Summer has arrived in earnest, with temperatures in the nineties this week. I’m thankful for air conditioning and ceiling fans!

I like when we get past the summer solstice. It’s hard to wind down when it’s still light outside so late.

All the plants are well-established now. I got peonies for Mother’s Day, but I think we may have missed their blooming cycle. The leaves look healthy, so we can look forward to their flowers next year. The wildflowers are prolific and provide a nice view from the windows.

We enjoyed getting together for Father’s Day with all the family (our oldest in RI was there via FaceTime). We enjoyed exploring Ancient Lore Village when they had a free weekend event. It’s full of buildings that look like they’re out of Lord of the Rings.

I had a routine cardiologist appointment, plus the appointment to renew my driver’s license and get my Real ID. I’m glad to have those behind me.

I also met with a friend to have lunch and talk about ideas for making cards.

Watching

We haven’t really watched much worth mentioning except The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler again. It’s based on the true story of a Polish social worker who worked with the Resistance and smuggled thousands of Jewish children out of the Warsaw ghetto and placed them with other families until the war was over.

Creating

I made three Father’s Day cards, letting the Cricut do the heavy lifting this time.

This was for my stepfather:

The Cricut did the writing as well as the cutting.

This was for Jim:

The Cricut has some designs that can be sent to the computer to print out, then the Cricut cuts around them.

This was Jason’s:

Reading

Since last time I have finished:

• Minor Prophets 1 by the Navigators. I didn’t review this, except a brief mention on GoodReads. I was disappointed. It had a lot of questions with no answers and very little insight.
• Code Name Edelweiss by Stephanie Landsem. Excellent! Based on a true story of Hitler trying to infiltrate Hollywood and a Jewish man with an underground network of unprofessional spies.
• Every Hour Until Then by Gabrielle Meyer, her latest Time Crossers novel (audiobook). A young woman living in both 1888 and 1938 discovers her sister in 1888 is one of Jack the Ripper’s victims. She wants to save her sister, but knowingly changing history will cause her to lose her life in that timeline. Excellent!
• Ribbon of Years: A Timeless Journey of Love, Loss, and Unwavering Grace is a novel by Robin Lee Hatcher (audiobook). A woman’s life story from rebellious teenager to settled woman of faith is told through objects she left behind at her death. It was just okay for me, but the friend who recommended it loved it.

I’m currently reading:

• Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Thessalonians (Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary) by Mark Howell. I’ve not read this author nor this series before–giving them a try.
• The Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis, Volume 3: Narnia, Cambridge, and Joy, 1950 – 1963, compiled by Walter Hooper. I’m getting near the end!
• Rembrandt Is in the Wind: Learning to Love Art through the Eyes of Faith by Russ Ramsey. I am loving this so far.
• North! or Be Eaten, the second in the Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson.
• Larkspur Cove by Lisa Wingate, audiobook.

Blogging

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

• Rays of Glory. Those glorious sunbeams filtering through clouds show up because light hits dust and other particles in the air. It’s amazing that God can be glorified when His light reflects off our “dust.”
• The Mission for My Remaining Years. There are some things we may not be able to do as we get older. But we can always share what God has taught us and point people to Him.
• A Good Father Reflects God. No father is perfect, and some are farther from perfection than others. But God gives us a picture of a good father to help us understand His love for us.
• Your Soul Needs Food Even When It Doesn’t Want It. When we’re sick, we still need food for health and strength even when we don’t have an appetite. The same is true spiritually.
• Simple Card-Making Ideas. Not my usual kind of post, but a discussion of card-making with a friend grew into a blog post.

Looking ahead, I have a couple of medical appointments in July, Independence Day, and Jason’s birthday. Otherwise, it looks to be a quiet month. I hope to work on my manuscript a bit.

How’s your summer going so far?