Sunday Salon, Father's Day, June 19th

Happy Father's Day!

Weather: Sunny with big fluffy white clouds and a blue sky.

Father's Day: We drove to Portland yesterday to help celebrate Don's aunt and uncle 60th wedding anniversary. It was held at a winery south of Portland and the weather did not cooperate. It was rainy and windy until late in the day. It was a beautiful setting, however, and it was good to spend the day with family. Don's father and his wife were there.  He has been in poor health and it is the first time I've seen him since his diagnosis of congestive heart failure. We were all grateful to be able to spend yesterday and today together. We had breakfast this morning with him before we had to race up the freeway to get home in time to pick up the dog at the boarders before they closed. See the photo above of Don with his brother and dad.

iPads: Thursday we collected around 1400 iPads at school from students so they can be safely stored for summer. It was a very elaborate process which involved all the teachers and school assistants. Afterwards advisors sent kids to clean out their lockers.  Just as the iPads were being returned to the library and students were showing up with stray textbooks the network went down. It was down for three hours. Typical. Just when one needs technology the most it fails. Later in the day we held graduation for our senior class. It was a long, hard day. Sigh!

One more day in the 2015/16 school year: Tomorrow we have a half day with students and a half day to finish up our grades and we call it good on another year. I am so ready.

Carly has found an apartment in New York: We are starting to make plans to help move her across the nation as she prepares for graduate school at Sarah Lawrence College in Yonkers, NY. She and Don will drive so she can have her car. I will fly and meet them in New York. This is really happening!

Reviewathon: I was so far behind on my book reviews I decided to participate in a challenge to write one a day for a week. I only got six done but that is admirable considering the challenges of the busy week at school (plus how tired I was each night.) I am still five reviews behind even though I wrote so many this week. I have a bit of momentum going and want to keep up writing one a day until I am caught up. Click on the hyperlink to read the review:

• Circling the Sun by Paula McLain 
• The Steep and Thorny Way by Cat Winters
• Golden Boys by Sonya Harnett
• Jackaby by William Ritter (with author interview)
• The Bitter Side of Sweet by Tara Sullivan
• Anna and the Swallow Man by Gavriel Savit

Currently reading:

• And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie...this is the audiobook we listened to going to Portland and back. We have less than an hour left and all want to know how the mystery resolves. This is my very first Agatha Christie book I've ever read. Woot. Woot!
• Unbecoming by Jenny Downham...another audiobook but this one is a long one so I predict it will take me several weeks to complete. Progress: 11%
• West With the Night by Beryl Markham...a memoir published in 1942. I am really enjoying the writing. 22%
• The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge...I've been working on this book for several weeks.  Will I ever get to the end of it?  62%

Finished this week:

• The Serpent King by Jeffrey Zentner...YA, audio; a book about family, faith, and friends. This will be my next review, I hope to finish it today.