Gosh, it’s been a little while, hasn’t it?

I even skipped my FIVE year blog anniversary. Whoda thunk I’d miss that?

First, the nefarious downloading spam bug problem in here has been deleted, finally, thanks to some moment of insight from my webperson, which makes the paltry sum I spend to keep this blog here every year 100% worth it. That said, I was a smartmouth when I asked google to remove the scarlet letter from my blog, so who knows if they’ll ever get around to taking it away.

I am busy doing one meeeelion things this summer, including completing unfinished craft projects (pillowcase nightgown for the girl, doll dress from a Molly Chicken blog pattern, knitting projects and on and on) in an effort to do several things, like uncluttering my brain, my crafts and my house. We’re cleaning out the guest bedroom to turn it into a playroom for the kids, which means we’ve had two major Goodwill trips this summer and there’s one more in the works. It also means the full-sized bed is leaving and a twin bed will enter the picture next week. It’ll go against the wall and function as a sofa, with a long bolster pillow across the couch.

Aside from some necessary clothes (bathing suits: we’re at the pool nearly every day now), I am trying to pare down this summer and to keep purchases at a minimum. There’s a humongous thrift shop in town that I really want to visit, but I refuse to go until the Goodwill business is over with. No more stuff comes in until stuff goes out. Except, on that note, I bought the girl three new books this summer (sequels to The Mysterious Benedict Society and The Penderwicks and a beautifully illustrated Wind in the Willows done by Candlewick Press. I promised her the sequels, but we got a stack of books at a library giveaway and she’s set in the reading department. I am shopping carefully, if at all, and replacing large or hideous furniture with small things, if at all. Our massive, hideous, Southwestern-style kitchen table and chairs left on a truck, and I put a small stainless steel worktable in the breakfast area instead. I sent away a bookcase, too, and didn’t replace it at all.

Giving away books has been difficult, but I’ve gotten it done. I realized that I don’t truly need to hold onto a dozen A.S. Byatt books that I wll likely never read again. I don’t need two digital cameras or an old Palm Pilot thingy. I don’t need an old bridesmaid dress or several of the business suits I used to wear every day and I shouldn’t keep them just because they were expensive. I don’t need breastfeeding or infant care books. I don’t need a Chippy Irvine book on how to sew pillows. The thing about the giveaways is weeding out the stuff that’s painful to send off, which I try to send to a good home. If I didn’t do that, I might not be able to part with the stuff and I’m tired of stuff.

So, the Madeleine dollhouse and all its furnishings went to a little girl for her second birthday. The tres cher Lee Middleton baby doll (and stroller and wicker bassinet) went to a grandmother to give to her granddaughter, but not before the girlchild spend a day playing with her. I’m going to have a crafty friend peruse the home dec books. My 1970s sewing machine is on the giveaway deck. I hate to part with it (what if I need it again? What if? What if? But that’s the thinking that makes me save things I don’t need in the first place, so, off it must go…) but it’s such a dinosaur. I’m working my way towards extra sets of golf clubs, but don’t tell anyone. I expect that parting to be painful like a weaning.

I am cooking a lot, tanner than I have been since I was a student and reading everything, including the New Yorker from cover to cover when it comes every week. There’s a swell Alice Munro story in this week’s issue. I am trying to have the kids do something arty every day, to have the boychild color his day every night in a small journal (an idea I found at the great blog called The Write Start via a kiddie blog, The Craftty Crow), but I am not able to be as sweetly austere as she is–I write about the drawing after the boychild draws it. I can’t stand not to note the two swimming pools or this or that. I want to be able to remember it and I know I won’t.

Speaking of the boy, and I know I am rambling at this point, but who knows when I will write again (tho I would like to do it regularly), I wonder if I mentioned when he bit through his mouth late last fall, preventing our Christmas card photo? He still has a scar under his bottom lip and he chipped one of his top front teeth. It turns out, I learned when the kids got their teeth cleaned yesterday (no cavities, phew), that his top front teeth were significantly damaged when he fell. The root on one is completely broken and the root on the other one is very narrow now. We are lucky that the nerves appear undamaged so far–both teeth should have turned gray at this point. I am to keep am eye on them and they hope the teeth will be fine because they have been so far, but I should expect them to fall out earlier than usual. So, who knew? I brought home the x-ray picture. It’s unbelievable, even to my untrained eyes. However, the fact that the screamy boy (who is a whole different child these days and is enjoying his summertime) even allowed the cleaning and the x-rays is unbelievable.

Happy summer. I got a new camera for my birthday and if I was a nice person, I’d put up some pictures.