July Goal Update

July is the tipping point month. Everything should be over half done. It is a good time to refocus on things that are not getting done. July is also a hard month for work so all progress is a double success. I'm just glad doing yard work is not a goal, because that is about the only thing I failed at this month. The yard is a mini jungle. And it won't stop raining....how am I supposed to mow?! 

Here is hoping nothing but success and goal finishing for the rest of 2020! We've been running uphill for awhile now, the down hill should be close. ;-) 

2020 Goals 

Read 12 Books: 9/12 

I wasn't sure I would be able to read a book this month but then I found a delicious piece of fiction that I couldn't put down. It was twisted and you were always waiting for more secrets to be told. Exactly the escape I needed from some of my busy days! The book was My Husband's Wife by Jane Corry, I was able to borrow it from the library on my Kindle. Just because it can't be said enough, we have the BEST LIBRARY. 

 

Knit 4 Things (and no new yarn!): 2.75/4 

I made the collar on my vest. It's dumb, the whole thing looks small and I kinda want to not finish it. So that is my knitting progress. No Bueno. 


Make 2 Quilts :DONE May 2020

This goal is officially done, so I don't feel to bad about not getting any sewing down this month. Something had to give. LOL

Run 600 Miles: 361

I got  50  miles this month! This one took some strategery to accomplish. I didn't miss a run the first part of the month. I knew the 3rd week was fair and I wanted to be prepared for maybe just one run for the week. Then I had to finish the month the week after. I actually got THREE runs fair week so I only had to run nine miles this week. I slacked off two mornings so I almost wasted all of my planning. Got up this morning, did 3.5 miles and I got it done. Yay! 

Now to kick it in gear to do one month of training for a half marathon I forgot that I paid for....oh dear. 


Save 2,000 Dollars: DONE April 2020 

I didn't put any money in savings for this month. The boys and I are having a mini vacay so I'm taking all unspent funds and having a little fun. 

5 House Projects: I still got my eye on that ugly tree. I think August will be your last month sir.....

Put in a ceiling light in living room:  Done May 
Put in a ceiling light in my bedroom office

Get a new stove: Done Feb
Remove a scraggly tree

Get my Garage door working

Was feeling a little spicy after the fair, got a new sign for my desk. LOL!

Took the boys to the dentist yesterday. No cavities! 

Barely made 50 July miles, but I did. I was a little faster this month too! 

The Meerpohl's Fair

While the 2020 County Fair will always be remembered for face masks, it had many bright spots. I feel like everyone was more thankful for the volunteers and extension staff this year. Nothing was taken for granted and people were truly happy that our modified fair happened. 

I was a very proud 4-H mom this year. I don't know if the boys were just bored but I had zero complaints about finishing fair projects! Yes, they asked for breaks at time, but then they got right back to work. I am so proud of how they got all of their stuff done, days before it had to be entered. I wonder if that will ever happen again! 

Alex's Fair (1st year in projects)

Photography: Whale Picture Red and Tree Bark Picture Purple

Arts and Crafts: Painting Blue and Ceramic Star Blue

Daryl's Fair 

Wildlife: Reserve Champion with his poster! 

Clothing Construction: Tote bag Blue

Buymanship: Casual Outfit Blue

Fashion Revue: Casual Outfit Blue

Funny story about how much grandma helps with fair projects. I usually brainstorm with the boys so I can go get the things they will need to do their projects. Then Grandma is the supervisor while things are being made. Daryl has seen a beaver many times at a creek near our house. He decided he wanted to do his wildlife poster on beavers. Great, what do you want to title it? He decided on "Leave it to Beaver," like the show. Great, I went and got him all of the stuff.  

I come home one night from work and Daryl is diligently working on his poster. I notice he has started the title and it says Beaver and on the next line an F. 

Me- "Daryl what happened to your leave it to Beaver title?" 

D- "It's too big, Grandma and I decided to change it to Beaver Fever." 

Me-"Ummmm I don't think so!" 

D-"Why not, I like that title." 

Me mind racing on how to fix this, letters have been glued down!

Me-"Beaver Facts! Make the title Beaver Facts!" 

D-"I don't like that title, why can't I use Beaver Fever." 

(Me whispering in  his ear why that's not a good idea) 

D-OMG mom, that's crazy, OK I'll change the title. 

Ps-Grandma is not as cool as I thought she was. Had to explain it a little to her too! LOL 

He was so excited to get a purple his first year!

Reserve Champion on his poster! 

The only time the boys got to see me was a project pick up. 
It was fun to watch them find out what they had gotten!

Happy 8th Birthday Alex!

Tonight, we had Alex's birthday party, "pandemic edition". That means you get all the necessary stuff, at home. Cake, ice cream, presents and immediate family. Alex insisted on making his own cake so we had to do that real quick after work. I put it in the freezer while we ate dinner so we could frost it. I asked him what he wanted for his birthday dinner and he choose spaghetti.  Dad came over for the party and Alex declared he is "So Happy!" Mark his 8th birthday party a success! 

Was able to get his picture before I had to go to work! 

HE wanted to make his cake, and he did! 

