Okay, it’s time to get OUT of this slump! I’ve had pictures in a folder on my computer for over two weeks waiting for me to write this post. Every day since the end of July, I’ve been telling myself I need to write my July Favorites today. And every day has passed with the post unwritten.
Why have I been in a slump?
Good question. I’m going to attribute it to the fact that we haven’t been doing many of the things we normally would be enjoying. Big Eagle and I were talking the other night about how we’re getting tired of it. And the silly thing is that we have SO MUCH to be grateful for! In the grand scheme of things, we really have no reason to be complaining at all. So…ENOUGH of the slump! Time to take a belated look back on the month of July at some of those things we ARE very much thankful for.
Favorite #1
In my June favorites, I wrote how the month of June at OUR house was National Pickle Month. Well if that was the case for June, then July was National Tomato Month for us. (Note: The real National Tomato Month is in October. I looked it up.)
It seems every year I pick the one tomato from the whole crop that I would call my “prize tomato”. This year it was this one:
I included the K-cup for size comparison. This one weighed almost a full pound! I got one that actually DID weigh a full pound, but it wasn’t as pretty.
Our area gardening guru advises that the Celebrity tomato, which he says is medium-sized, is one of the best for our area. So those are what I plant. He states that a Beefsteak or Big Boy do not do well here because of the high heat. Well, I say when you get several that are this big, who needs a Beefsteak?
I used it to make a toasted mayonnaise and tomato sandwich, and you can see one slice practically took up the whole piece of bread!
So it was a busy month canning salsa, diced tomatoes, making slow-roasted tomatoes, making and freezing tomato soup, giving tomatoes away, and just eating tomatoes as much as we could handle!
I was still picking tomatoes on the last day of the month. This is the harvest I brought in on July 31st:
I don’t think we’ve ever still been picking tomatoes that late in the summer! You CAN have too much of a good thing, and it got to that point with the tomatoes. Still, I know we’ll miss them big time when they’re gone and we have to resort to store-bought tomatoes again.
Favorite #2
While Cara and her family have been here, they have provided many favorite moments. Here’s one they provided in July:
After they washed their own car, they washed mine, too! Sweet!
Favorite #3
Another favorite was going on a couple of early morning rides with Cara and Paul.
It was fun showing them some of my favorite routes! 😀
Favorite #4
Of course, the 4th of July was a favorite! Cara and the girls made this incredible cake in celebration of Independence Day:
It was SO GOOD! 😋
After dinner we all went up to the edge of the cul-de-sac and watched the Bovets have fun with sparklers.
We stayed out after dark to watch all of the fireworks being set off around the neighborhood. It was a pretty spectacular showing this year! I think a lot of people stayed home this year and shot off their own displays. We live outside of the city in the county, so it’s legal.
Favorite #5
Cara got a cool set of dominoes for her birthday in June, and she taught us a really fun game called Mexican Train Dominoes.
We had a few nights of playing Mexican Train, and it has definitely become a favorite!
Favorite #6
Cara and her family were planning to leave on the 14th of the month to head up east to spend time with Paul’s family. The 14th was their anniversary, and the 16th would be Paul’s birthday. So since they would be gone on those special days, we decided to celebrate them the Saturday before. Big Eagle grilled fajitas, and I made rice and beans to accompany them.
Helen made brownies all by herself for Paul’s birthday “cake”. She was so proud to carry the pan over to him when it was time to sing “Happy Birthday”. 😍
Favorite #7
Big Eagle’s mom had a BIG birthday in July, too! She lives in Florida, and we so badly wanted to be there to help her celebrate her 90th. We went back and forth for weeks leading up to her birthday. We would decide yes, we’re going. Then we would rethink it, and worry we could unknowingly be exposing her to the virus, and so change our minds. After a few days, we would again decide we could make it work. Then the numbers in both Texas and Florida were ridiculous, and we again decided against it. Ultimately, we erred on the side of safety, and did not go.
All this to say that we were thrilled when Big Eagle’s sister FaceTimed during the party so we could be there virtually for part of it, and we could join in singing “Happy Birthday” to her!
Here’s the birthday girl getting ready to open a gift!
The cake they had for her was A-MAZING! Can you tell what her favorite hobby is?
Favorite #8
I had to stop on my way into town one day when I was passing this church alongside the freeway. The marquee had caught my attention.
And we are all ready for it to pass! Can I get an amen on that one?
Favorite #9
The days had become sweltering and rain non-existent. So we thoroughly LOVED it when on the 28th we had almost a full day of rain.
SO refreshing!
Favorite #10
Big Eagle and I neither one had gotten our hair groomed since this whole COVID thing started. My gray roots have grown WAY out, and my hair in general has gotten much longer. And the only way I can describe Big Eagle’s hair is to say it had become a mop top! The same day we had all the rain, he finally bit the bullet and took the risk of going to the barber shop.
Yay! I got my handsome devil back! 🥰
Favorite #11
And last, but not least…after being in New Zealand for much longer than they had originally planned, our son Danny and his wife Erin were finally allowed to travel to their next destination: Lithuania! Erin will begin her new teaching job there at an international school in August. Here they are on the 29th (which was the 30th for them) waiting at the airport in New Zealand to begin their 60-hour journey to their new home:
And I’m happy and relieved to report that they got there safe and sound on what for them was August 1st. Another chapter begins!
We’re over halfway through August now, and hopefully I will stay out of my slump and more on top of things. If so, you should be seeing my August favorites in just a couple of weeks. In the meantime, I have at least a couple of other posts I’m working on putting up before then. I’d love to know what some of your summer favorites have been. Or anything else that’s on your mind. And remember…this too shall pass!