Catching Up with This and That

Though I'm heavy into my ICAD's this June and July, I also have managed a couple of cards for special occasions.  This one was a special request for a wedding card that Rachel needed.  She asked for something in navy and white.  Inside is the sentiment "Happy I Do Day".

My cousin's birthday was at the beginning of July and I sent her this flower box card.  We've stopped exchanging gifts and are focusing on "special" cards these days.  I hope she found this special.

My son and daughter-in-law brought the little guy to the condo to see how he would do in the "big" pool.  Here he is with grandpa.  The water was a bit too chilly and the greenheads were a bit too aggressive for us to spend much time out there.  

So we came in and had lunch so they could get going for nap time.

HWNSNBP is almost finished with our bathroom reno at the condo.  He cut, painted and hung all the shiplap.  This is my little gallery of things I've done related to the beach and the condo.  I found the frames at the Christmas Tree Shop.  I added some scrapbook paper behind a couple of them as they didn't fit the frames exactly (especially the 3-D items).

Our 2nd bluebird pair did get a nest together hurriedly and she laid 4 eggs.  She diligently sat on these eggs for 3 weeks.  The incubation period for bluebirds is almost half that.  So either they were not fertile (she may have been too young) or the fluctuation in temps too much for them.  We had some very cold nights before she started staying in the box at night.  She did stick it out though and gave them a real fighting chance.  It was so sad when she finally abandoned them.  The male called and called for her from the top of the box and we could hear her in the distance and could almost imagine the story that she was telling him.  He even entered the box himself and started squawking at the eggs almost as if to coax them into coming out of their shells.  But eventually he gave up also.  We waited until we were sure that they weren't coming back before removing the nest with the eggs.  That was a Thursday.  By the time we returned from our weekend away on Sunday there was a new nest and eggs already.  She is taking care of 4 more again and we should see babies within the week.  Keep your fingers crossed.

For the third year in a row we're having construction over the summer at the school were I work. This is causing a bit of chaos.  They've torn up the circular driveway that was in the front to widen it so that more buses can pull in at an angle enabling us to have them all come and go at the same time. We had two bus dismissals which always caused delays with the lower elementary school's students getting out in a timely manner.  We are able to work in our office, but no one can enter through the front of the building.  Any visitors have to call from the side door down the hallway and one of us has to walk down there to let them in.  At least I'm getting some steps in! I took this picture the day that the police, fire department, and the gas company showed up after the contractor "accidentally" hit the gas line.  I say accidentally because they had already gone ahead and turned the gas off at the street because the gas company didn't have us on priority.  They're not supposed to do that.  Once they "hit" the line they had to report it and the gas company had to show up to make sure it was safe.  It also allowed them to move forward and no longer have to wait for the gas company.   

And I don't think I showed the "prizes" that I put together for the staff members that got their supply orders down to the penny.  I found this succulent plant - I think it's called string of pearls - and divided it up to plant in the long-stemmed glasses that I had picked up at the garage sale in early June.  I thought it might look like bubbles from the drink.  They seemed to like them.  I hope so!