The middle of July

I can't say that I'm a huge fan of July...it's that whole summer weather concept.  In fact, right now the heat index is 104 degrees.  Yuck.  Unfortunately, it's only going to get warmer for about the next week.  I'm grateful that I have little to no commitments that will require me to be outdoors anytime soon.

I'm really, really close to being completely finished with all of the band paperwork.  I'll make a separate post about that sometime, but I'm not going to lie...I am super excited about that!  I hope to be turning things over by this weekend at the latest...and maybe even tomorrow!

My stress level is a tad bit high right now.  We decided to make the investment and have a sump pump installed in our crawl space.  Of course, as is often the case with home improvement projects, things didn't quite go according to plan.  They found some pipe leaks in this process, and found out that box external faucets have leaks, so the already expensive projects are just becoming more expensive.  It is what it is though, and I'm grateful we have the money to fix what needs to be fixed.

We also have an issue with one of our cats.  Andrew and Catherine have taken her to the vet, and there is no guarantee she is coming home.  My heart breaks for Catherine, who adores this cat beyond words, and I know Catherine will struggle if she passes.  Catherine is having her own struggles, and we don't need to add this on right now.  I also feel sadness for our cat Lincoln, who still loves to cuddle with Rosie, even at age 10.  They've always been inseparable, and that was why the pet adoption place insisted they be placed together.

Next week we are attending orientation for Thomas, where he'll get registered for classes and find out things we need to know.  He'll be moving into the dorms in four weeks.  I can't even fathom that in four weeks I'll be spending the night in my house with Andrew as the only other person under our roof, and that will be our new normal until holidays.  Oh my goodness.

Lots of feelings and emotions happening right now, but also so much gratitude!

Raccoons

If you've read my blog for a few years, you know that we have outdoor cats that we feed.  Of course, we live in the woods, and that means other wild life also sometimes want to enjoy the food.  This time of year, it is often the young raccoons that make life challenging.  This week, they have been extremely challenging as they have been getting into our garage and refusing to come out.  Last night we had THREE of them, and although we spent hours trying to get them out, one stayed in all night and the condition of our garage right now is not good.  It was not at all how I had envisioned my Friday evening.  The good news is that we know all of them are out, and now we just have to see what kind of repairs need to be made.  Never a dull moment!

Happenings in our house

The middle of July is officially here.  Four weeks from today Andrew will be back at work.  Time sure isn't slowing down, is it?  Although I appreciate (tremendously) the slower pace of summer, I know I'll be ready for the routine come school time.  And of course, with us being empty nesters, the routine is certainly going to be different!

Thomas has been working A LOT of hours these last couple of weeks.  He's been called in extra several times, and we are so proud that he is always willing to go in when called.  He's appreciating the increase in the bank account, especially since he had a speeding ticket to pay!  Such is the life of an 18-year-old, I would presume.

Catherine hasn't been working much.  She was a tremendous help in getting ready for the party last weekend.  She's having some minor medical issues that can be treated, and is working very diligently to make sure that she has things lined up and ready to go for the nursing program this fall.  To be honest, I am not remotely pleased with the lack of information and communication that is happening from her school.  I don't know if it is consequences of COVID, or just the way they've always been, but I am not impressed and would not recommend attending there.  Catherine is set on it though, and she's working hard to navigate the system.

I was back to work this week.  There is plenty to do this year, and I'm grateful for that.  I also have much more flexibility in schedule this year, so I'm not required to be "in person" just because I'm supposed to be there.  If there isn't anything to do, I can go home!

This weekend will be our first laid-back weekend in quite some time, and I'm really looking forward to it!

Done celebrating

Yesterday was the final graduation party in this house.  Because I had all week off, and June had been insanely busy, it was the week that we cleaned EVERYTHING.  In addition to mopping floors, some furniture was moved to mop and vacuum under, woodwork was washed, windows were washed, siding was washed, the flower beds were all re-mulched, the tents were put up, chairs and coolers were borrowed, and we were ready for guests!  We were also beyond exhausted.  There had been drama with the kids during the week, there had been some late work shifts for one (and early work shifts for the other) and we were all just really, really tired.  At Catherine's party, the crowd was on the smaller side due to COVID, and everyone was outside so I didn't feel like I needed to go in and out.  Yesterday, some of the friends and family never went outside, and some never really went inside.  I felt like I didn't really get to visit with anyone.  I didn't sleep overly well last night, and today I feel as though I could've slept away the day.  We aren't as young as we used to be!  Overall though, Thomas enjoyed himself, and that is the important fact.

Back to work tomorrow.  I'm kind of looking forward to getting back into a routine, but I also plan to enjoy as much of summer as I can!

Independence Day?

Why would I put a question mark on this title?  For one thing, today, and really nothing about this weekend, has felt like Independence Day.  While we did go visit our friends whom we hadn't seen in a year Saturday evening, we had not one cook out, nor did we see a parade or attend any festivals.

It's more than that though.  As I was attending the protest yesterday, I must say that there just seems as though so many freedoms have been lost lately.  It just seems like so many people aren't really "free", and there seem to be so many people who want to keep it that way, and even make it worse.  But one "freedom" that hasn't been lost is the "right" to purchase firearms, as we are continuously reminded, and were today again in Highland Park.

I'll be honest, it's hard to feel great about it all right now.  Looking forward to my family all being home and under one roof this evening, and maybe finding something to laugh about!

Sunday morning protest and love

This morning Andrew and I attended a protest.  I'm not an activist by any stretch of the imagination, but this was a no brainer for me.  Southwest Ohio Catholics almost all have new priests this weekend, and the one coming to our community clearly does not understand the population he will now be serving.  We are a welcoming community, and staunchly support our neighbors and friends.  A co-worker organized a silent protest this morning so that the new priest could understand that.  Andrew and I went for over an hour, then we wanted to attend our church.  I could not have been more grateful for the welcoming message that came from our pastor this morning as well.  I was truly moved to tears, and I'm so grateful to have our pastor lead our congregation.

We went back to the protest after church, although it was beginning to wrap up.  There was so much love and support at this protest, I'm so so very grateful I could be a part of it.

The best day of the summer

In many ways, today is the best day of the summer for me.  I went into work today, but only for a couple of hours.  And now school is closed until July 11.  It's only one week, but I don't have to travel anywhere, and I get all this time at home.  I am so looking forward to each day!