Even though it will tomorrow is September, I am finally getting around to writing about my July reading. Of the ten (only ten? so unlike me) books I read in July, I rated two as five star reads.

Things I Read About by Kelsey Humphreys – I can’t quite put my finger on why I rated this book five stars. That is partially because it’s been a while since I finished it and partly because there wasn’t just one thing that I liked. This book is the fourth in a series about five sisters. Some of the best parts of these books is the sister text threads. They are hilarious! The series is well worth the time to read.

Zero Days by Ruth Ware – I am fairly new to Ruth Ware’s writing. I think this is the second book I have read. This book is full of intrigue and drama. I had a difficult time putting it down. At the end of each chapter I need to know what happens next. After reading this book and The It Girl, I know I will be reading more Ruth Ware in the future.

Since July was short on five star books for me, here’s a few of the four star books that I read.

In the Likely Event by Rebecca Yarros

The Boyfriend Candidate by Ashley Winstead

Thanks for reading! If you have any book recommendations, please leave them in the comments. I’m always up for a good book.

Or How I Spent My Summer, part 2

Before I introduce you to our newest family member, here’s a little backstory. Two years ago, we had to say goodbye to our Shih Tzu, Riley.

He was 16 and a half years old. He was the sweetest. He was my buddy, my shadow. Losing him was so hard to get past. After about six months, the family was ready to get another dog. I was not even close to ready. My husband, knowing that I would be the primary caretaker/trainer, left it up to me when and whether we got one.

After spending time with Max and Teddy at my stepsister’s, I realized that it was time. I missed having a dog around. I wasn’t just missing Riley, which I still do, but I missed the companionship. I missed the puppy cuddles. I missed the unconditional love.

So, when Miss M and I returned from the parental road trip, we started looking for a puppy. My daughter-in-law, with her world-class research and googling skills, found us the perfect puppy for our family.

Meet Sullivan, or as we call him, Sully.

Yes, he is named after the Monsters, Inc. character. He was eight weeks old when we got him and is now almost twelve weeks old. At his last vet visit, he weighed 3.74 lbs. He’s just a tiny guy. He is so incredibly cute and so much fun. Sully is the perfect addition to our family. I am sure he will make many appearances on the blog in the future.

What I’m watching now: The O.C., Season 2

What I’m reading now: Shucked by Kate Canterbary

What book I’m listening to now: Honeymoon Crashers by Christina Lauren

What podcast I’m listening to now: The Shuttlepod Show

What I’m knitting now: Thea Tank by Tamera L. for Miss M

Do you remember returning to school in the fall and your teacher assigning an essay about what you did over summer vacation? This post is going to feel a little like that. I have actually had an eventful summer. Normally, I would only be able to say that I knit, read and binged some shows. My summers looked a whole lot like the rest of my year.

This summer has been different. My daughter and I went on a two week road trip with my elderly parents (ages 82 and 77). We drove from our home in the Kansas City area to Hendersonville, NC. My stepsister lives there with her significant other and their two miniature schnauzers, Max and Teddy. They might possibly be the best behaved dogs I have ever seen. And they are just absolutely adorable.

While visiting my stepsister there, we made the drive to Black Mountain so that I could spend a whole lot of money (lol) at the Black Mountain Yarn Shop. It was divine. My local yarn store closed about six or seven years ago, so most of my yarn purchases are online. It was so great to feel and see the yarn before I bought it.

From Hendersonville, we drove to Winston-Salem, NC. All of my dad’s siblings live in that area, so we were able to see them. There were a lot of family events with a lot of the extended family. It was a lot for my introvert self. Thankfully, my equally introverted daughter was with me to help balance my very extroverted parents. The best thing was spending time with my favorite cousin. We are both grandmothers now, so we spent a lot of time talking about our grandkids.

Our last stop was Columbus, GA, where my mom’s only sibling lives. It was a good, but short visit. I hadn’t seen my aunt and uncle in many years, so it was great to see them.

Trip takeaways:

I am so happy I was able to take this trip with my parents and daughter. Reality is that this could be the last time my parents are physically able to take a trip like this. And it was an opportunity to spend quality time with my parents. As morbid as it seems to think about, we just don’t know long we have with them.

My mom has aged more than I realized in the last few years. Being with her for two straight weeks, I realized how much her memory has slipped. Her grasp of conversations is sometimes shaky. I’m not a mental health professional, but it seemed that she had a high level of anxiety. She just seems so much smaller and not in a physical sense. Honestly, it’s hard to see.

