Two of the four kids started school today. The other two start next week. The husband's medical leave ended officially yesterday too. He returned to work and taught his first class since the surgery. Which leads me to ask myself the inevitable question:
WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED THIS SUMMER?
My intentions for the Summer:
1. I was going to go to yoga four times a week.
2. I was going to finish rough illustrations for both of the children's books I want to illustrate.
3. The teens were going to plow through a reading list of worthy books we chose together and take a photography or film-making class.
4. The youngest was going to go to lots of fun camps and have swimming lessons so that, instead of just doing the dog paddle, she could learn actual swimming strokes (What can I say, she's the fourth child.)
5. A publisher was going to have accepted my novel by now.
What actually happened this Summer:
1. I went to yoga once a week till my studio membership ended and then I stopped going altogether while trying to find a studio I like better.
2. I painted one picture (but received almost 100,000 hits on flickr).
3. The teens read Brave New World ("It was boring," was their summary.) and all the Gossip Girl series (not boring). They also watched all of seasons 1 & 2 of Ugly Betty with me, went to Falling Water, and took some photos of themselves and their friends. That's creative, right?
4. The youngest did take lots of fun camps.
5. Novel is still languishing in an in box at publisher #2.
Also
6. My husband gained 15 of the pounds he lost when he was sick.
7. I failed to lose 15 pounds (which isn't surprising, since I wasn't trying. But a girl can always hope ....)
8. I got over being furious at my husband for being so cavalier about his health and ignoring all my warnings that getting headaches every day is not normal.
9. I was once again proven to be always right about everything. (When will he finally give up having his own opinions and just do everything I tell him to do?)
So it looks like very little got done this summer. But it also looks like we all made it through alive and without major psychic scarring. I guess there's something to be said for that. And now that the kids are going to be out of the house, I'm sure I'll get a ton of stuff done. I'm already making a list.
11 comments:
Well everyone is healthy so that is a successful summer. Tell Knucklehead not to repeat this next summer.
at least you have your health...don't you just hate that the best you have going for you is you ain't dead?....
get cracking girl...we expect results over here...
I am starting to believe more and more in serendipity. I make plans and lists - something happens to thwart my well-laid intentions but that always leds to something else, frequently more interesting than what I had intended to do. Sounds like your summer was a bit like that.
You tell KN that he is never again to make me reach for the really big candle at St. Pete's! And that is from someone who is even more right than you! Don't argue!
Darling, getting through a day, any day, without major psychic scarring is a reason to break open the champagne in my house!!!
It's amazing how fast it flies by isn't it? Considering everything that went on, I'd say it was a very productive summer all in all!
In these times, survival equals success.
Happy Autumn.
Sage - Yep, we're all here and that's saying a lot for us lately. And, believe me, I tell him that any time he sneezes!
Granny - Ha! Yeah, it does kinda suck, but I guess it's a whole heap better than the alternative! And I'll be working on getting some results for you, believe me.
Willym - It's always a challenge to let go of our ideas about how things SHOULD go, and to work creatively with how they actually have gone. But it's really the only way to stay sane, isn't it?
Wow! Someone even more completely right than me? I bow down to you sir and wouldn't dream of arguing (much).
Nomi - In this house too, lately! Though, sadly, the husband can't drink the real stuff because of his complicated blood problems, so we have to break out sparkling cider here .... (Nice to see you, dear, on this side of the cyber fence!)
Dora - It's breathtaking how it goes by. And, yeah, in our house these days, nothing much going on is a victory.
Jeff - You're so right. And thanks! Here's to a happy Autumn (I'm thinking especially of that first Tuesday in November!) for all of us.
It seems to Miss Janey you did everything you needed to do when you were proven to be always right about everything. AWESOME achieving!
Three random thoughts:
1.That picture up there is just about the cutest thing I've seen.
2.You have me worried now with your number 8.
3. Fallingwater! I'm so jealous.
Miss J - Well since you put it that way.... Yeah, I've pretty much done all that needs to be done. Oh, except get everyone to see my eternal and infallible rightness. Pesky details!
Jason -
1. I found it in a bizarre German kids book. I love that nerdy rooster teacher! I'll scan some more and post them on flickr sometime soon....
2. Oh, don't YOU start having headaches every day! Willym and I will have to come down there and fuss at you. But seriously, do you have headaches EVERY day? If so, well, email me...
3. There's not a whole going for Western Pennsylvania, other than cheap housing (which we have because there's not a whole lot going for Western PA). But Fallingwater is less than two hours away, and not ten minutes from Fallingwater is another fabulous Wright house called Kentuck Knob.
Can I just add my voice to the chorus of praise re that Geramn picture? I love their round little heads!
I'm glad you all survived your summer - I hope you have a less eventful year between now and next summer. I love your 9. by the way - it's a heavy cross that we bear, but some day the rest of the world will catch on.
And I think it's admirable that you made it to yoga at all, given everything that you've had on your plate, darling!
I hope you have some calmer months ahead and the chance to make lots of beautiful art and write your socks off!
I make lists all the time. They feature both the big issues (find a man - finally ticked that one off, get a new job - watch this space) and the small things (buy a nail clipper, buy some more pegs to replace those which were accidentally thrown out after a party). It's actually the small things that confound me. Just where does one begin to look for a nail clipper?
:)
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