Projects

Friday, June 01, 2018

June is Bustin Out All Over

Just as I began to fear we'd never warm up, a summer heatwave arrived. I'm not complaining. We began May with snow, and given the choice I'll take the 100+ degree temperatures. I know this is an unpopular opinion. The spinach in my garden has all bolted, but the tomatoes and chard are happy. 
It is so nice being able to wear shorts again.

June is a busy month for me as it is syllabus writing time. Our curriculum needs to be submitted to the department of education by 15 July. Most years I have it in by the second week of June, but it is still stressful. This autumn will be grade 8, and it is Danny's last year of homeschool. He'll be off to high school after that, which feels appropriate. He's ready, and now that he doesn't have medical issues that would complicate things, he's excited to have the teenage experience of high school. It is bittersweet for me knowing this will be our last year of school together, but I do feel good about the education we gave him. At some point I want to set up a meeting with the school to see if there's anything they think I ought to focus on to get him ready. Academically he's in good shape, so I'm planning to work on time management, more written assignments, and independent reading. We are doing summer school, but a shortened schedule because...baseball. If he can get his work done by noon I have no problem letting him listen to the game. I'm not some kind of monster😁

Just chillin with me owl. Sometimes it gets boring eating ambrosia and listening to lyre music, so what's there to do but escape Olympus and hang out with an owl in Omaha? You wouldn't believe the strange looks I get going about dressed like this. Were I *really* a goddess I'd turn all the side-eye giving idiots into pigs or something. Alas, all I can do is stare back.
This is my displeased face. You don't want to see angry.
I haven't used our oven in over two weeks due to the heat. We have central air conditioning, but so many years on the farm trained me to keep the house cool without spending a fortune. We keep the lights minimal during the day, and the blinds drawn-this is just common sense. I run the washing machine in the evening and let everything dry on our wooden rack instead of using the tumble dryer. I can't hang my laundry outside as our neighbourhood traffic would have it stinking and dirty again in minutes, but I do let things dry on hangers on the shower rod, etc. If they need a light pass next evening in the dryer it takes but a few minutes. Cooking has been salads (tabouleh, hummous, etc) and things that can be cooked atop the stove (I have spinach crepes planned for tomorrow). I enjoy the change as it keeps my cooking skills fresh, and forces me to use what I have in my pantry and garden as I don't dare venture out to the grocer in the heat of the day. Anyway, it has been nice challenging myself. 
I also made strawberry jam because that's what I do this time of year. As you can see, I leave some hunks of berries in it as I prefer pieces of fruit in my jam. This year's batch turned out perfect. It is a rare year that my strawberry jam isn't soup or a solid ball, so whatever magic came together this year, I'm sure I wouldn't be able to replicate it. I could get more uniform results with pectin, but the jam made with it always seems undercooked to me. I suppose you could call it, "fresh tasting" if you like that sort of thing. This was my first time using Weck jars. I'm not sold on them, honestly. the cost is so much more than the old Ball jars I've used for years that it might take some convincing that they are superior. I'm old and set in my ways, but I will admit the glass lids are very pretty. At any rate, I can't use them for the fair as Ball is a contest sponsor. 
The garden has been providing nightly salad greens. 
Summer pudding does not require the oven. 
With spring underway my Mexican style skirts are being worn.
And my hair is very much going wild. I can't be bothered with a hairdryer and curling iron in this weather. I don't like my curls, but I'm learning to live with them as the alternative would be misery, and heat up the house during Operation Keep Cool. 
I recently found a second lobster brooch in black and gold. 
This skirt had a day out as well. 
On the fragrance side, I've been enjoying this Yves Rocher cheap-o. A nice, light summer fragrance that would have to be seriously over-applied before annoying anyone. If I want to offend, I have Carnal Flower to wear on a 100 degree F. day😁. Not that I would...but I could

 I'll leave you with a look at a couple of handbags that have been neglected in my collection. The straw bag has beautiful seashells sewn onto it and the Caron of Houston bag was something I recently discovered with no memory of having purchased it.
 Where did it come from? Who can remember?
I might be scarce around here as I put together the syllabus. I still post at Instagram (@goodymcgoodface) if you enjoy an abbreviated version. Hope you have a great June. 




8 comments:

  1. "Chillin' with an owl in Omaha..." is the phrase for the day; however, it sounds more like you're cookin' in the heat! Your system for staying cool combines thrift with excellent recipes -- can't beat that with a flyswatter from the funeral home.

    The Mexican skirts are so appropriate to the current climate conditions. But, may I venture an opposite opinion on your curls? I really like the length and CURLS in the head shot with the striped collar. It's very flattering and suitable for a lady wearing a dress!

    One suspects Danny's "independent reading" and "writing assignments" might carry him into the history of pop culture and professional sports. Fascinating stuff, especially at the turn of the 20th C.