Be looking for more YouTube videos! Dad
got him a real camera! 

Daryl got him some Preston Merch!

Daryl is old enough to light the candles....maybe

They were both pretty happy tonight, that is the present to me!

So glad Grandma was able to come. Papa Mike had
a City Council meeting. 

I got him a smart watch. Maybe this will stop the daily
ask for a phone! 

All About The Fair

It must be July if I haven't had a blog post in two weeks. There are two reasons, one I've got work on the mind from morning to night and secondly working all the time isn't good blog material! No one wants to hear about making spreadsheets and phone calls all day.

But it is all for a reason and that is the 4-H County Fair. And this year it was more work than most years. As a system 4-H had to think about how to have a county fair while limiting in person contact. That is not an easy task, but we made a plan and are going forward.

While my part of the fair is boring, the boys get to do the fun stuff! It would have been a good idea to start all our 4-H fair projects while we were all stuck at home for two months. But we didn't. So about the 1st of July they sat down and started to think about what they wanted to do.

Alex went to Gage park and took some pictures for his first year in photography. Grandma also took him to Potwin pottery for his ceramics entry. He still has to bake and finish another arts and crafts project for Thursday.

Daryl was disappointed that he would not get to shoot Archery at the fair. So all he had left was a wildlife poster and his sewing and buymanship project. He wanted to shop at Academy because they have fishing clothes. After that was done he told me he didn't have to sew because he made a bag at one of the project meetings he went to. Now that I think about it, that was his only sewing project meeting he went to! We are either going to have to focus more on sewing next year or drop that project. He did say he wants to sew an orange hunting vest, so at least he has something he wants to make.

I won't see them much this coming week but that's ok. We already have plans for some family time the first week of August. I will get to see all my other 4-H kids this week! Even if it just for a moment as they drop off their projects.

Daryl's 2020 Buymanship outfit. His socks don't match, he doesn't care. LOL

One of Alex's photo entries, his Topeka Blue Whale. 

Over my holiday weekend I framed some fabric to decorate my bathroom.

I love how it turned out! 

June Goal Update

June sure went by fast! The month before the county fair always does. Now the clock really starts ticking to 4-H's biggest event of the year. This year will be different and it was planned from scratch. I had no idea how much I leaned on our fair process. My office has been working our butts off to create this new process on top of everything else we always have to do. 

I'm thankful for the team I work with, because of them our 4-H fair will happen. It won't be perfect but it will happen! Ok, back to still working on process... Don't expect much from the July goals update. 

2020 Goals 

Read 12 Books: 8/12 

This month I read Slaughter House 5 by Kurt Vonnegut. So I have had this book for YEARS and have tried to read it several times. My advice is once you get past the first three chapters it is easier to read. It begins as thoughts in the author's head and it jumps for no rhyme or reason. But after that while there is still jumping in time and space you either get used to it or they are better placed. I read it, it was OK and then I donated it! 

I also read Becoming by Michelle Obama. I thought I could not love her and her family anymore, but I was wrong. It is one thing to admire the way Michelle handled herself as first lady, I have new respect for her learning all of the things you never saw. Michelle and her family came from the South side of Chicago and leaned on education, family and hard work to achieve so much. Those are values I was raised with. Yes, I love her even more. 10/10 recommend this book to everyone. 

I have to brag a bit on Daryl and Alex. They both signed on with me for the summer reading program with the library. I told them if they hit 12 hours (over the summer) we would do something special that they could choose. Daryl finished his 12 hours in a month. 👀 I didn't have to nag him or bug him. He read three books that he really enjoyed and would read for over an hour some times. Alex has read 10 hours and tells me he will be done this week! I tell them every time we stop to have family reading time that "readers are leaders". Mom was telling them one day about how important it is to learn how to read for enjoyment. I guess she was getting pretty animated because Daryl told her she sounded like a preacher. "I get it, I get it Grandma!" Mom was giggling when she told me about it. 

 

Knit 4 Things (and no new yarn!): 2.75/4 

No real progress here. I told you it's hard to knit when it's hot. Playing with  wool is a winter sport....


Make 2 Quilts :DONE May 2020

I started a 3rd quilt this month. Can I make 3 quilts in a year, should I? We are going to find out! 

Run 600 Miles: 311

I got  58  miles this month! We had one very cool week and that really gave me a boost. These last three days you could cut the humidity with a knife, and that is at 6am. July could be a slog. But I've set my 50 mile goal again and I will hope for the best! 


Save 2,000 Dollars: DONE April 2020 

I was able to save $300 this month. There was no extra income this month and no big expenses. There are not many "normal" months in my year, but this was one. So I should be able to save $300 a month on the regular. hmmmmm 

5 House Projects: No new house projects this month. I'm eyeing that tree but we have a family vacation planned for August so I'm not wanting to spend that money just yet. 

Put in a ceiling light in living room:  Done May 
Put in a ceiling light in my bedroom office
Get a new stove: Done Feb
Remove a scraggly tree
Get my Garage door working

The beginning of Quilt #3

Becoming is a process! 

I know it looks almost done but it's not.
Still have to finish the collar, button bands and pockets. 
Yikes