Our trip to Racine to see Sarah, Adam, Caleb, and Hannah spanned two weeks from the end of June to the beginning of July. It threw me off totally in terms of evaluating my OLW intentions and setting some new ones for July. 

I did keep up with a photo every day, although I took some liberty with this collage, inserting the three little girls’ “last day of home school” photos over the course of three days. Betsy had them get dressed up as if it were the last day of school and they were happy to oblige. Had school been in session it would have ended for the elementary students on the 17th. Skylar “finished” third grade; Ella, kindergarten, and Maddy is still in preschool. There’s no word here, yet, of whether schools will open in September and, if they do, what they might look like. Then, of course, parents have to make a decision whether or not they feel the options available are safe. I don’t envy any parents that decision. Sarah and Adam are already wrestling with it. Caleb’s Montessori school is set to reopen for five days a week. Wisconsin, however, continues to see a surge in Covid-19 cases, and there is a general unwillingness of folks to wear masks. We didn’t enter any stores while we were away, but Sarah and Adam have taken to ordering almost everything online to be delivered or picked up curbside. Many other photos are from our hikes, and some of the fun we had in Racine. You can see Caleb taking one of his Tae Kwan Do classes via Zoom on the 26th. Dad is helping out as he practices his kicks. I documented our daily lunch at home on the 12th. If the weather permits, we eat on the patio and play a game of cribbage while we eat.

I also kept up with the #100DayProject, doing two coloring pieces a day when I missed a day due to travel. 

There was lots of reading time in June, both on the patio, in the morning, and in Racine. I read seven books:

(There was an issue with Typepad formatting these books this time. It’s never been a problem before. I couldn’t get to left-justified margins without these sentences. Who knows?)

I really enjoyed both Marilynne Robinson books. I’d read Gilead years ago, but was glad to have reread it. It’s the first of three linked books about two ministers and their families during the 1950’s in Gilead, Iowa. Not a lot happens, but both books are beautifully written and the NYTimes described Gilead as having a “spiritual force that’s rare in contemporary fiction,” and indeed, I wished at the end that I had underlined major portions of it. Sarah was reading I’m Still Here . . . while we were there, and I picked it up as soon as she finished it. I’ve since ordered my own copy, and our church is sponsoring an online book group about it that starts Sunday evening. The Pull of the Moon was my book for The Unread Shelf. It was a quick read, but not particularly satisfying. I wasn’t a huge fan of The Bookshop, our couples’ book group choice, but most of our group seemed to like it a lot. Such a Fun Age wasn’t as engaging as I expected it to be. Tracy always says that movies and books that get rave reviews rarely live up to the expectation. In this case, that was true. I also loved Rebecca Solnit’s memoir. Memoir is one of my favorite genres, and this one has a very unique take on the genre, but one I really enjoyed. Solnit is a historian and activist who writes extensively on feminine issues and the environment. She’s had a fascinating history.

I’m not planning any big changes for July. The #100DayProject ended a few days ago, but I had already started my second 30 Day Coloring Challenge hosted by Kathy Racoosin so I’ll finish that up. There’s the usual stack of books, many more photos to purge, and some online classes I’d like to take.

Mostly, I’m trying to stay as positive as I can as the virus spirals out of control without any serious leadership from the federal government. Fortunately, our county has remained pretty stable, and in NY everyone is required to wear a mask before entering any indoor establishment. I’ve read of instances where folks have refused, but in the few places I’ve been I’ve not seen anyone without a mask. We returned from Wisconsin just a week before rates there went up enough that anyone coming into NY from Wisconsin must quarantine for two weeks. The list of states for which that is true is updated almost daily. Now people coming to NY on public transportation are met by officials and must complete a written document so that contact tracing can take place if necessary. I hope it helps contain the virus, which is beginning to rise statewide again. There doesn’t seem to be any end in sight, and I find it incredible that there are still people who believe it’s a hoax, and won’t take it seriously. 

Ah, well, here’s to the health and safety of all of us during the rest of the summer. I’m so grateful to be secure, safe, and have access to beautiful outdoor spaces during this lovely time of year. May the same be true for you.