clothes shopping and hit up some great sales at Kohl's.  I came home with 7 tops for work and a new dress.  I have been loving wearing dresses this summer as they just seem much cooler.  Unfortunately finding a decent dress these days is hard...some of today's fashions are just not for me.  We also went out to dinner and I enjoyed salmon cakes which were so good - very different and spicy.

Sunday I finally did my cleaning as the guys headed off to the golf course - they were crazy as it was 90+ degrees out and so humid.  I planned meals for the week and headed to the grocery store.  I spent the afternoon at my LYS with my knitting buddies and had lots of good laughs and actually got some knitting done.

I headed home to knit some more while dinner cooked.  I am almost done with Liesl - a cute cardigan in a cotton blend yarn.  I tried to knit 3/4 sleeves only to find they seemed tight.  I will rip back tonight and just do the cap sleeve version - although I am not looking forward to ripping back the lace pattern.  Uggh!

We grilled a delicious dinner - ribs for Matt - chicken/feta/spinach sausage for me and hubby.  And had the first sweet corn of the season - which was so good!  Matt handled the grilling as he is always trying out new recipes - this time a rub and sauce for the ribs.

I am enjoying this summer with our youngest son...especially since it may be our last one with him as he graduates from college next Spring.  Who knows where he will be after that?  The we will truly be empty-nesters...which breaks my heart.

Busy...Busy...Busy

I miss the days when my kids were little and summers meant long lazy days exploring the creek, making tents in the backyard, cathcing fireflies and lots of popsicles...when school was out and there were no alarm clocks to worry about.

Now my boys are grown up and I am no longer a stay at home mom...but getting up for work everyday and working long days with little satisfaction.  I keep trying to talk my hubby into letting me be a stay at home mom again but he keeps reminding me that we no longer have kids at home.  But what about Dallas...our little pound puppy?  Doesn't he need me home with him during the day?

Sigh...I could easily enjoy being a housewife...just think how clean my house would be, and laundry would be done and I would have time to exercise....

But I know I need to work...it's put 2 kids through college without loans...and additional money into retirement so we won't have to work forever.

But work has been very stressful this past year. I work for a small non-profit that supports a network of larger non-profits.  My immediate boss and our executive director have never been on good terms...long story.  There are confidence issues which have lead up to two people in our department...of a small department of three...losing their jobs...leaving only me as of 7/31/10.  It is awkward and stressful at the moment.  They are replacing the position above me but not the bookkeepers position...should be interesting.

But in the mean time I am back to my days of not sleeping...I let things worry me too much.  I think it is because I care too much about work to be able to let problems at the office.  I need to find a better balance of work and personal life.

My goal this summer is to get to work early and leave by 4:30.  I have been getting up early and walking for 30 minutes each morning and that is helping with the stress.  I love to see the sun come up and enjoy looking at the gardens of my neighborhood - some are beautiful - some not so much.  There is plenty of wildlife - birds and bunnies.  And while it has been unseasonably hot and humid I am enjoying the peacefullness of the early morning.  This has been a good start to my day.  I finish my walk and come home to a big glass of fresh ice tea and peruse my gardens a little - pulling weeds and watering when needed.  Then I sit on the back steps and read the morning paper...then off to get ready for work.  It is a great way to start my day.

  

A View from my Garden Chair

We have had unbearably humid and hot weather lately...unseasonably warm for June in PA.  I was up very early Sunday morning - before 5:30 - and after reading the paper and writing up my grocery list I headed out to the garden.  From 7-10:30 I weeded and planted and deadheaded...working up a good sweat in the humid morning.  But it was well worth it as my yard looks great!

After a few hours of work on the computer - I hate bringing work home - I ventured out of the home office where I had retreated with the AC cranked up to find that the hazy humid weather had broken and the sun was out and it was clear and sunnny...no sign of humidity.  I grabbed my knitting bag and headed out to sit in the yard...along with my camera.

As I knit on my summery cardigan - Liesl in a cotton blend yarn - I stopped often to take pictures from my chair.

A view from my garden gate...the old cemetary behind our house...I love this cemetary...and enjoy browsing through it...looking at all the old headstones...some from the early 1800's.

A gorgeous clear June sky!

 
Gold Finches - love our thistle feeder!

 
My solar powered birdbath...when it is in the direct sun it has a fountain at the center that spouts up.

My knitting on my lap!

All from the view from my garden chair.................. 

Adventure Days

When our boys were younger we would have what we called adventure days.  Usually on a Sunday after church we would pack a cooler with drinks and a picnic lunch and head off in the van.  We would drive until the boys said stop...finding parks and hikes and creeks...all sorts of fun places that boys like.  They would pick a place for our picnic and we would end up back home tired and happy...lots of fun times and memories!  Little did the boys know that these adventures came from lack of funds at the time...lol...when all it cost was the cost of a few gallons of gas...back when it was cheap!

Yesterday we had a grown up adventure day!  Our youngest son is home for the summer and we decided to get in the truck and start driving...and while we had somewhat of an agenda in mind...we drove where the mood struck us.  Here is my cutie pie hubby...no pictures of me or Matt...we are camera shy!

 

Our first stop was Spring House Brewery - a local microbrew -  for a sample and a growler fill - yummy Goofy Foot Summer Wheat. 

Then we headed to Tudbink's Greenhouses.  We had fun wandering through the greenhouses and bought a boxful of annuals to fill on old 10 gallon crock.  I usually pick out annuals each summer for the crock but the guys were really interested in the plants yesterday so I let them pick out a whole boxful.  My favorite part - their sheep!

 

Then we headed out again...this time meandering along the country roads of Lancaster County...enjoying the old houses and all the gorgeous gardens...the fun part about having a GPS is that we had plugged in our next destination and despite all of our turns and detours...it always recalculated and got us to our destination.  We kept waiting for the calm voice to say "I TOLD you to turn left!"

Our next destination was Moondancer Winery...I know it sounds like an alcoholic trip but it really wasn't!  We had a quick tasting...and while the wines were good...it was so humid we didn't stay long...but we will be back as it was a gorgeous setting.

Next we drove along the Susquehanna River and crossed the Wrightsville-Columbia Bridge and ended up in Wrightsville.  We stopped in at the John Wright Shop and Restaurant in the old foundry building...we had hoped to have an early dinner there overlooking the river but we were too early as the restaurant didn't open until 4 and we were early.  We did walk down to the river and enjoyed the views of the old bridge.

 We headed back to the Harrisburg area and ended up at Chili's for dinner.

Our grown-up adventure day was fun!  Reminded me of old time with our boys...good memories!