We began this month with an end-of-school party for Timothy. We enjoyed celebrating Father’s Day 2/3 of the way through the month. And now we’re gearing up for the Fourth of July.

It’s been too hot out to do much else, but Jim did get the patio spiffed up for summer. We need to get new patio chairs but haven’t looked yet. We’ve had a couple of cookouts already. One evening,Timothy brought over sidewalk chalk, bubbles, and “pop-its”–those things you throw on the concrete where the make a loud pop. The weather was nice that evening, and it felt like a summery thing to do.

My middle son, Jason, had to leave his employer when the employer couldn’t pay his salary for a few weeks. He’s been making deliveries for a few different companies and has been able to make just about his regular salary. He likes the flexibility, and he says it’s kind of like playing Santa Claus–you get to deliver stuff to people and make them happy. I don’t know how long he’ll do this kind of thing, but it’s a nice change from the pressure he was under.

Timothyisms

When we play Jackbox games together as a family, we have to sign in with our names. Timothy usually calls me Grandma, but one night I just put “Gram” in for my name. Then he started calling me Gram Cracker, and more recently, Gramster. 🙂

But what really cracked me up was when Jason texted that Timothy had said, “Oh, man! I need to pay my bills! I haven’t paid any in 8 years!” Thankfully, he won’t have to worry about that for a few years yet.

Creating

The first card I made this month was for Timothy’s end-of-second-grade party:

I made the words on the computer and the sign on the Cricut.

This was for my step-father for Father’s Day:

Once again, the words were done on the computer and the mustache on the Cricut.

This was for my husband for Father’s Day:

I had gotten the idea for these two on Pinterest and adapted them. The tape measure was done on the Cricut.

And this one was for Jason for Father’s Day:

The silhouettes were cut on the Cricut, but the moon and stars and squiggles were drawn by the Cricut with markers my oldest son just got for me either for Christmas or Mother’s Day. It was fun to experiment with those. I loved how much this design looked like Jason and Timothy.

This was for a friend’s birthday:

The bird and butterflies are multi-layer stickers. I did the words on the computer and then used two different-sized scalloped hole punches.

Watching

There’s not a lot on this time of year. We enjoy America’s Got Talent (though you have to have the remote at the ready sometimes) and reruns of America’s Funniest Home Videos (usually I’ve forgotten enough of them that it is like seeing a new program. 🙂 ).

We streamed a really good movie titled In Harm’s Way about an American pilot who heads a bombing raid on Japan just after Pearl Harbor was bombed. He crashes in China, and a young widow helps nurse him back to health and hides him from the authorities. I don’t know if the movie is based on a particular true story, but the end screen said many Chinese helped Americans in such ways, and, sadly, the Japanese killed many Chinese because of it. Even though much of the film was in subtitles, it was easy to follow and get caught up in the story. It was one of the best movies I have seen in a while. Here’s the trailer:

I had watched The Boy in the Striped Pajamas a few years ago after reading the book, but Jim had never seen it. So we watched it together one night. It’s about a boy whose father is put in charge of a work camp in Germany. The boy thinks the camp is a farm and the people where funny striped pajamas. One day while exploring, he sees a boy on the other side of a fence, and they start talking. Eventually they become friends. The ending is very sad. But maybe because I knew what was coming, I noticed other things this time, like the various attitudes of different people and the boy’s wrestling with whether or not his father is a good man.

Reading

Since last time, I finished (titles link to my reviews):

• Shadowed by Grace: A Story of Monuments Men by Cara Putman, historical fiction. A female photojournalist works in Italy while also trying to find the father she never knew. She’s assigned to a lieutenant who is in charge of finding and recovering missing art.
• Once Upon a Wardrobe by Patti Callahan (historical fiction, audiobook). A college student in 1950s London seeks C. S. Lewis to ask questions about Narnia for her dying brother.
• Eugene Onegin by Alexander Pushkin (audiobook), classic Russian tale about a man who doesn’t appreciate what he has til it’s gone.
• The Confessions of St. Augustine (nonfiction, audiobook). This and the previous one probably would have been better to read than to listen to. This may be the oldest book I’ve read (except the Bible).
• Be Distinct (2 Kings and 2 Chronicles): Standing Firmly Against the World’s Tides by Warren Wiesrbe
• The Four Loves by C. S. Lewis (nonfiction).

I’m currently reading:

• Shadows in the Mind’s Eye by Janyre Tromp
• Hospital Sketches by Louisa May Alcott
• Victorian Short Stories of Successful Marriages by Elizabeth Gaskell and others.
• Be Compassionate (Luke 1-13): Let the World Know Jesus Cares by Warren Wiersbe
• Aging With Grace: Flourishing in an Anti-Aging Culture by Sharon Betters and Susan Hunt InstaEncouragements is hosting a study of this book on Tuesdays through July.

Blogging

Besides book reviews, Friday Fave Fives, and Saturday Laudable Linkage, I’ve posted these since last time:

• A Visit to Jan Karon’s Mitford Museum. I mentioned this in my May reflections, but the write-up and pictures came later. My friend, Melanie, and my husband and I took a day trip to Hudson, NC to see the Mitford Museum, full of memorabilia of author Jan Karon’s life and inspirations for her beloved Mitford books.
• What Can We Learn About Depression from Elijah? At Elijah’s lowest point, God tenderly cared for him.
• When You’re Afraid to Take Communion. Scripture’s solemn warnings about partaking in an unworthy manner can frighten sensitive consciences. But, while God wants us to take communion seriously, He does want us to partake.
• Walking Through the Flames. A good memory about a good song.
• My God, My Father. Though our human fathers plant ideas good or bad ideas about God in our minds, Biblical truth leads us to know our perfect heavenly Father.
• What to Do With Regret. Regret can linger long after we’re forgiven. But God can use it to help make us more watchful and sensitive.

Around the corner

We’ll probably have a cookout on the 4th. Jason’s birthday is this month. Otherwise, I am not sure what’s on the horizon yet.

How was your June? Anything you’re looking forward to in July?