Monthly Wrap-Up – June in the rearview and a contest!
July 10, 2021
Hope everyone had a good holiday weekend! Ours was so fun I didn’t want it to end! But alas, the family is all gone back to their respective homes now, so it’s just me, Mr. James and Copper.
Speaking of Copper…this is his usual spot on the boat. It’s out of the sun and away from the water because he is NOT a swimming dog 🙂
Contest info at the end of the post 😃
So this was my month, in no particular order:
WHAT I PLANTED AND WHAT BLOOMED
I didn’t plant any annuals until June 2nd and it took me 2 damn days, but man, I have so many pretty groups of flowers on my decks right now! This is a pic of before — I’ll share an after pic next month because the planters are finally filling out.
Now I’m gonna bombard you with pictures of my IRISES! After losing most of my lilies to varmints, I was thrilled when these all bloomed this year, in addition to a new one that hadn’t bloomed before.
It’s the craziest thing about that last group of purple iris (and I can see a white and purple rimmed one I forgot to get a closeup of) they smell like grapes. Seriously. It is the most amazing scent and it lasts for about 3 weeks while they’re blooming.
WHAT I COOKED
We grill out year round, and we didn’t really add anything new to our cooking rotation. But we did bring back an old favorite: Greek Pizza. This recipe is super simple. Take a pita, or naan bread, spread hummus on it and then top with sliced red onions, chopped tomatoes, black olives, feta cheese and fresh mint. Grind some salt on it, drop it on the grill until the pita edges turn golden and VOILA, deliciousness!
I had extra strawberries that needed to be used up so I made strawberry shortcake. And yes, I do love these little sponge cakes. I did make this a no sugar version, but as you can see there’s not a ton of juice so soak into those little sponge cakes, so next time I will make it a full sugar version 🙂
I bought these cute creme brulee’ cups at Sam’s Club. Since I have a kitchen torch, and the cups came with a sugar mix to sprinkle on top to get that caramelized crust, this was a no brainer for a quick and easy dessert, when creme brulee’ from scratch takes so damn long to make.
My husband had a rough month at work, so as his devoted wife, I made his favorite dessert. Okay, a version of his favorite dessert since I didn’t have enough rhubarb to make a pie, I made a strawberry/rhubarb crisp. It was okay, but I think I added too much sugar; there wasn’t that tartness I like from the rhubarb. He ate it though 🙂
OKAY, HERE’S THE BEST COOKING HACK I’VE DISCOVERED — REFRIGERATOR BISCUITS COOKED IN THE AIR FRYER! And yes, I’m shouting because it is a game changer! Seriously.
Preheat your airfryer for 5 minutes on 400. Use a piece of parchment paper, drop the biscuits on and cook for 5 minutes. Turn them over and cook for 5 more minutes.
THAT’S IT! You have hot biscuits! And I also make crescent rolls like this and didn’t have to flip them and they were perfectly cooked.
WHAT I READ
I’ve been trying to finish this book since FEBRUARY. I don’t know what it means that it put me to sleep most nights but I forced myself to finish it before I started anything new. It was an all right read. A little weird, trying to be literary, but the intertwining stories fit together in the end.
WHAT I WATCHED
Hockey. That’s about it. Not kidding. And I lost interest after the AVs were eliminated.
FUN THING WE DID
We did the Volksmarch to the top of Crazy Horse Mountain. It’s held twice a year and for whatever reason, we’ve never managed to do the hike. So we decided this year we would. It was awesome. It ended up being about 4 miles and you can see the rise in elevation from where we started in the parking lot, to us standing right in front of Crazy Horse’s face 🙂 I also got a really cool medal for participating.
AUDIOBOOKS I LISTENED TO
Since I was still doing a lot of gardening, I got quite a bit of audiobook time in.
Gray Man — Mark Greaney — Audible purchase — I know the author. He and I share the same agent so when this was on sale I snapped it up, especially since it’s being made into a Netflix show starring Ryan Gosling and Rege-Jean Page from Bridgerton. I liked the narration, even when the story was very over-the-top James Bond type thriller.
Preservation , Missing In Action, Boss in the Bedsheets — Kate Canterbary — Audible purchases — I’ve been working my way through Kate’s backlist, lucky me to have so much to enjoy as I catch up! I love her family connections in the stories, the hot hot HOT love scenes and that she gets THE BEST narrators. I’m truly smitten with her work and highly recommend checking it out if you haven’t already 🙂
Birthday Suit — Lauren Blakely — Audible sale purchase — this author is hit and miss for me, but this was an amazing listen. The story held my interest and the sheer number of narrators made this such a unique listen. I highly recommend this one.
The Sun Down Motel — Simone St. James — Audible sale purchase — I’d eyed this psychological thriller for a few months before I got it. It is told in dual times like 30 years apart and that portion of it is very well done. It’s a mix of mystery, horror, suspense and paranormal.
