Hello! The 4th of July went by, and we had three swim meets in four days to end my little boys’ season. Shew! I have been simply trying to keep towels clean, goggles and swim caps organized, and planning and preparing meals for hungry people. In the midst of that, I have procured all my curriculum for the school year, most of which I found beautifully priced on eBay. My mind knows that once we pass the 4th and the end of the swim team, it’s time to gather my resources and make sure we are ready for the new school year. It’s good to get it all ready and then enjoy fully the final weeks of our break. Procrastinating makes for misery.
I am currently reading Effortless by Greg Mckeown along with my Same Page Summer reading plan. I am keeping a prayer journal, drinking my smoothies, and holding tight to any semblance of a solid morning routine. It was hit or miss over our busy weekend, but today, I begin again. Having a menu plan keeps me sane too. As we begin heading into deep summer, it always gets hard to want to cook. It’s important to keep meals simple and easy to assemble. Any plan, even if it’s takeout pizza, is better than no plan. Another practice that keeps me grounded, is having set days of the week that I do certain tasks. On Wednesdays, I pay bills, grocery shop, and get gas. I water the plants on Fridays and tidy up the home for the weekend. I keep Tuesday evenings open to host groups. On Mondays (it used to be Sunday nights but then I started hosted weekly dinners) I do planning, including menus, and calendar updating. Keeping these rhythms in the loosey-goosey days of summer keeps my brain and home functioning well.
I listened to this podcast interview with a nun and found it wholesome, kind, healing, and inspiring. It’s worth giving it the time to listen as you are going. My family and I have enjoyed watching the show Merlin on Netflix this summer (5 seasons!). It’s set in the days of Arthur and Camelot, show-downs of good and evil, kindness and darkness, loyalty, bravery, and humility. It’s been a clean show for the whole family to enjoy. We are all looking forward to the Summer Olympics beginning soon! For fiction, I am reading Sunflower Sisters, having already read Lilac Girls and Lost Roses by the same author. Tonight we will eat Sesame Chicken because it’s quick and easy.
I hope July is treating you well, that you are enjoying ice cream, peaches, watermelon, and a swimming pool. This is the month where I straddle the two worlds of lazy days and planning days, a transition month. We will celebrate two birthdays in July and two more in August. Lots of celebrations to come!
Hope you are finding your own sweet rhythms that are serving you well!
Aimee
Those tomatoes look amazing! I'm going to listen to that podcast. When I was in a Catholic high school, I had a wise teacher named Sister Miriam.
I’ve found that a little, light morning routine works well this summer for me too :)
I have read Lilac Girls~did you like the other two??