Beginning the Countdown Week Before School Starts

Remember when I lobbied for some impatiens for a small spot by the deck steps in the spring?  Mark humored me, on the condition that we go with the Cream and Crimson (IU) variety.  And, this is the best they did all summer...I have seen people grow very beautiful huge plots of impatiens each year...how do they do that?  Each year I try and each year, this is it.  This is as good as it ever gets here. (Can click to enlarge.)  Not at all impressive...I may have to surrender this fight also.  Sometimes you just have to call it a day.  Any ideas for this spot next year?

      It's been a perfect weekend.  (Of course, there are still wars being waged, poverty to conquer, illnesses to cure, etc., but for what I am in control of on a day-to-day basis, it was a perfect weekend.  The things beyond my control are still out there...unfortunately.)  I can't say that we accomplished all that much around here except just enjoying the time together, the fine summer weather, and weekend activities.  The fireworks for Setonfest were really nice...nothing like having a private fireworks show in my backyard where I can sit in a comfy chair and enjoy a front row seat!  (The tree line between us and the church makes it so that in the summer, we can't even tell there is anything beyond as it is all obscured by the leaves of the trees.)  It feels very private back here...even with hundreds of people at the festival, it felt like a private fireworks show on Friday and Saturday as we couldn't actually see anyone over there.  Very nice.  I may have to stay in this house forever just for that each year.  Location, they say, is everything.

     Well, it is the beginning of the countdown until school starts here in Carmel.  Remember when we were kids and we had that last week of summer before school started back in the fall?  (By that time, we were usually ready for a change and secretly happy to get back to the routine of school days, but would never admit this to our friends.)  That last week we would schedule something each day to make certain we squeezed every last bit out of summer that we could possibly squeeze out...for me, especially swimming as much as possible each and every one of those days as once school started in Iowa, that was pretty much the end of the swimming season. 

    Times haven't changed much...even as homeschoolers, we always celebrated summer right up to the very moment we had to open that first textbook in the fall.  This is the first year that both the boys will head off to school for the entire day...yikes, I am still in shock over it all...happy, but in shock that I will be all alone, with my own thoughts, able to do whatever I want, go wherever I want, take forever and a day at the museums with no one saying, "We've been here four hours, you know...."  Cool.  I am thinking I might like this...that this year is going to be one for me to regroup a bit.  I can't really commit to anything until Matt gets that driver's license next year because Guerin does not have a busing system and he needs transportation to and from the pool at 5:00 a.m. for morning practices, to school from there at 7:30, back to the pool after school for afternoon practices at 3:30, and back home after that at 6:00...but in the meantime...well, I am thinking that besides volunteering, I might just be able to goof around a bit.  I am just giddy with the thought of it actually.  So, let the countdown begin...one week to have a last fling at summer and then...well...I guess I will just make it up as I go along.  Thanks, Mark, for saying, "I think you should just take the year off and enjoy what comes your way."  No telling what sorts of crimes I can commit with that sort of endorsement.