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Well, this is more like a “what I’ve been up to since I blogged last update” but that title’s not very catchy so Weekend Update it is.  In off-the-charts exciting news, my summer break has officially started!!!! Our last day of school was Friday June 3rd! We only had 1 snow day this year so we are off and running earlier than usual and I’m lovin’ it!

Graduation was on Friday night and afterward, I attended the All Night party which is a “lock-in” for seniors.  We had a record turn-out this year and the kids had a blast!

Bouncy houses filled the gym and we had so many other activities for the seniors including swimming, karaoke, video game truck, ice cream truck, food, prizes, magician, and a hypnotist to close out the night. What a memorable (and SAFE!) way for them to celebrate graduation!

So this is happened at our house 2 weeks ago…

We are getting a new concrete driveway and sidewalks.  Our macadam was in rough shape and our front sidewalks were even worse.  The sidewalk was the original stone from when our house was built in 1895 and they were dangerously uneven.  My middle child had a serious fall resulting in an ER visit when he tripped on one of them and we knew we had to do something.  We hoped to reuse some of the more intact stones but many crumbled layer by layer during removal.  We were able to salvage a few and hope to replace some broken stones on our side pathway which is next to the picket fence in the picture below.

The driveway is done which is that big, white space in the pic above and now they are working on the front sidewalk which will also be concrete.  The walkway to our front door which is behind the yellow Adirondack chair will be some kind of paver.  I bought these online from Home Depot which was a BIG mistake.  The color was way off. This is what they looked like online:

And this is what it looks like in person…

See what I mean?? Not even close!  The paver online is much warmer looking which is the tone I’m going for so tomorrow I’m on the hunt to find something else.  But first I need to return 126 pavers that are sitting in my garage!  Did I mention that each one weighs 28 pounds?!?  The Boss is not happy with me.  I was almost afraid to admit out loud that I didn’t like them but the more I thought about it, the more I realized I did not want to settle for something that I will see every day and that we are paying some significant coin for.  I want to do it right the 1st time. Lesson learned.

In other news…I’ve been seeing so many pictures of peonies on FB and Insta and I’ve been dying for mine to bloom.  With no Trader Joe’s around (which seems to be everyone’s go-to flower source except mine) I have been checking them on and off in the past few weeks but with school ending this week, grading finals and prepping for the All Night party, I forgot to look this week until yesterday and guess what? They had already bloomed and I missed them! Nooooooo!!!!!

In an act of sheer defiance for blooming without me, I cut them anyway and stuck them in small vases.  They may not look pretty but they smell so sweet.  The English teacher in me feels like there’s a metaphor in all of this but the “School’s out for summer” part of me doesn’t feel like trying to find it.

I have been planting some other pretties like these impossible to kill succulents.

I have had to scale WAY back on my backyard planting and pots this year because of our puppy Boo. These are out of his reach on our outdoor kitchen island…hopefully.  If you are a reluctant gardener, succulents are a great match — they are tough, literally “sucking” water and nutrients from whatever you plant them in.  You can forget them for a few weeks and they will still love you. I bought mine at a local garden center (Tina’s in Black Walnut for you locals) but Home Depot and Lowes also have a great selection.

On Saturday, my youngest had a baseball game near an antiques store (locals: Fleetville corners).  When the rain started in, I took it as my cue to sneak off and explore.  I brought my middle son with me and caught him checking out an old ruler.

He’s a picker like me and I look forward to our Friday summer yard sale expeditions.  He’s always the first to volunteer to tag along with me.  Love that!  I bought a few things that I will share with you soon.

We found this church pew in another antique store about a 1/2 mile away.  I didn’t buy it though so if you’re interested, shoot me a message and I’ll share the details. I love the detail on the sides and feet and the length is perfect — just right for a kitchen or dinner table.

Today is rainy and dreary so to combat the bad weather blues, the boys created their “Summer List.”

This tradition began years ago as way to remember to do all of the summer activities that they’ve been thinking about all year. Plus, as an added bonus, when someone inevitably proclaims they’re bored, I respond, “Check the list.”  Some of the items on the list are big like “Go to the beach” and “Go see a Yankees game” but some are totally doable without me, like “Build a fort” or “Play kickball.” A few of their favs include “Say yes day” and “Do nothing day.” You can tell I have a motivated crew.

If you need inspiration for your own Summer List, just Google away.  I’m thinking I need to write my own…you can be sure mine will include wine and some decorating.  What would be on yours?

Happy summer! love, Angie