June first ushered in a whole new lifestyle and schedule around here with the sudden emergency we experienced with the CE.
Notified that his Loop (cardiac implant) went off, he was sent to Emergency at our nearby hospital where he ended up with a whole new device. Unfortunately, he proved to be allergic to the wound adhesive and round two occurred one week later. He got his staples out two days before his birthday. Needless to say, I’ve taken a blog sabbatical. His estimated full recovery is expected to be eight weeks.
Now with the heat dome and temps at the century mark, the water garden isn’t looking too healthy and my mosquito fish (the Rosy Red Minnows) agreed it was too much for them. The Mystery snails are quite happy with each other, but it’s a struggle to keep that water temperature below 85o F and that won’t work for them either, sad to say. We don’t usually experience these temps, so the whole thing must obviously be my fault.
The veggie garden doesn’t need a whole lot of attention except for some water. Going to the YMCA is out for the CE, although I might try to do one or two days a week, including book club next week and Bingo the next. One of our Navy buddies has passed away, a friendship of almost sixty years, so our son will be driving us to Texas. Yes, Texas in July. From the frying pan to the fire.
The CE and I did have six books we struggled to finish and I to post. The links on the titles are to our reviews that also include purchase information.
eBooks
Abigail Trench by Randy Overbeck (buddy read with the CE)
Mayhem in the Mountains by Jane Loeb Rubin
Audiobooks
Ironwood by Michael Connelly
Still Alice by Lisa Genova (book club)
The Divorce by Freida McFadden
Lorne by Susan Morrison
The CE loved Randy Overbeck’s book. It was unique and very timely as well as thought-provoking. I greatly enjoyed it as well and can recommend for our America250 celebration. The favorite book for June:
Favorite for June – Abigail Trench
My Reading Challenges page…I’ve been lucky to turn on the computer. My Goodreads count won’t be accurate anyway but opening page shows 75 books (eleven behind schedule). I think it’s obvious I’ll have to edit the goal. Also, I have several audiobooks finished but not posted.
To my readers and fellow bloggers, I appreciate every open and like, and thank you so much for taking the time to check out my posts and leave your comments.
©2026 V Williams
Suffice to say, we’ve settled into a “senior (exercise) circuit” (Tuesday), machine circuit and indoor cycling (for me), rowing (for the CE) on Wednesday, and Tai Chi on Thursday. (There are also yoga classes, but in studying the benefits of both, decided that the former was the better choice for our age and goals (balance, whole body). With traveling there and back and incurring ravenous appetites, the remaining available time on those days is limited.
One hundred gallons is a LOT of water and quickly overwhelmed the overflow at the top. So I reconfigured the base and siphoned the water out in anticipation of another gully washer. It’s going a long way to watering the veggie and flower bed as well as the potted plants on the deck and the deck plants are looking very happy. 
We used to have dry periods, not this year though. This year, we’ve not just had rain, we’ve had some serious major storms, and looking ahead, August is promising some douzies. We are still cleaning up a couple trees that came down in the fairy garden.
Update on Punkin the Pom: that little stinker is still a challenge now at almost ten months with us. Looks like progress with housetraining, then we regress. She continues to bond with the CE but must still equate me with the dragon that forced her to have another litter. Now she’ll occasionally initiate a walk, running outside then plopping butt down to have the leash attached. (That doesn’t mean a successful potty walk, however.) I have found a new treat she’ll accept (that’s two!) and she is beginning to spend some “social” time near the CE (play time, however, was apparently something she never had nor a clue how to jump up on a couch).
I managed to bake a successful loaf of bread from my third sourdough starter—long story there that includes an attack by a demon squirrel on the starter left on the deck to slow rising—and the separation of 20 grams I’d saved in the fridge for use later. Turned out, later was the next day, but it turned out wonderful, great texture, light and airy, flavorful. Thrilled but now wonder if I could have siphoned off ten grams to save and ten to use.
Rosepoint Publishing 