Oo-De-Lally, Oo-De-Lally, Golly What a Summer

It’s been two months and I have no idea how to write this update! There’s just so much to share and — at the same time — nothing really new around here. We’ve had some stunning days that have allowed us to spend big chunks of time outside and we’ve had even more stifling days that have made just 30 minutes outside feel like too long. The mosquitoes have been along for the ride, no matter what. Mosquitoes or not, my tomatoes are not a total failure despite their late start this year, which is a relief. The opening picture is my first harvest of the year.

Instead of flailing all over the place with this post, I’m going to keep it simple: knitting, reading, and home stuff. So keep reading to see what’s been keeping me busy.

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Knitting

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I finished knitting my Cloudesley tee back in November and only just washed and (messily) blocked it. I haven’t been brave enough to wear a woolen this summer despite its short sleeves, but will be delighted to pull it on once it starts to cool down. The detailing on the back is lovely — this tee was a delight to knit and I highly recommend all of Isabel Kraemer’s knitting patterns. They keep the process interesting without being too difficult and the instructions are always very clear.

I’m also still working on my Lettuce Mint sweater. I’m nearly finished with the front part of the body. With any luck, I’ll be able to get started on the back next week. Maybe I’ll be able to wear it this fall? I don’t want to jinx any possibility of progress.

I also have a pair of socks on the needles that I’ve been working on during our school time. Just a few more inches on the second sock and it will be done!

Reading

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Have I shared any of my 2025 reading on this blog?! I keep saying I will but I think I’m going to have to let go of the past and try to be more consistent moving forward. And I don’t think it’s too late to share my June books, right?

June was a fantastic month of reading. I’m making modest progress on my summer goal of reading about Black American life through Black voices, focusing on life during Jim Crow. There are still a few books I want to get through in July and August to feel like I gave this any real effort.

Just a sentence or two about each book:

• The Shadow of the Wind by Carol Ruiz Zafon: This was an atmospheric and layered mystery that left me confused at times. But it all came together in the end!

• Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel: Cromwell’s moves to end Henry’s marriage to Anne Boleyn. I enjoyed this one more than Wolf Hall.

• Black in Blues by Imani Perry: Loved this book of essays on the color blue and its history with Black culture. I listened on audio but want to buy the book because I really want to read all of her references! This also gave me the push to read Zora Neale Hurston’s autobiography, along with Mary’s suggestion earlier this year. Also great to read while watching Sinners.

• The Little Friend by Donna Tartt: Coming of age story in Mississippi in the 70s that was so much better than I anticipated. Reading this book made me a Tartt completist.

• Audition by Katie Kitamura: A book begged to be read with a friend because — what was that??!

• Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by VE Schwab: Loved this toxic lesbian vampire saga. Schwab creates fantastic imagery.

• Dust Tracks on a Road by Zora Neal Hurston: Autobiography of ZNH. What a fascinating life! I’m going to try to read more books by her this summer.

• Jubilee by Margaret Walker: This is set on a plantation at the end of slavery and follows Vyry into freedom. So fascinating and you see the groundwork that America has set for itself; not based on equality and freedom, but built by the hands of people who have had to fight just to be seen as human. Read this in place of Gone With the Wind!

• Art Thief by Michael Finkel: a brazen young man steals a ton of art from museums in Europe. Some people think they can get away with anything. Nonfiction, by the way.

• The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa: My favorite Ogawa so far! On this island, memories just disappear until the people basically no longer exist. It made me think a lot about how government attempts to control us and how important our voices are.

Yes, a fantastic month! I wish I did a better job of checking in each week to write something actually informative. Maybe I can do that in August? And I’m on track with almost all of my reading goals this year despite the dumpster fire happening around us all, which I’m really happy about.

Home Stuff

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Colton’s summer school started last week so we also began our 2025-2026 school year. We are finishing up our second week and wow – it has been so much fun. We’re studying Medeival history again (we operate on the trivium and loop back through the historical periods every four years) and there are so many bunny trails for us to hop down in our free time. So I end up ordering way too many books when I sit down to plan because everything looks so delectable!

Have I told you how lucky I feel to be able to do this with Bryce and Bronwyn?

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We’ve been doing our best to stay cool. We went back up to our secret spot in the mountains and spent a few hours. I’m hoping we can do it again before the official end of summer. It’s such a delightful place and it feels like no one has ever been there before. All of the little rock formations we left last year were untouched and the trail was pretty grown up, so it’s possible that no one has been since we were there last? This was Dawsey’s first visit and he had a ton of fun.

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Speaking of Dawsey, he has been growing like a weed. He was under 10 pounds when he came home in April and now he’s somewhere over 30, at just over 5 months old. I’ll be taking him to the vet for a weigh in to get the proper dose of his flea and tick medication in August, so I’ll find out for sure then. This dog likes to run and he loves catching/chasing tennis balls. He’s gotten used to his outside lead (as long as I don’t leave its radius) and has learned the boundaries of it. He can tell when a tennis ball has gone too far for him and he’ll slowly creep up to it, as far as he can go, instead of going at an all out run. He’s still nippy, which is typical of the breed, so I’m not too worried about it. He’s been such a great fit for us and has nuzzled right into our daily routine. It’s like he’s always been with us!

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And today is Friday! Colton doesn’t have summer school on Fridays so I keep it super simple for B+B too. Curiosity Chronicles has a Minecraft building challenge for each history chapter, so they will do that this morning, do some independent reading, and be done for the week. I’ll be folding laundry, listening to an audiobook, and hopefully adding a few rows to my Lettuce Mint sweater in the quiet moments between everything else. It’s also pizza day, which makes everything so much easier.

This weekend will be more of the same, with a shift at the library thrown in. The Summer Reading Program is winding down so I will be expecting lots of kiddos coming in for prizes!

I hope you find time for the things you love this weekend. Take good care.