Rambling thoughts on a Sunday...

I really need to plan our summer vacations. We have an impending Korean culture camp; do we even have room reservations? NO! Have I set up Chicago, Las Vegas, Florida and Points East? NO!
The house is disorganized - a chronic situation - remember the packrats that reside here - and there will be no cleaning today - too much going on (HOORAY!). Meanwhile dh and Oldest are sleeping in the guest room, and Youngest is not 2" away, snoozing in his nest of pillows in our bedroom. We have had guests staying until waaaaaaaaaay after dinner, and we have played movies for the children to keep them inside and away from the mosquitoes - I guess Scooby Doo is a bit scary and causing night upsets - oops!

We have a largeish garden plot at dh's company community garden plot. Today, we will plant something, anything, in our garden plot. Yes, I know; we're Very Late. We've been waiting to get the rototiller from my parents' house, but now we'll just use a spade and turn over bits of soil here and there and plop big vegetable plants in the dirt - instant garden. The rest I will sow to cut flowers. The other gardeners will share vegetables with us, and we will happily share cut bouquets. I think that's a good arrangment! So today, we will take tools, seeds, and chairs to our city garden plot.

We have a barbeque to attend mid-afternoon, and afterwards we will go to our community pool for an evening swim. I like to swim after the heat of the day and the crowds. Then we shower the boys there, put them in their pajamas and they are nearly asleep on the short drive home. A quick read and rock, and they are off in dreamland.

I need to make summer-weight quilts for the boys' beds. There is a fabulous quilting shop not too far away, full of delicious cottons and flannels. I'm going to let the boys pick their patterns and colors. With the boys in full-day summer camp 2 days a week, I should be able to finish them - probably just in time for fall... hmmmmm. I should've started this in the spring. Are those quilts-in-a-day patterns really possible?!

A few of my friends want to learn how to can, pickle and put up jellies and jams. I've done all this, but not lately. I'm going to get all my recipes and equipment out, check it over and start planning some canning days. The girlfriend I used to can with is now too busy to participate, I fear. It seems like just a couple of years ago that we were learning to do this, but it's been more like 25 years! I'll invite her. Does anyone have any favorite recipes or tips to share? I know to put the pickling cukes on ice for a few hours before pickling. Any other tricks you use, or resources you have found invaluable?

Refinishing the hardwood flooring needs to be done this summer, too. I use Bona Kemi's easy refinishing products - a water based polyurethane applied twice with a special applicator. It is really easy to apply and lasts about a year. But it's tedious in that all the furniture has to be moved, the floors scrupulously vacuumed, washed and dried, and no children can be around. The smell fades very quickly - it's pretty non-toxic. And the scratches and abuse on the floors? Disappears into a gleaming gloss of perfection. Here where I buy the supplies: Floor refinishing supplies

K and I need to finish the window treatment in our bedroom. The pieces are lurking in every corner. It's just finding the time to do it. I'm looking forward to having black-out drapes in here - it's bright at 6 a.m. now. We bought the dark velvet off Ebay a long time ago - really a bargain. Who knew we'd be using it in our bedroom - K got it to make 'media room curtains' for his future media room. Sometimes his bargain hunting pays off in mysterious ways. Not that I'm condoning pack-rat-iness, but sometimes...?

And I'm making myself tired just thinking about all this future busy-ness. It's not so bad while one is doing it, but the planning of it - e x h a u s t i n g!