Sleeping Dogs Lie — Samantha Downing — included in Audible Plus — I needed a short listen so I chose this one. It’s suspenseful, but very tongue in cheek and it made me laugh.
Forget You, Ethan — Whitney G. — Audible sale purchase — I’ll freely admit I got this one because of the narrators. They were awesome! The story was very cute and it was a quick-ish fun listen.
Bar at the End of the World — Tom Abrahams — Audible sale purchase — I wanted something different and this book certainly delivered. It’s a post apocalypse tale about betrayal and redemption and figuring out who deserves to be saved. I like it. Since it’s a trilogy, I plan to wait until the last book is out on audio before I continue on.
WHAT I CRAFTED
Not a ton of crafting going on in June. I did manage to get my 70’s vibe on and finish this kit, which is part of a series I’m doing. It’s kind of fun and funky.
I also decided to organize ALL my embroidery floss after a rather large purchase of it — I have a project that is 18 pages so I pretty much needed EVERY color that DMC makes. That’s probably why I didn’t do much crafting as I was getting organized. This is one of 8 containers of thread I’ll have when I’m done!
That’s about it, I think. Oh, one gratuitous picture of the grandbaby when we took her to Storybook Island and she saw a near lifesize Pooh bear 🙂
Okay, now I’m done.
CONTEST: Tell me about your month! Are you vacationing? Seeing family or friends? Or staying home? I’ll pick a random commentor to win something fun!
Thanks for stopping by!
XOXOXO
L~
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Rolanda Tovey said:
Since I live on Manitoulin Island, in the Great Lakes, I’m always vacationing. I will be working for the summer at my friend’s art gallery. And our youngest daughter is coming from Alberta for a few days
Dar said:
Sticking close to home but getting out and taking some drives
Tiss Johnson said:
No vacations for us. We weaned our calves early and have to be there to take care of them. Started haying. We are green here and trying to get it done before it turns brown.
Jenny Black said:
My husband was gone for about half the month, so we didn’t do much. At the end of the month my daughter went to a church girls camp for a couple of days. Usually they actually go camping, but current events they decided to just do it day camp, but it was literally all day. I put aside the Cardinals cross stitch that I’ve been working on for months and started a poppy one to change things up. It’s not large, but i think having a break from the other one will be good to get me back on track. That’s about it.
Michelle Holden said:
I am on book 10 (more than 50% through) of the Rough Rider Series. Once I am done with this series reread I will be rereading Tara Sivec’s Seduction & Snacks series-they are making a movie on Passionflix right now based on the 1st book.
Your flowers are beautiful, I have the black thumb of death when it comes to plants, my mom can grow anything, it apparently skipped me.
I wish I had your needle point skills too, I see so many pretty designs and wish I was good at that. However I did buy a kit that contains a wood slate, nails and string for a picture I hope to start soon.
It’s so hot out here in Las Vegas, it’s 118 right now and I’m wishing it was winter.
Kimberly O'Connor said:
We went to the lake and I’m crafting. Love seeing all your pictures.
Kay Eidson said:
Not really vacationing but I did spend a week with my sister and niece and nephews during the 4th. It was nice getting to spend so much time with them. I’m also trying to relax as much as possible before I go back to school at the end of the month 😩 so not ready for school to start up again but I’m excited to see my old students and meet my new ones. Your foods looked so delicious I may just have to try some.
Andy A. said:
We’re going through a bit of a rough patch, so we mostly keep our heads down and try to remember one good reason to keep putting one foot in front of the other.
Wendy said:
My baby boy was home from Fort Campbell Kentucky for his birthday weekend. He was born on July 5th twenty four years ago. So proud of the fine young man he has become. he is getting ready to re enlist. We had a cookout for his birthday with the family and he left to go back to base today. (July 11th)
I am almost finished with the Thieves/Hunter series by Lexi Blake. I am re watching Supernatural and am up to season 3. Will be starting back to work to get my second grade classroom ready to go for my students that will be returning in August. This has been a quick summer to say the least.
K. A Bylsma said:
Staying home but having visitors… My lovely BIL&SIL came up. They are just delightful and I love them.
Kept an eye on the juncos who nested under my Icelandic blue poppies… They fledged and left yesterday…😔 I miss them. Mom and dad were so punctilious caring for them… One or the other on my deck railing watching over them. Had a magnificent lynx fist, stayed for approximately half an hour. A real treat.
Your iris are magnificent! I’m jealous. Love rhubarb! And strawberry rhubarb combo 💕
Your crafts are quite delicate and I live them.
K. A Bylsma said:
Smart doggie!
Is that a pontoon boat? My sister has one, loves it. Uses it on Seneca lake which cab get quite obsteperous in short order!
