Have there always been this many hours in a day? It’s been 9 years since I’ve had so much time to myself - I hardly know what to do to fill the time! Okay, I’m exaggerating a little. I’m finding plenty to do, but I guess the difference is that I actually complete entire tasks. One after the other. Amazing.

And I still have time to watch an episode of Arrested Development every so often on hulu.com. I have so much TV to catch up on…

I’m ready for the holiday card season, but it’s hard to get excited about the holidays in this weather. After a lovely summer of warm days and cool nights - a wonderful change from our usual unbearable heat and humidity - summer arrived on Labor Day. It’s forecasted to last about 2 days before it cools off again. Michigan weather is crazy.

Taking some time off this summer has been great. Thank you to everyone who patiently waited with their orders until the web site was back up and running. I feel totally re-energized and ready to tackle the season.
And the boys will be starting school tomorrow, so I’ll have lots of time each day to work on new orders!

Football practice started Monday. This will be Cameron’s first time playing. Not exactly a mother’s dream - having her small-ish son put on pads and a helmet and run into much larger boys trying to knock eachother down. I haven’t been staying to watch the wreckage at practice, so Dan has been reporting back to me. So far there have not been any injuries, and he sure is excited to suit up.

We talk a lot about pouring gas on the sparks. If the child is excited about something, you have to encourage it. Whether you’re excited or not. Whether it stays lit, or whether it fizzles out. Set enough fires, and eventually you’ll find the one (or ones) that will keep burning his whole life.

We’re home from Penticton, where Dan successfully completed his 5th Ironman event. It turned out to be a great trip, far more exciting to visit than Madison. (Sorry, IMWI!) The flights went fine, we were very happy with the service from Air Canada.

We spent one whole day driving the bike course, which was one big loop through orchards, vineyards, mountain passes, and lakes. The Okanagan Valley is wine country: 66 wineries in the area! Another afternoon, we drove up to Naramata and had a little tasting at Kettle Valley Winery. We decided on a bottle of King Merlot and took it home for dinner. Very nice. If we didn’t have to go through customs, we would have brought some home!

Our version of Summer Camp this year was sending the boys to their grandparents’ house while Dan and I went to Penticton, British Columbia for Ironman Canada. Lucky for us, Dan’s parents bought some property a few years ago and are turning into full-fledged farmers. With 11 chickens, 3 ducks, 3 dogs and a vegetable garden to take care of, Cameron and Luke had plenty of chores (activities) to keep them busy. Cameron came home knowing how to collect eggs in the morning and fry them up for breakfast!

Almost makes me want to build a chicken coop of my own. Almost.