July?

I really don't know how this happened. I feel like the summer's almost over but is it? We got the supply list for the new school year in the mail today, and please, no one here even wants to think about it. Theron hasn't had a normal school year since kindergarten. He went from 1st grade to 2nd grade in one year, then 3rd grade to 2nd grade the next. So it would seem the goal is to keep him out of 2nd grade this coming year.
Anyway, he's having an okie dokie summer so far. One very sweet thing is that he's taken an interest in cooking so he helps me when ever he can. He can: stir scrambled eggs, flip patty sausage, cut up mushrooms, and peel cucumbers. When I ask if he wants to help he comes running, this from mister king of the artful delay. Reformed Through Cooking: How Stirring Saved My Life by Theron Birdyhead.
The fourth we had a little barbeque, set off poppers from the grocery store and watched the local display from lawn chairs in our front yard. It was grand. Ashley spent the long weekend transforming big pieces of wood into useful household products and I experimented with making my own underwear out of old t-shirts and fold-over elastic.
Then back to work. Today while assessing clothing for a gallery changeout I found a pack of Lucky Strikes in the pocket of a duster worn by Clint Eastwood, with one cigarette remaining. I put it to my face and it smelled sweet. In another jacket worn by Steve McQueen I found a mostly full book of Red & White matches. These are the kind of tiny surprises that keep me buoyant.