Like a Hobbit

 July is almost over and if I was still teaching I would be mourning the end of summer.  This year the district I taught for starts back to school Aug. 11.  Even now after two years away, it's not my first inclination to think of August as a nice long summer month.  New territory.  I'd like to think of a few ways to make August more August-y.  Any ideas?

 I've been knitting my little honey bear AND this purple vest.  I tend to lose sight of the way knitting a lot makes me a faster and more enthusiastic knitter.  I think my knitting verve has grown because I've been watching knitting videos.  If I record some podcasts/videos and put them up on Youtube, they won't be about fibers and knitting because I am not knitty enough for that.  My idea is something else.  More details forthcoming.  

 There is a door in our family room that opens to the cement stairs.  The former owner said that she liked kids to come in on this lower level because it was easier to vacuum carpet than to mop the kitchen floor.  We've never used the door for going in and out.  I open it to catch breezes.  As you can see we use the "bottom of the steps" area to stash the paddling pool, beach balls, inflatable things the kids use to make the slip and slide more fun.  If I get a kitty, I think he'd like to look out this particular door, listening to the birds and sniffing the fresh air.  Yes, I'm working on convincing Bill that a fluffy orange (long-haired) tabby boy would be an excellent addition to our home.  

Don't you love the hues of the sidewalk chalk?  I think they would all make lovely yarn colors.  

 Colorado is a gorgeous place.  The temperatures of late have been VERY hot and I don't like sweltering in the heat.  In the mountains it is much cooler but we don't go to the mountains to cool off very often.  I'm not sure why.  Even though Bill travels so much, we're kind of hobbit-ish.  We stay in the shire. 

 I am going up to Washington to my niece's wedding. I'll be there a few days and then my mom is going to fly back here with me and stay a week.  Woot!  

I am rearranging things in my little office/work room/library because it has become very cluttered and full of fun stuff.  My goal today is to clear an inspiring work space and tidy up the books.  

I found a recipe that my granny wrote on a card.  It's a recipe for sponge cake.  I've been meaning to try it and today might be the day.
Yeah, the gluten free endeavor was not fun and I didn't feel any different.  The gluten free flour and the bread made my stomach hurt.  So, I hope I remember this when I think about trying again.  Sponge cake is a staple, isn't it?

I'm going to go upstairs and iron now.  When I have a lot of things I COULD do but don't know what to do first, I iron.  What do you do when you don't know what to do first?

Take care, kind reader.  Thank you or stopping in and partaking of my random rambles.  
Oh!  My friend Marcie posted a list of very August-y things!  Take a look!