Sonya said:
Well, I wish my month had been as great as yours!!! I caught RSV Virus from my beautiful granddaughter. It was not fun & has taken me all month to get over it! While in quarantined, I listened to a lot of books, binged watched Supernatural for the 8th time, & embroideried a baby quilt.
Books-
Unexpected Treasure /Melody Anne
#Hot Scots 1,2,3/ Anna Durand
#Wild Aces 1 & 2/ Chanel Cleeton
#Wyoming True/ Diana Palmer
#Lone Star Lovers 1,2,3/ Jean Brashear
One Night Rodeo/ you
#Seven Sons Ranch 1,2,3,& 8/ Liz Isaacson
#The Shaughnesay Bro. 1,2,3,4,5,6 /
Samantha Chase
Hang Tough by you
#all bought from Chirp at a discount
Have a great month!!
Sandra Marlow said:
I’m doing a lot of housesitting this summer, enjoying being around a lot of animals that need loving well the folks are the ones vacationing. Also heading back to therapy for my knees after their replacements – yes, both of them! Thankfully, things are going well there. I should be even better by the time my vacation does come in mid August! Thanks for all your recommendations and the giveaway.
Serena Kenton said:
My oldest daughter moved to Texas June 19th. We live in Pennsylvania, so we miss her. I’d like to take a day trip to the beach with my other 3 daughter’s. We’ve gone to 2 zoo trips, both we had beautiful weather for.
JoAnna Becker said:
Been taking care of the hubby. He is having medical issues. My youngest graduated high school at the beginning of the month.
Shannon Taylor said:
Started the month off with a relaxing vaca visiting good friends in NC. Came home to the usual crazy madness! Helping manage hubby’s shop and handling all the bookkeeping/employee management…lots of cupcake and cake orders (people are glad to be having get togethers finally). Hitting up our 2nd book conference of 2021 at the end of the month in Cleveland! And, of course, lots of time with the 4 granddaughters.
Caroline said:
My whole family got together on the 4th for the first time since Christmas of 2019. I was finally able to hold my 1 year old grand nephew, and my 88 year old mother was thrilled beyond belief to have all of us together! There were about 25 all told, which included 4 generations and various significant others.
Ellen Bartel said:
Lorelei, your irises are beautiful!
I love strawberry shortcake but I don’t think I could go without the sugar.
We had hour 4th of July family Clambake last Saturday, it was a chilly 53° and it rained on us, but we still had fun!
Tomorrow we are heading to Alaska! My husband’s brother lives there with his family. We haven’t seen them in 7 years. We’re all very excited!
Shelly said:
No vacationing yet. Working and trying to keep up with the summer moving so fast. Been a hot dry start here in wi but just got a good shot of rain. Hoping. To get sometime off within the next month to take a short break. Great picture on front of Crazy Horse
Bobbie said:
Lived in Long Island NY for 22+ years. And just moved back to Texas. Everything is different it’s a BIG culture shock. Still not sure where anything is lol. But I have my books 📚 an audible is a life saver.
Mary said:
A few girl weekends this month. Lots of work stuff going on, but will have the rest of the summer off once that finishes – 5 more days!!
Beautiful flowers, I don’t have the time or interest to plant but I do appreciate others hard work 🙂
Maha Awad said:
June was worm here in Canada. My flowers are still blooming and my plants grew taller. Faithfull to my Mediterranean heritage I watched my peppermint & Basil plants spread wider. I finally got my 2nd vaccination dose and hopefully this covid drama will be behind everybody soon. Virtual graduation were all over my city. Virtual work is still on full force. I got a rest from cooking cause my husband wanted to try few recipes and I don’t mind that a bit.
Anne said:
We got an extra two days off for the 4th, so we had a 5 day weekend which was really restful. Nothing special the rest of the month. Looking forward to a real vacation at the very end of Oct.
Karen Lauterwasser said:
Hi! I had a new stove delivered and installed in mid June. So now I can cook – AND BAKE! Also staring back at me are all the “put the kitchen back to rights” things I should do. But it’s summer, and I lack inspiration. I’d rather read and knit…
Limecello said:
Your irises are gorgeous! I love those flowers! And I’m glad you got to see family. 🙂
My oldest aunt is turning 93 O_O so some of the family got together – my parents went, but I have a new boss who requires a month of notice for days off – and for you to find your own coverage 😒
Elisa A said:
Lorelei! Your irises are gorgeous! The rabbits have eaten most of mine. I only had a couple of blooms this years. 🙁 My daisies have done very well. And so have my hollyhocks and hydrangeas. My lavender is currently in bloom.
