I forgot to mention something else that is nice about our small town (and surrounding small towns). Aside from our free bowling, free library programs, and free movies, there are also free activities at local museums and free concerts. Some for festivals, some just part of the summer programs here. Rich and I are really excited about Los Lobos coming to our little town. And there is a town sponsored Independence Day dinner (hot dogs, chips, drink, ice cream) and fireworks show, with a concert before the fireworks start. It's pretty nice. As hard as it can be for us here, missing trees, mountains, salt water, rain, Trader Joe's, this really is a great place for kids and families. So, even though we don't have a lot of travel planned this summer, we have so much to do each day (and we are so thankful for experience Christmas and birthday presents, like the water park membership from the kids' godparents, instead of more STUFF).

In August, my 20th high school reunion is scheduled. I'm a little wary of going, since nobody liked me then, and I'm not sure they will like me any better now. As an aside, one of the most beautiful, nicest, most godly women I know here also has this same feeling about her high school experience. She talked about how everyone thought she was ugly, and didn't like her. I cannot believe it, as she is so strikingly lovely and nice and intelligent, which I guess goes to show that all the nonsense in high school is really meaningless. Anyway, I went to school with many of them from grade school on, some from preschool even, and so I feel a tie to them like a kinship. After determining that the reunion was scheduled for the last weekend of the fair (for which we have serious responsibilities, as Rich runs the ice cream booth for our neighborhood fundraiser, with me and some of our kids working shifts each day and night) and at first saying that we just couldn't go, Rich floated the idea of us being gone the last two nights at one of the board meetings to let people know that someone would have to step up for those nights and that seemed to go over alright. So, it looks like we're going. And I can be unpopular and sit at the uncool table again. Though, at our 10 year, I did get to sit with the cool kids, but I think that was because of Rich and not me.

Anyway, this week turns out to be a busier week than I thought it would be. We've missed church here every weekend but three over the past two months, between illness and travel. So, we missed all the announcements about Vacation Bible School. I was still thinking it was going to be in August like last year, but no, it is this week. Starting tomorrow. Plus we have a field trip scheduled on Wednesday with a local homeschooling group. Since every little activity is still wearing me out (though I'm doing a little better, I no longer feel like the undead, just exhausted), I'm planning on resting at home with Nejat while the kids are busy at VBS.

We're still eating lots of asparagus, and snap peas and radishes from the garden. We are finishing off our produce co-op for the season, as the farmers' market is starting to be more full of local products.

• Sunday Corpus Christi
  Breakfast: Oatmeal with Dates, Milk & Coffee
  Dinner: Snack Tray (we had a very large and very late lunch after the Corpus Christi Procession)
• Monday
  Breakfast: Almond Butter Toast, Grapes, Milk & Coffee
  Dinner: Gratin of Sausage and Summer Squash with Basil and Oregano, Salad
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Whole Wheat and Oat Breakfast Cake, Apricots, Milk & Coffee
  Dinner: Grilled Sausages, Roasted Asparagus, Baked Lemon Pasta
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Toast with Feta Cheese, Za'atar, and Olive Oil, Fruit Plate, Milk & Coffee
  Dinner: Smokey Macaroni and Cheese, Fruit Salad
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Strawberry Poptarts (it's junk, but it's organic junk, at a discount from the Grocery Outlet), Bananas, Milk & Coffee
  Dinner: Freezer Soup (we have some things in there that need to be used up to clear out room for this summer's produce and this fall's meat, so I'm going to make a soup of it), Rolls, Fruit Plate
• Friday
  Breakfast: Yogurt and Jam, Buttered Toast, Milk & Coffee
  Dinner: Tacos de Papa with Avocado Relish, Salad
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Blueberry Pancakes with Maple Syrup, Fried Eggs, Milk & Coffee
  Dinner: Baked Ham, Shredded Scalloped Potatoes, Steam Sautéed Asparagus and Broccoli

What is on your menu this week? If you want a recipe, ask and I will provide it as soon as I can. If there are any starred recipes, I will follow up separately with a weekly recipe round up on Saturday.

Labels: Church Year, Corpus Christi, Faith and Morality, Family, Homemaking, Menu Plans, Tales from the Kitchen