Dog Days of Summer

What's a body to do when it's 100 degrees outside with humidity to match?

Why lay low in the laundry room, of course!



Happy Birthday, America!

235 years old today!   and many more!
  I know many people think about our troops (past and present) on the "4th of July", and they're due.  Many people think about our country and what makes it so great.  Many even take time to "count their blessings", but I wonder...Do enough of us really think about what this day means?
Do we think about "Independence Day" and what took place on July 4, 1776?
Fifty-six men with everything to lose put it all on the line.  These men made a pledge to one another.  They pledged their lives, their wealth, and their  honor to one another for the cause.  These men were creating treason against their king and country to forge a new country for "themselves and their posterity". 
If you've never read the Declaration of Independence, or if it's been a long time, read through it again.  Here's a link to view the document.  http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/declaration_transcript.html
Personally, it takes my breath away- the poetry, the insight, the courage- that this document holds. 
May we always remember how and why this country was founded. 
May we stay true to it's principles.
and May we live lives of honor; the ultimate tribute to the United States of America
.          

Summer Freedom!

Ahhhh, summertime!  For many adults, the change in season means a little less daily stress.  Parents get a welcomed-break from packing lunches, shuttling kids to school and weekly events, not to mention a break from the demands of school life in general.  Families get a chance to let loose and hang out.  Vacations get taken.  New games get learned and played to pieces. Let's face it.  Memories are made of days like these.
Yes, most parents do look forward to summer break, but others of us anticipate the break much more.  I'm talking about the teachers.  Being a homeschool mom, I do enjoy the huge break that my daily routine takes with summer.  For our family,  the season offers a whole new kind of learning from fun projects to plenty of time to read and visit with friends and family. 
For myself (and other adults off in the summer), I take the chance to relax a bit more.  I admit it I get to hold on to a bit of childhood.  After all, someone has to keep the summer rolling and the kids entertained.  Swimming, fishing, biking, fun projects, keeping up with buddies...as a Mom who is home for the summer, I get to enjoy these things with my kids.  We all get to sleep in a bit, or get up super early to catch some great event.  The freedom is there in the summer.
Read an entire book in one day.  Spend the afternoon playing cards with the kids, or maybe spending the afternoon cleaning up after all the kids at your house for the day.  It's okay.  You've got time.
I wish I could bottle the relaxed atmosphere of summer.  Keep it on a shelf and sprinkle it throughout those hectic "school days".  Do we have to stay so keyed up for nine months out of the year?  I wonder if we could accomplish all that needs done in a year if we "toned it down a bit".  The idea has merit.  When the winter doldrums hit or the hectic fall schedule has you pulling out your hair; take a deep breath, sip a glass of lemonade, and sit down to a game of cards with the kids.  I'd bet we'd feel re-energized after just a taste of summer!

Surviving Summer's Heat

Summer is full on!  As the saying goes today was "Hot enough to make the devil cry!"   During the summer months, we moan about the "air we wear" and pray for rain.  The heat and humidity of summer present many  challenges... 

Like how few clothes can you wear and still be presentable,

Finding the shady parking spots when you have to venture out,

Finding cold water to jump into after July 4th; That's not funny.  It gets hard to find.

or Is it okay to feed your family watermelon for supper?

One challenge we moms face is how to keep everyone happy when the kitchen only operates at half-scale.  Seriously, are you going to "light the oven" and bake up a batch of brownies or rolls?  The answer is a definite "no".  It's hot.  We're all miserable from the heat.  You don't want to add anymore heat to the house, but you can only take so many light meals before your nose starts to twitch.

So what can you do when everyone starts to resent your fruity concoctions and vegetable-filled plates?  The answer is already in your cabinet.  You probably only use it for big gatherings, a  pot of chili, or a carryover meal.  It's time to embrace the CROCKPOT.  You can do a lot with it all year round- even desserts.

Today I wanted something rich and heavy for supper.  So I set the crockpot up on the backporch.  (Yes, you can do that too.  It really will be fine, and you can be so proud of your practical-self because you're not heating up the house one bit.)  I cooked lasagna in the crock all afternoon.  By suppertime, we had a delicious "mmmmmmm, that feels good" meal.  Why, you could even throw a salad on the side if you can't fight the compulsion!

However you serve it up- the kitchen didn't heat up the house, and everyone's tastebuds got refreshed.  There are lots of crockpot recipes to be had at websites like www.allrecipes.com.  When in a pinch, you can even cook a store bought casserole in the crockpot instead of the oven.

So hang in there.  We're not even through the first month of summer.