Zoom Zoom and a variety of other unrelated words.

• We bought a car for Asia yesterday. After much research and hemming and hawing and looking and thinking and praying, we ended up with a Mazda 6. Brand Spankin' New. Volcanic Red. Glad that's over with.
• We spent the day yesterday at a huge outdoor art/food festival over in Couer D'Alene, Idaho. I love Coeur D'Alene. If you ever come to visit us, we will take you to Coeur D'Alene. We took Gracie, had a picnic and perused lots of booths full of everything from fountains to carvings to paintings. Lots of fun. Saw the coolest sandcastle built in the middle of everything - carved over four days from 12 tons of sand. It was just a Dad and his two sons, who have done this together at this festival for several years. Cool.
• K. leaves next Sunday for his first week ever at sleep-away camp. He's beside himself with excitement. It's good timing, because when he gets back, there will only be two more weeks until school starts - my official countdown to fit everything fun and meaningful into the remainder of the summer will keep us busy until that lovely first day of school...
• I don't teach at the store again until September 12th. WOW! It's great to have a break from teaching - I'm planning to get at least a third of my class samples done for the next schedule before I resume teaching. It makes my life much easier when I stay ahead of the game.
• S. stepped on a nail over the weekend. She hobbled around on E.'s recently discarded crutches for a couple of days, but it seems to be healing well and she was able to walk on it yesterday. Her whole foot was pretty swollen for a day or so. Poor kid.
• I had a great day of garage sale-ing on Saturday. Found clothes for all three kids, including a great winter coat for K. from Abercrombie and Fitch for $10. I get so pumped about great garage sale finds. I also found some great vintage jelly jars complete with little metal lids I can use for storing embellishments in my studio. Truly - stuff like that makes my heart sing. (I know. Silly.)
• Hmmm. The neighbors just pulled up in their driveway... early birds. They must have been taking her parents to the airport.
• We've been getting to know lots of young guys from our church - and Asia's always inviting someone over, so I'm back to feeding 20-something men on a fairly regular basis. Men who really appreciate a good home cooked meal. I love doing this. I'm married to a man who doesn't really enjoy food. A picky eater, if you will. It's so fun for me to be able to make stuff for hungry young men who'll eat just about anything... and who literally call me a kitchen goddess.
• Speaking of good food - I made the best salad ever on Saturday. Try this: Roquefort Pear Salad. Sincerely, friends. The best. And very healthy...
• Asia's off to Seattle this morning. And then again next week. But then I think he's home for almost two weeks. He's flying, of course, so guess who gets to drive the new car?
• Stuff I've got to do this week: 1) List a bunch of scrapbooking stuff of ebay. Purging is good. 2) Call the insurance guy and take the new car over to his office so he can get the VIN. 3) Make Gracie's birthday cake. (Our pup turns a year old tomorrow!) And yes - I'm seriously going to make her a cake... I found a recipe online. Freaky dog lover. 4)Buy school supplies for the kids. I LOVE buying school supplies. 5) Weed. My back flower beds have seriously been taken over.
• Time to take Asia to the airport. Happy happy Monday peeps. Kiss kiss.