Currently... Summer of Adventure Edition, Part 1

Welcome to another edition of Currently..., a quick and easy way to share what's going on. Thanks for the idea, Katy Upperman!

It's been a couple of months since I've written a Currently... post, and I'm hoping to get back to a regular schedule for the summer.

Here we go! 

Loving

Our Summer of Adventure. In May, I declared that this would be another Summer of Adventure, and we've already done a lot of fun - and new - things. The Summer of Adventure took an unexpected turn on June 20 when I was laid off from my full-time job, but I am definitely making the most of it!

We've spent a day in Duluth and on the North Shore, gone to Valleyfair for some amusement park thrills, and spent this past weekend at an RV campground with friends for the Fourth. We've hit up a couple of swimming pools and water parks, and we saw Finding Dory.

I am loving being at home with my kids this summer. It's also giving me a little more time for writing activities, which is always a bonus.

Reading

I also have more time for reading! I've read some wonderful books in the last couple of weeks, including TELL ME THREE THINGS by Julie Buxbaum and FINDING AUDREY by Sophie Kinsella, both of which I loved. I just received an ARC of Jennifer Niven's HOLDING UP THE UNIVERSE.

Listening To

The Jayhawks on a constant loop. They are one of my all-time favorite bands and they came home to Minneapolis on Friday for Music in the Zoo. The concert was so fantastic. They have a new album out, Paging Mr. Proust, so I've had that on repeat with a few classics thrown in to the mix as well. More than any other band, the Jayhawks have inspired me and my writing.

I've seen them live many times over the last 21 years, and I finally got myself a T-shirt:

Thinking About

I've been thinking about getting a new job, of course, and the wonderful things that are in store with the book coming out next April, and I've been thinking about the WIP that I'm finally able to go back to after a long break. I've joined a cabin for Camp NaNoWriMo and hope to have my draft finished by the end of the month.

Anticipating

More summer fun! We've got much more planned, including our annual family vacation in Hayward, Wisconsin, some time up north, and Scout camp for me and Toad. I'm going to throw in a few more day trips, too, before I go back to work: Lark Toys in Kellogg, Minnesota, the SPAM Museum in Austin, Minnesota, and the Pipestone National Monument. Also! Next week is the much-anticipated Biren Family Reunion, with cousins coming to Minneapolis from all over the US and Canada.

Making Me Happy

The amazing, generous, brilliant people of the Swanky Seventeens make me happy. Last Monday, I hopped in the Vue and drove six hours (and back!) to meet up with Swanks Jilly Gagnon and Dave Connis for coffee in Sheboygan, WI. It was worth every minute on the road. I hope to meet many more Swanks along the way.

Here's hoping you're having an awesome Summer of Adventure!