jaunthie | Lame journalkeeper is LAME

*pokes head into cyberspace*

*observes the dustbunnies*

Um, is this thing on?

*listens to echoes*

So yeah. I've been completely slacking on posting in the journal recently. Some of that wasn't QUITE my fault - LJ did a face-plant for about a week there - but mostly it's been a crazy-busy summer, and I keep getting distracted by other things. Sorry about that.

So, what's up with me?

A whole lot of the same-old same-old, I must confess. Which isn't all that exciting to journal about, frankly. I've been working a lot, and gardening a fair bit (the pea crop this year has been amazing; the cucumbers, less so; and I have SUNFLOWERS, joy!), and trying to keep up with various house chores. It looks like we're going to have to get around to doing something about the bathroom this summer, as the pipes are shot, and if I'm having to replace the pipes anyway, I'm definitely going to redo the bathroom as part of the work. Nothing too dramatic, mind you; our budget is limited, and we're not going to move any walls or anything drastic (and expensive) like that. But at the very least, we're going to find a better sink, and a better counter/cabinet solution. Plus new pipes.

July saw

fisherbear and I visiting lots of family, which was wonderful. We spent a week in Colorado with fisherbear's extended family, whom we do not get to see nearly often enough. (Our fault entirely, but there it is.) I had never spent time in Colorado before. It's a beautiful state, at least the part we were in. I still haven't sorted through all the pictures we took; hopefully I'll get around to posting at least a few within the next few weeks. It was really nice spending time with the cousins, their families (including kids, all of whom are a joy, and at least two of whom look like they're going to take over the world when they grow up) and MamaBear and Uncle T. and Aunt L.. No sooner had we returned home and (kindof) gotten our breath back than my brother and his family came to town for a visit. Aunt K. stayed with us for a few days during that time, which was a real treat. I love having my aunt stay with us; she's fantastic, and I don't get enough time with her. (Again, my fault; one of these years I'm going to get better at that whole time and travel thing.)

So my brother's kids were center-stage for much of the visit, which was just fine. Nephew J is three now, looks like he's five, and has enough energy to power all of Canada. Niece C is just four months, and OMG absolutely gorgeously adorable. I am of course her aunt and therefore biased, but I also don't much like babies as a whole; I prefer kids once they learn to talk. In C's case, when I say "adorable," it means something. We're talking Gerber baby levels of cute. Huge blue eyes, wispy blonde hair, fat little baby cheeks, and a relatively sunny disposition for a baby. Of course, I didn't have much to do but play adoring aunt; my brother and his family stayed with my parents. Which was just fine with the kitties; they behaved very well around nephew J, and he behaved well with them, but the cats definitely were nervous about the atomic-explosion-on-legs running around in their midst.

And wouldn't you know it, it's August now. Where did the time go? At least summer has finally arrived, in a mild and lovely fashion. I'm having to remind myself to water, as it rained so regularly for so long I've gotten out of the habit, but a little rain is a small price to pay for such pretty sunny days.

So what's up with you? How's summer going?