Weekend update

The two most labor-intensive events of the summer reading program are OVER: the ice cream social and the tie dye extravaganza.  Yay!  I’m really, really, really happy that I scheduled these two events in back-to-back weeks this summer, since it’s a lot easier to keep up that high energy level than to try to regain that intensity after a couple of weeks of “relaxing” events.  Not to mention that the tie dye event would still be looming in the future right now if I hadn’t gotten it over with…sort of like those big term papers that used to haunt me in college.

Both events went quite smoothly, and we had gorgeous weather for both of them; no worries at all about any rain for either.  Only two more outdoor events for this summer, the outdoor games program with Trevor the Games Man and the summer finale picnic, and I’m really only concerned about the possibility of rain for the games, since I imagine we could somehow move the finale picnic indoors if need be.  But the games would be much, much more fun if we have nice weather and get to play them outside – so keep your fingers crossed for good weather on the 19th.

In home news, Jim and I have been working hard again on our current projects after taking a bit of a breather.  I have a superstitious feeling that I will only finally be healthy again once our bathroom project is complete, since last summer’s health adventure began the day after I ordered and paid for all of the bathroom fixtures, so I feel extra motivated to finish the bathroom.  Not to mention that we’ve gotten a little too used to not having a sink in our bathroom (it’s been six months).   So today we finally installed the new medicine cabinet, and Jim re-installed all of the door trim.  We’ll call the plumber tomorrow, and hopefully we’ll be able to have the sink installed this week, just in time for Dan’s visit (always good to have a bathroom sink when you have company coming).  Then some paint touchups to fix any dings on that gorgeous Van Courtland Blue, installation of the baseboards, sealing of the grout, and painting of the bureau which will be our new linen storage unit in the bathroom.  And then – we’ll be done!

I’ve also been painting the front door and the back door, having finally convinced Jim to let me paint them Hunter Green to go with our house color of Hawthorne Yellow.  Bigger project than it would seem, though, since those dark colors need multiple coats of paint.

And I’ve been reading, though not as much as I should be:  Clementine by Sara Pennypacker and The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova.  I’ve given up on The Reading Promise by Alice Ozma, though; it just didn’t grab me the way I had hoped, and I’ve got soooo many other books that I want to get through.  And that’s the update for this weekend, as I try to move back towards normalcy in life and in my blogging.

3 thoughts on “Weekend update”

  1. Interesting that you dropped The Reading Promise. I started it this weekend, and it’s just not working for me. The language doesn’t carry me, in fact, it seems very juvenile, as if the 3rd grader is writing it. It feels trite, whereas when I listened to their interview on NPR, I was moved by their story. I haven’t given it up yet, but I’m near. I told myself this morning, one more session…if I’m not grabbed by then, back it goes to the library. On another topic, will you be posting new bathroom pics? I hope so!

  2. Liz –
    You nailed it! I was SO excited to read this book after hearing about it via a School Library Journal online interview with the two of them – but the book is, um, tedious. And trite. I got about 100 pages in, then read the last couple of chapters and returned it to the library.
    And yup, I’ll post bathroom pictures on Friday after the sink is installed!!! It’s going to be a big day for us! 🙂

  3. I decided this morning that I’m done with the Reading Promise. When I read the chapter about Alison being afraid to go to bed because she feared that JFK’s corpse was on her bottom bunk WHEN SHE WAS 12 YEARS OLD(!), I decided it was beyond trite and venturing dangerously close to self-indulgent and just plain silly. Life’s too short to stay with a book that’s not working. Looking forward to the “after” pics of your new salle de bain!

Comments are closed.