While I am glad and grateful that we were able to make this trip, I will never, ever, ever do it again. It was stressful. It was long. It was a reminder that my dad is stubborn. That he and mom pick at each other nonstop. That my mom is a helicopter spouse, constantly asking him how he is feeling, what he is doing, where he is going. Did I mention that it was long? My daughter and I had a mantra through the trip – I love my parents/grandparents. Some days we just needed the reminder.

The biggest takeaway – it’s a cliche, but life is short. We lost my father-in-law almost ten years ago. My mother-in-law’s health has declined tremendously over the last year. My parents each have their health issues. Spend time with the ones you love. You never know how many opportunities you have.

There is more to come about my summer. I’ll introduce you to our newest family member in my next post. Hopefully, that will be coming you way very soon.

I did not realize just how long it has been since I have updated this blog. Can I blame it on a hectic life? A lack of inspiration? Sure, those both factor into it. To be honest, I have to admit to some laziness, too. It wasn’t that I didn’t think of it. Those thought just didn’t translate to action. So, here we are 6 (yes, you read that right) years later, which is long enough to feel like I’m starting all over again. So, maybe it’s time for a little reintroduction.

Since I last updated this blog, two of our sons have married. We now have two wonderful daughters-in-law. Our grandson was born in 2020, the one bright spot in that horrible year. We also have a bonus granddaughter who came into our family when our second oldest son married. Our other two children are still living at home as they navigate this post-Covid world. It’s nice for me, as I’m not yet ready to be an empty-nester.

Going forward, this blog will be my place to talk about all of my favorite things: family, books, knitting, movies and television. I hope you come back and read as I share my loves, and maybe leave a comment or two.

Last night, FreeForm (formerly abcfamily) said goodbye to Switched at Birth. As usual, I was late to the party with this show. About a year ago I had just finished binge watching One Tree Hill and was looking for a new show to binge. That’s when I remembered Switched at Birth, the story of two girls who, you guessed it, were accidentially switched in the hospital. The switch wasn’t what caught my attention. It was that one of the girls was deaf.

I’m an ASL student, currently taking a break, but hoping to become an interpreter. My interest love of ASL goes back to my childhood. Around the age of eight or nine, I learned how to fingerspell. I would practice constantly, spelling words that I heard or read, trying to get better, faster. In fact, I still catch myself doing that quite often. Fast forward to my late twenties when I realized I wanted to become an interpreter after watching an ASL class on TLC every afternoon while my kiddos napped. But, being a homeschooling, stay at home mom, I wasn’t able to go to school full-time to pursue that. So, I’ve been waiting patiently, taking a few classes here and there, for my youngest to graduate from high school. She has a year and a month until graduation and I plan on being a full-time student the following fall semester.

Back to SAB – I love reading books or watching shows and movies that feature deaf characters. So, I decided it was time to jump into Switched at Birth. It’s a really sweet show, a little corny at times, but not enough to turn me away. It follows the two girls, Bay and Daphne, and their families as they try to build relationships that are fifteen years overdue. Thankfully the writers didn’t try to make it seem like it was all rainbows and unicorns. I think they wrote a real show, portraying all the hurt, anger, resentment, anxiety and love that one would experience in that situation.

The writers also addressed other real life issues, like rape, drug use, bullying, discrimination and alcoholism. Yes, happy endings were usually the order of the day, but the struggles were shown and not ignored.

Of course, I would have loved for the whole show to be signed. That’s never going to happen, but having deaf actors, like Marlee Matlin, for whom ASL is their first language was wonderful. I could sit and watch them sign all day. Yeah, I’m a geek, which is not news to anyone who has read this blog in the past.

Last night’s finale was a great sendoff for the show. After five years, the ‘kids’ are making their way out into the world. Bay, the artist, is becoming a tattoo artist who is getting recognition. Daphne is working her way toward med school, despite her disability and the challenges it might present. Their friends are also moving forward with their lives. Even the adults are heading into their next chapters. All in all, it was a great place to end.

One more thing about the finale. I’d like to thank the writers for keeping the fan manipulation to a minimum. Yes, they brought back characters from the past. But, for the most part, they did it in a way that seemed organic. (Unlike another show that recently ended after eight seasons. I’m looking at you, TVD.) I get sappy and weepy enough on my own. I don’t need to have the issue forced.

Thanks to the cast and crew of Switched at Birth. For five season, you aired a show that was entertaining and definitely worth watching. I’m only sorry that I didn’t discover it sooner.

Next week, Pretty Little Liars starts its final ten episode run. I can’t wait to see what the girls and ‘A’ have lined up for us. If you have any thoughts about the SAB finale, I’d love to hear them. Please share in the comments.