Summer in the Midwest for me~

Gosh, this summer has been busy in so many ways that I keep thinking that I'll sit down and blog or read blogs and then several days pass and I finally get to blogger and blogger is messed up or I actually am able to read and comment and blogger is having issues. So I am going to blog and blogger will not stop me from publishing because of a gliche-so there!

(((Blowing cyber raspberries at techy problems)))

Let's get the boring weather talk right out of the way.

Finally, today, this summer hell-ish kind of heat broke. As in the temps are in the eighties and I am in pure bliss. It was actually a tad bit chilly when I went outside earlier so maybe it's lower than in the eighties. We have had just horrible high temperatures this summer in Illinois and I am so totally over it. I mean over it!

1. I do not like to sweat.

2. I do not like to sweat and have my makeup attempt to run down my face.

3. I do not like to sweat in places ladies should not sweat-I'm just saying.......

4. Sweating is so disgusting and boys stink like dogs when they come from the hot outside and enter into my Yankee Candle smelling house.

5. I have never in my life been a happy camper when I am sweaty. Throw a little bit of dirty in there and I have to call it a day. Not that I haven't been these two things at any time in my life, but what I am saying is I guess I am just a girl through and through-that's all I have to say about that.

Moving on.

Mario, our fat outside security cat, ate a robin and ignored two baby doves that had fallen out of their nest right in front of him. He acted like he was to good for the doves. That's so weird. I was just so thankful he didn't eat them. Doves are peaceful birds.

Recently, I was surprised when I got a package in the mail from a very dear friend of mine. It was a book. On the note from Amazon she wrote this:

"I sure wish they'd change the title"

So this made me curious and I then read the title of the book. It's a Catholic book, of course and it's called,
"THE END
of the present world
And the mysteries of the future life"

I hope I am intelligent enough to read it, understand it, and apply it. I am reading it slowly page by page. I am so thankful for her.

I will openly admit that I do love Facebook. I do. I do. In a nosy social kind of way.

Christmas is 4 or so months away-how did that happen?

I didn''t lose any summer weight this summer at all. This is the first summer, in my life, that it hasn't happened. I'm okay with that. Their's always next summer.....

I am NOT going to talk about "Swamp People" in this blog either. I am just not going to talk about them, because I have gone on and on about them, lately, and my obsession with these people has spilled into every single part of my life with open arms, of course. I have made up my mind to not drive all of you crazy with my obsessive swamp talk. Although, I can't wait for their new season to begin and am so beyond ready to watch some new gator hunts. See-I am keeping my swamp addiction to myself. I can do it. I know I can.

Sunday, I worked at our Catholic Church's 54th annual steak dinner and got to talk with so many people and loved it. I was in heaven. The meal was simply delish!

Here is the menu that was served:

Black angus steak or hamburgers, cooked by the men, on enormous rectangular charcoal grills. 

Garden tomatoes

Homemade oil based cole slaw

Homemade scalloped potatoes

Garden green beans, onions, and bacon.

(my mouth is watering just typing it out)

Ya, I'm not kidding about my mouth watering either.

 I love my Catholic church. For generations my family has attended this church and even helped to build it. Our family names are in some of the stained glass windows and it's just HOME to me and my family.

We have had so much family stay with us this summer which has been incredible. We had family drive in from Florida, as well, as Colorado. Where did I put everyone you might ask? Well, again I can't say enough about how wonderful it is to have the studio/guesthouse. It has been a blessing time after time. I love having family stay with us. Lots of laughter, lots of memories made, lots of laughter.

We have been swimming all summer long, too. I'll tell you what that pool has paid for itself ten times over. It was such a great investment for family time. The grill is right there, too, and so when we get the munchies from swimming we just throw the hotdogs on the grill, grab a bag of chips, fill our bellies, and then jump right back in. Now, I just need to really work on the backyard and make it pretty. It's clean just not pretty............yet.

Okay, so this is a weird thing that's been going on for quite some time. I have been feeling like something big is about ready to happen to me or for me. (in a good mind blowing way, of course) Weird, right? I think so, too. I've been feeling like this for the last couple of years, but lately, oh my gosh, I just can't shake it. It's like come on already and if not go away, please. I can't stand the suspense. I wonder what it is or if it is anything at all other than just me dreaming. Anyway, I just thought I'd share that so it's documented when and if "it" happens.

By the way, do you realize that I don't have even one picture in this entire blog post and you still read it? I guess I am a lazy blogger today, because I always have pictures. I don't even read blogs without pictures. What the heck? Are you still even reading this? Is anyone there? Anyone? I sure hope so, because I LOVE my readers with all my heart. Plus, there is a really inspirational quote at the bottom of todays blog....

P.S. A cousin of mine, the other day, sent me an email and at the end of the email she typed this quote which just hit home with me on so many levels:

"If you want something that you've never had then you need to do something that you've never done."

I mean, seriously, isn't that the truth and so very simple.

That quote just says it all and so I thought I would pass it along to all of you fabulous readers.

Toodle-loo
Nikki Pugh