Archives - Weekly Update

I think we need more three-day weekends. I love the extra reading time, and people were so excited going into a long weekend and so relaxed when they came back on Tuesday that it was wonderful to see. Hold that as a concept! The pool is open and warm enough to swim in, thanks to the heater! I have flowers everywhere, and the splashes of color are making me smile. I go from nursery to nursery in our area looking for the right flowers in the right shades. Some shrubs did terribly in the bad winter and need to be replaced. I fear the hydrangeas are not going to flower. We are not alone with this. The weight of the snow and the frequency of it was just too hard for even hearty plants. Dandelions thrived, though. Yowser, we NEVER have had this many of those puffing in the breeze. As the seeds fly, I fear we will have a yellow lawn next spring!

While it’s not yet beach weather, I definitely have “summer fever” heading into this weekend. The pool is open, though nights in the low 50s mean the heater has not been turned on, so I have not gotten more than my toes wet. (Note to self: get a full-body wet suit with gloves and booties this summer!) We got lots of planting done last weekend, though I still am on a quest for apricot/peach-colored hibiscus plants in two sizes. I have a spreadsheet of all the pots we have to fill with a goal not to overbuy. I also have photos of what we did last year since I never remember what worked well planted where. The peonies are ready to explode…right on time as they typically pop when I am at BookExpo America (BEA) and not home to enjoy them!

Cory came home from school on Tuesday. By that night, both Son 2A and Son 2B, his best pals from town here, were at the house. Sleepovers, videogames in the man cave, and late-night trips to Sonic were back on the agenda. On Wednesday and Thursday nights, the guest list layered in Dennis, a friend from college, and Tom joked that he and Cory’s other college friend, Skyler, are Son 2C and Son 2D. It's fun having him back, though we have not had much time to talk yet. After all, being the host is a lot of work for a guy! I will say that that was one fast school year. By the way, Cory’s move out from the dorm took about 30 minutes, including getting the fridge from his room to the car. He is a very efficient packer --- his engineering major is coming into play there. Also, he had all the laundry lined up to hit the laundry room here; such a smart boy I raised.

I think this danky weather in the New York area has something to do with my knitting summer tank tops. If I were still knitting sweaters, the weather would be a lot warmer. I knit a few rows of a sweater last night trying to break the cool/cold spell --- let’s see if it works. The pool is open and looking blue already; I have not stuck a thermometer in it yet as my husband's only words to describe it have been “very cold,” which I think translates to "beyond wetsuit cold.”

At our house I rarely am home alone. While I love Tom and the boys, there are times when I crave silence and aloneness. Tom wakes up and cranks up the stereo system while I prefer to hear myself think. This week, I got my alone time as Tom headed to Kansas for a business trip, Greg headed to the UK for a vacation, and Cory is still at school. I lost a few pounds as I did not indulge in big dinners, but rather grazed on healthy snacks. I got a few more pages read since there was no conversation. I worked way too late one night since no one was heading to bed, thus my day/night barometer was off. I turned on every light as I watched the season finale of "The Following" as I realized it’s a lot scarier watching a terrifying but addicting show when you are home alone.