I’m feeling pretty overwhelmed these days.  This summer has been crazy busy and I’m in a panic because it’s almost over and I feel like I didn’t get to do half the things I wanted to.  So I’m going to slow down for a couple of minutes and try to appreciate the good things (and maybe not so good things) that are going on in my life right now.

The garden is doing well.  We’ve had enough rain that I haven’t had to water it all summer.  The cucumbers got overrun by the pumpkins, but I did get enough to make a few jars of pickles.

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I’m not going to grow pumpkins next year.  The vines took over everything and I only got three little cooking pumpkins out of it.  That’s plenty, but not worth it for the havoc it wreaked on my garden! I’ve got more cherry tomatoes than I know what to do with.  I think I’ll try roasting some and using them in a sauce.  I’ve almost got enough full sized tomatoes to can a batch of salsa.  The peppers are a little behind, though.  I think it will be another week or two before most of them will be ready to pick.

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The peaches were a flop.  The one weekend we were gone this summer, critters came in and ate EVERY SINGLE peach on the tree.  Peach pits were laying on the ground everywhere – whoever did it, I hope they got a bellyache from eating all of those peaches!

I got another reminder that we are not alone….

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UGH!!!  Nothing like a 4 foot snake skin to get your attention in the morning!

We had some wonderful visits with family this summer.  My sister and her kids came to visit for a week.  I must say, sometimes I forget how much fun teenage and almost teenage kids can be!  They live in the city, so it was a big change from their usual life but I think they went back home with a lot of good memories.  On their last day with us, my niece said “I really like this life.”  I told her I did too, but it’s a lot of work and she responded “Yes, but it’s good work!”  Wow, out of the mouths of babes…

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We also got to visit with the grandkids for a weekend (when our peach tree got robbed).  They are little – but once again, I was reminded how much fun kids are.  Exhausting, but fun.  I am amazed at how well their parents manage everything.  I wish they were closer – I can’t wait until those kids are old enough to come and spend summers at Glenmore!

We use videoconferencing for our weekly staff calls because everyone in our group works in a different state.  On today’s call, someone made a comment that it would be so cool to see a horse walk by in the background behind me.  My desk and computer are situated so that doesn’t happen, but here is a picture from my study window.

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Thanks – this is just what I needed!  I have a pretty good life – sometimes I just need to sit down and share it.