August...and business as usual.

July is gone...and suddenly we're four days into August already.

My vacation is over but summer is not...the heat is relentless. I was thinking for a minute, "How nice...our summer has been pretty mild." I spoke too soon. (Although today is supposed to be a bit cooler...at a mere 90'F rather than over 100'F. Hey, I'll take what I can get!)

Three out of six of our tomato plants are producing. Two of the plants that stopped producing were being eaten alive by those disgusting tomato worms...I found three and Chris found one. They are now, all four, chicken manure. Maybe the plants can now heal a little and give us a few more tomatoes before the season ends.

My poor green beans got demolished by teensy, fluttery, white flies...and they are now spreading to the zucchini plants. We'll harvest a few more zucchini then pluck it all out of the ground and prepare the soil for some winter vegetables. Not sure what yet...kale probably, maybe chard.

I went back to work on Friday. It was nice to see everyone again. And nice to meet our new peeps. My desk was piled with to-do's...and still is as I didn't really even get to any of it yet. I was busy answering phones and clearing out emails and preparing letters to go out and eating donuts. I thought starting on a Friday was going to be weird...but it was kind of good in that now I know what's waiting for me and can formulate a bit of a game plan for this coming week. Wish me luck...my job rarely cooperates with my "game plans"....so we shall see.

The boys are settled in...Ian here at home and Seth in his new place. Seth spent his birthday in SLO. He worked during the day and had tentative plans for the evening. We had a pizza and dessert delivered to him since we couldn't be there for the usual "family birthday dinner". It was kind of a bummer to not be able to be together...but he did enjoy the surprise dinner delivery. I am guessing this might be more and more the norm as the boys get older... Trying to be OK with that...

I'm realizing this post is a bit melancholy...I feel like I'm sort of droning on and on...kind of mumbling and sighing as I recount the goings on around here. And really, I do feel that way a bit.

On that note, I was challenged by a friend on Facebook to do a 7-day gratitude journal...list three things a day that I am grateful for. I have decided to do it here on the blog as it will make its way to Facebook, anyway. Maybe that'll perk me up a little...focus on the positive, the blessings.

As for today? I'm going to finish watching the Giants game and enjoy the cool breeze that's coming through the windows this morning while it lasts...such a pleasant surprise.