Wow. You got here fast!! Seems like only yesterday that it was the end of May and I was bidding fare-the-well to Rusty, making Big Plans for all the things I was going to accomplish while he was gone "all summer." Ya. He returns tomorrow and I didn't do a single Big Thing that I'd planned:

• Clean/Toss the Living Areas
• Clean/Toss Yarn/Fabric/Workroom
• Clean/Toss Garage
• Clean Bathroom (Top-to-Bottom)
• Clean Bedroom (Top-to-Bottom)

I did manage some Other Big Things:

• Trip to Ireland/Spain
• Long Weekend @ The Flowage
• Auntie Camp
• Family Time - cookouts, weddings, hangin'

And lots of Little Things:

• Kitchen faucet repair
• Toilet seat replacement
• Hard water deposits removed from toilet bowl
• Upstairs apartment drains unclogged
• Clogged gutter/downspout cleaned out

Um, I never dreamed it would be the summer of plumbing/water-related stuff! You might guess that none of those things was exactly "elective"! The gutter has needed attention all summer, but I only ever thought of it when it was raining or I wasn't at home. And, boy, have we had rain... it's put the proverbial damper on many things. Anyway, I was upstairs yesterday to deal with clogged drains, and ventured out to do the deed. That's a panaroma from our garage to the neighbors' -- a view I don't often see!

There's nothing exciting on the calendar this month other than a 3.5-day weekend coming up, and a couple of dates with the kids/grands. I'm still hoping to get a few of those Big Things crossed off the list yet this summer/fall... now with Rusty's help!

Meanwhile, I'm feeling a little of that burst-your-buttons-Mom-pride & satisfaction thing:

• Kate has just accepted an interim position as gallery curator at UW-Green Bay, with a little teaching too! She has about a week at the bookstore, then a short road trip, and the new job begins on 8/21!
• Things are finally coming together for Ali & the long-dreamed-of/-planned coffee shop remodel! Fingers crossed that it's relatively quick & painless from here on out.
• Maddy is figuring things out... doing lots of odd jobs at the moment, from painting & gardening to IT-related stuff; planning a weeks-long hike this autumn; a move to the Milwaukee area after that; and likely return to New Zealand next winter for both work & pleasure!

Life may not always go as planned, August, but I'm pretty good at rolling with the changes and it is definitely good!

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