Hello Monday

The weather:::

This is my kind of summer.  Much better than those few 80+ degree days we had last week.

On my reading pile:::

Finished a few books from the library since I last posted.  The Seafront Tearoom by Vanessa Greene was lovely - the sight of the tea cups on the spine as the book sat on the shelf at the library called me to it and I was not disappointed - but The Jetsetters by Amanda Eyre Ward was disappointing, I'm not much into books about dysfunctional families.  My current read is In Farleigh Field by Rhys Bowen which I'm really enjoying.  I need to request a few more titles from the library. 

On my TV:::

Still working my way through Madam Secretary on Netfix.

Checked off the list:::

When I last posted, we were hours away from the final closing on our house in Rhode Island.  It is complete, that chapter is closed, and I have to admit that both Vic and I felt a sadness about that.  It was our first "we're going to retire here" home but the Navy moved us to Washington where we discovered a new love and Sophia has no plans to leave here so Washington is the new Rhode Island, if you know what I mean.  A new round of paperwork began as we refinance this house, with the great rates out there we were able to get a deal to knock our mortgage down from 30 years to 15 years so considering we were two years into the 30, it's like knocking 13 off our mortgage.  Yay for being mortgage-free before we're 80, lol!

Crafts Roundup:::

2010 Family Album is all laid out and ready to go.  I do what's called a power layout where I just decide what photos will go on what page, insert any memorabilia, and then I can attack the stack.  I also assembled the 2020 Christmas Card Album, finishing the legend (the who's who of card senders) before I forget who some of them are.  I was sad to see, when I looked at some old albums, that I couldn't remember some of the senders so the legend is a good way to stop that from happening.  I also completed all the ornaments for my Christmas group's annual Christmas in July ornament swap and got them in the mail as well as making my ornament from last year because I had run out of the little houses, they were out of stock, and I've just recently sourced another one.

The group is called Magical Holiday Home hence the design and it's a sitter as it sits among the branches instead of being a hanging ornament.

And in other news:::

I got my second COVID shot, it's been over two weeks so I am fully immunized.  We're 3 for 3 in this family - one Moderna, one Pfizer, and one Johnson & Johnson.  I made it up to see Sophia for a flying visit - up Saturday, back home Sunday - but it was enough time for us to have lunch at one of our favorite restaurants and a browse around the historic area of town, a little shopping at Home Goods, and a takeaway Thai with one of our favorite movies in the evening.  I went out to the barn on my way out of town on Sunday to see the horses, Hickory on the left and Ginger on the right.  Sophia's business is doing really well, she has a full slate of students and a waiting list and is going to reduce her preschool teaching in the fall from five days a week to three days, hoping to branch into the homeschool community on the two days that she can offer lessons during the day.

In other news, my nephew, my sister's oldest boy, graduated from high school on Saturday in a social distanced, two tickets per family ceremony, so we wished him well from a distance.  He's off to the University of Oregon in the fall.  Vic has less than 50 days to go, he can't wait to be home.  Work for me has been crazy busy so the days just fly and I catch up on chores and errands on the weekend as well as getting in a little relaxing and crafting.

Watched one of my favorite movies, D-Day, the Sixth of June, with Robert Taylor, Richard Todd, and Dana Wynter.  It's more romance story than war movie but enjoyable all the same.  We're looking forward to visiting the beaches of Normandy.

Have a great week, everyone!