    ReplyDelete
  2. i knew it - you´r a goddess!!
    your mexican skirts are gorgeous! and such pretty handbags. love the lobster brooch!
    we had a heatwave too - and i too keep the house cool without electricity - because there is no air con at all in this 120 year old house...... i hate air con anyway - 15min in a room with and i have bronchitis.
    and yesssss - shorts weather!
    the red look is stunning!
    xxxxx
    p.s.: today i bought me an EdT pump spray for the handbag - you guess it - 4711 :-)

    ReplyDelete
  3. It has only just cooled down from a heatwave here and I would have worn shorts if only my legs were as fabulous as yours! We don't have air conditioning but try to keep it cool by keeping our curtains and blinds closed, but still the temperature creeps up after a couple of days. I have the air conditioning on at work, in order to avoid brain melt! Love the red maxi and top, and both Mexican skirts: the first one is my favourite. Imagine finding a second lobster brooch! Good luck with putting together the syllabus. You'd better make the most of your last year together, but I'm sure Danny will be the best educated of the lot at High School! xxx

    ReplyDelete
  4. My goodness - how could you forget a bag like that? It's absolutely gorgeous.

    How exciting for Danny to be going to high school. I hope he really enjoys it but you will miss it dreadfully I'm sure. Never mind more time to rummage, cook etc or are you thinking of paid employment?

    You are looking lovely in all your summery outfits. I loved you in the red outfit and the Goddess dress was just fab. I won't wear shorts - I don't want to frighten the horses but you have wonderful legs!

    My jam is usually too solid; I just can't believe I've got the setting point and leave it a few minutes longer where it becomes solid and hard to spread on anything.

    We have strawberries - almost - and are awaiting the arrival of tomatoes. Lots of flowers though.

    Good luck with the syllabus and have a lovely and hopefully cooler weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Danny is going to high school- Hoo-ray! I bet he's excited!
    What the heck are Weck jars?
    Yves Rocher makes lovely inexpensive fragrance (and their makeup is a bargain too!)
    I think your curls look beautiful! Love the retro side part - it looks like a 40's pin curl set.
    O I miss salads & strawberries!

    ReplyDelete

  6. What a fab selection of outfits. Good to see the legs out and that gorgeous red outfit, too. The Mexi skirt is a dream.
    I'd take 1000 degree temperatures over the winter we've had. Funny how the people who moan on social media about the cold and how they want summer to come are the ones now moaning about being too hot - I don't think they'll ever be happy.
    I'm excited about Danny joining a mainstream school, I bet he is as well. In the meantime try not to work too hard. xxx

    ReplyDelete
  7. Great outfits there - you make a great goddess.

    Seeing your jam makes me want to go to Lakeland and stock up on kitchenwares, even though I almost never eat jam. I bet that strawberry tastes heavenly in scones.

    ReplyDelete
  8. @Beth
    "Flyswatter from a funeral home" lol!
    Danny is amazingly able to remember stats and stories about long ago baseball players but can't seem to remember too many other facts from history. Wonder why that is? I get a kick out of being asked if I remember some game from 1972. Sure kid, sure.

    @Beate
    I just ordered some 4711 wipes to carry with in the car-I'll let you know how they work out. I've noticed mosquitoes don't like it (maybe citronella in it?) so it might get plenty of use this summer. I can't imagine what a heatwave would be like in Germany where it is less regular. I hope that will be the last of it for you. I don't like air conditioning at full blast, but I wouldn't want to go back to living without it. I'm soft now!

    @Ann
    Brain melt is a good description of what the heat does after a few days. My legs are full of bruises and vericoise veins if you look closely-but I don't care. Free your legs! I promise you, everyone's walking around with their eyes stuck to a phone...no one will notice.

    @Veronica
    I am looking forward to returning to work, and being around adults after 13 years at home. Go on and wear the shorts-to hell with the "horses" or anyone else that doesn't like it.
    Jam is tempermental stuff, but when it works you forget about all the failures. Pectin sugar does take a lot of the guesswork out as you only bring it to a boil.

    @Bibi
    Weck jars are made in Germany. They are like a kilner jar with a rubber ring, but instead of a metal hinge the top fits on with metal clamps. They're pretty, but impractical for American style canning. And sooo expensive. For the cost of a couple Weck, I can get 12 Ball.

    @Vix
    I definitely moaned about last winter, but that was a record breaker here. I'm excited for Danny and *fingers crossed* I think he's pretty resistant to peer pressure when it comes to doing stupid things. Not being exposed to it all these years he's been able to develop a pretty good sense of who he is, but yeah, I'm still going to worry because I know what I was like in hight school!

    @Mim
    Google, "freezer jam" Small batch, and you freeze the rest. No special materials needed except pectin sugar.




    ReplyDelete