Friday Happies

1. I'm making remarkable progress with my flowers in the snow blanket. Those circles took me almost six months to make and now I'm more than halfway through the joining! It's going fast. I can join about three more squares in the next row before my white yarn runs out. I'm waiting for more to arrive in the mail. In the meantime, I have about 47 other projects to work on...but I can't wait to get back to my flowers!

2. We've been churning out perler bead creations. I bought a set of templates with assorted shapes on my famous trip to IKEA and they've sparked new interest in this old standby pastime. They're a great way to pass the hot afternoons.

3. Loom bands continue to entertain as well. We're all sporting multiple bracelets at any given time. Here, the GB's dolls wear bracelets made especially for them. 

4. It must be very satisfying to finish a huge jigsaw puzzle. I wouldn't know, since I do not possess the fortitude (or, frankly, the desire) to do such a thing. But my husband does, and I recently watched him place the thousandth piece of his jigsaw puzzle with great determination.

5. On a recent desperate trying afternoon, I decided to involve the children in a cooking project. In cooler weather, cookies do the trick. But it was in the upper 90's and it seemed completely nuts to turn on the oven. So we made fudge on the stovetop instead. I hadn't made fudge in years, and I'd forgotten how easy and fun it is! I used a basic recipe and the kids were able to help. It came out beautifully. Candy makes everything better.

6. My LB is such a good boy. I could raise ten kids just like him. Okay, I'm exaggerating. But he's a wonderful child. All summer, he has taken it upon himself to practice his guitar every single day. I have never had to remind him. He just really likes it. I signed him up for the next level of guitar lessons, to begin in a few weeks. He'll be going in the evening now! It's his first evening activity. He's getting big and I'm proud of him.

7. Sometimes he can be a real comedian. He likes to give the chickens "a better view" by putting them on top of the swing set frame. Here we have Betty and her giant fluffy butt. The chickens don't seem to mind being up there; they parade back and forth, clucking at all of us below. It's their shot at a bird's-eye view, I guess. And it's a handy way to get them out of the grass when they're free and someone's using the reel mower.

8. I've been putting fresh-cut lavender near my bed again, as I do every summer. Late July is when it really seems to be at its most fragrant; I guess it's had enough sun by now, and a little more water too. I just snip a few stalks from the plants in our front yard and put them in a jar on my nightstand. Lavender is one of my favorite scents. I find it really does relax me. These busy summer days call for a relaxing wind-down in the evenings.

Thanks for the lovely comments lately, and welcome to new readers and followers! You make me happy too. It's been a good week around here. I had a clean bill of health at the dentist - always a relief. I'm reading The Fault in Our Stars because I'd heard so much about it, and because as a former high-school English teacher, I am genuinely curious about what kids are reading. I like it; the characters are believable but I must be getting old because the banter seems weird. I bought a cheap paperback copy and I'll probably pass it on to some younger person - unless they've all read it by now.

Summer break is really winding down now; less than three weeks to go! The small Bears are ready, especially since they'll be going to school together for the first time. They won't have much contact during the day, but I think they like the idea. And I'm sure they'll have their moments when they don't like it too. We're starting to get ready now, with new shoes and school supplies. I'm excited. I don't have any big plans for myself; I'm perfectly happy to keep doing what I do, and besides, our school only entails half a day in the classroom, with the rest taught at home. But it will be nice to have a little more time for myself, to get things done, to exercise and have some time to think. I come and go; some days I feel emotional, other days I can't flipping wait! But the time has come and I know it will be okay.