Hi,

I hope everything is going well there.

The weather here has been decidedly hot and humid. I’m tired of it already. The only ones happy I imagine are the people who run the utility companies and are reaping the financial rewards from the air conditioners that are running. So far, I’ve held fast to my plan to not run the one in the house yet but it’s getting more and more tempting. I’m fortunate in that I have the air conditioner at least ready and in the window as well as several fans (including a ceiling fan in the living room). The fans been working well and my big concern is to give them rests from working so that they don’t wear out.

My banana chip drying went pretty well. I should probably try to get another batch dried. I think this time I’ll make the slices a bit smaller so that they dry faster (although I know the humidity didn’t help). Daisy (my dog) has been enjoying them along with me. She loves fruits and vegetables so we share a lot.

The container garden that I’ve got outside is doing well. The tomatoes are looking great and there are a lot of them! All of them are still green which is an issue (as I’m getting quite impatient!). I’ve had several more strawberries off the plants and I’ve put them with some bananas, milk, and yogurt and made smoothies for breakfast lately (quite nice on a warm morning). The basil and catnip are doing well. The catnip has been quite prolific and provided me with enough dried product already to supply us for the next year I think. Peppers are forming quickly lately and should be ready before too long. Gardening can try a person's patience when things are progressing as they should but it feels like they are dragging. :)

With no rain for a while, I’ve had to regularly water my plants and on city water that can get pricey. I’m hoping for a storm so that we can cool off and get the plants watered. Nothing too strong or serious but it would be nice to have a bit of rain and cooler weather.

Work continues to be a challenge. No more word on moving or anything like that. The new loan officer (who will be stationed about 50 miles away) will be quite a challenge to supervise. There’s a lot of logistical (office space, phones, computer, etc.) stuff as well as a lot of communication items that need to be planned for and worked out. In addition, I’ll be doing training of a farm loan officer starting in August. It’s my first time for supervising training so this should be interesting. I’ve assisted and trained on various parts but never had one person to oversee through the whole process before. It’ll be a good and challenging experience I’m sure.

Wednesday I went with my daughter. She ended up buying a 2006 HHR (GM) car. It's very nice. Then it was dinner at Red Robin with her and her brother.

Thursday was a visit to Dad and Gloria. That was nice and they seem to be handling the heat quite well.

Friday was packing, moving, and things during the day. We had a quick visit with Linda, Jessie, and Kelsey and toured their country home (a very nice and spacious place). Friday night we were at the county fair (which has become way too commercialized and way too expensive).

With Friday having been such a long day, Saturday was destined to be a catch up day. I felt my age a bit too much after the Friday moving. There’s never a lack of things to do but I know that I moved a bit slower that day. Lots of housework and things got done. Although I made a nice long “to do” list, it still seems like I didn’t get enough done.

The town's Blues Festival was Saturday. It starts at about noon and runs well into the night. At least they haven’t had rain to ruin that. There were Maxwell street days down town but I didn’t even stop at them – I just didn’t need anything. As the saying goes “It’s not how much you save but how much you spend”.

Today – well lots to do. I need to get some things done around the house (cleaning, laundry, dishes, etc.). Also, I’ve got some family photos that need attention and some formatting to do on the family calendar – well you get the idea.

Well, I’d better get going. I still need to try and cool the house down. Maybe a different fan???

Wishing you the best,
Take care!