My month was busy with the gardens again. Everything has been growing well. We ate fresh salad every day for lunch from about late May until the last week of June! The beans have just begun to harvest. They will last until first frost. 🙂 My peas are now done. We’ve been eating swiss chard for the last 4 wks now. They will last well into December as they are frost tolerant. Broad beans are now done as well. My watermelon plant only has 1 fruit at this point, but it is already 5″ in diameter. The black raspberries are also done picking now. We started the red raspberries a week ago. Red currants are also done now. Black currants and Gooseberries will be ready soon. I harvested my garlic last month as well. I’ve picked through an saved all the largest bulbs for use as seed for next planting in September. My potatoes should be ready to harvest within the next few weeks. Hopefully in my next monthly wrap-up to you, I’ll be telling you all about them! 🙂
I am organic, so my little backyard garden is very labour intensive. We go out every day for a couple of hours or more to pick through every leaf looking for bugs. Every year we’re after the flea beetles, 4 different types of aphids, four lined plant bug, potato beetles, squash bugs, squash beetles, Japanese beetles, many different types of leaf hoppers, cabbage moths and their caterpillars. The ones that bother me the most are the big cabbage moth caterpillars. They are so gushy it gives me the willies when I squish them!!! I relocate the swallowtail caterpillars. They usually show up in my carrots. But they also like parsley, and I don’t mind if they strip those plants, so I’ll move them over.
What I read – I finished the 4th book of Jasinda Wilder’s Falling Series, Falling Away. The entire series was one heartwrench after another. But each book ending in 2 characters getting together.
Raven by Sylvain Reynard – I thought this was a very interesting read. I’m not usually very keen on vampire stories, but the book summary didn’t say anything about vampires. I can’t stop reading a book once I’ve started, regardless of how bad I think it is. But this book, kept me interested the whole way through! The story was good, and the scenes were well written. I can’t wait to read his Gabriel’s Inferno series.
The Rescue by Nicholas Sparks. It was a great love story! In the book, one of the characters is a little boy with learning disabilities. Nicholas writes about the mother’s struggle to teach him to speak before he started kindergarten. He writes it well because it is about his second child. The mother in the book goes through some of the same struggles he went through with his own son.
The Real Michael Swann by Bryan Reardon. I REALLY loved this book! It’s a suspense novel, with a bit of family drama and tragic love story embedded in the script. It is so well written, I had trouble putting it down, even at 5 AM!
Thanks so much Lorelei! All the best!
Heather Scully said:
Alas, no vacationing. I’m ten years into a confusing and frustratingly debilitating chronic illness mystery, so I’ve basically been in my own personal pandemic since then. 🙄🤷🏻♀️ But this month I am starting work on book 2 of the adult trilogy I’m working on, and starting research for the character guide in the kids’ series I’ve had in my head for yonks. Some stuff to do around the house, including a major purge of stuff we don’t need anymore, plus I’m gonna try my own illustrations do I need to get some new paints and supplies for that. Other than that, just reading, writing, DIYing and getting my 2nd vaccine dose in four days. Yay! Maybe them I can consider going to see my bff, who’s having a hard go of it mentally and physically out west. 💕
Melisha Bonnette said:
This is my birthday month too! I’m throwing myself a birthday party. Because I didn’t get to do a big celebration last year for my 40th, I’m doing a 40th do-over party. Before that we are taking a 4 day family trip to Tennessee. Happy birthday!
Aly P said:
June was my birthday month and I finally went on a vacation, and it was abroad! It was really fun 🙂
I can’t wait to see your planters.
Pamela Gomes said:
July is also my birthday month (end of Cancer on the Leo cusp), I’m hoping for fun.
June ended on a high note, we hit Lake Tahoe for some much needed fun. Went thrifting with my GF, the four of us hit Virginia City for a day, toured some small Nevada towns, and just relaxed. The weather was warm, but overall a great time.
Continue watching our little grandson grow, he hit 9 months in June and is a crawling fiend.
Cooking classes have finally resumed and I took a Lebanese class. Now I can make my own hummus, baklava, and chicken sharama. Yum!
Happy birthday to us July babies!
Moran said:
I love reading your month wrap up.
The Iris pictures are so pretty.
June wasn’t the best month, I had some health issues but July is my birthday month, we are both Leo and I’m taking some days off and I hope to relax a little and travel locally.
Kim B said:
chilled at home since hubby had to work but grilled out when weather permitted.
Kellie R said:
My dad passed away in Omaha, Nebraska on June 16th so I have been flying back and forth from TX to take care of the estate. Definitely, not a fun summer!!!!
flchen1 said:
Love seeing your irises, Lorelei! They’re just gorgeous! And I’m inspired by your Greek pizza—we will definitely be trying that!
We just got back from a short road trip for the kids to visit Disneyland for a couple days. While we all had fun, very thankful to be home, and I think as mostly introverts, we’re all peopled out, LOL!
Dana Hamilton said:
Staying inside this summer and loving it! Lost my dad earlier this year so I’ve just been contemplative and reflective all year. Catching up on reading and hanging with Olivia Newton John, my 12 year old American Bulldog.