Halfway through summer break

We have the entire month of August and Labor Day weekend remaining of our summer break.  Unfortunately, we will not be making our (almost) annual trip to Michigan this year.  I was trying to coordinate timing with my brother who has two girls close in age to my girls.  He was able to travel during the same time last year and after vacationing in MI with cousins, the girls really don't want to go without them.  With his kids' camps, his work schedule and plans with their mom, it wasn't going to work for this year.

My brother with three kids younger than the girls was able to make it out to MI at the beginning of July.  Grammy went with them so she was able to visit with her family this year.  I tried to go at the same time but if we had traveled that week, I would have had to have rescheduled 6 appointments: 1 with the school nurse, 3 dental cleanings and 2 ortho check ups.  The girls would also have missed their first competition dance class for the summer, which was fine with the studio but they did not want to miss that class.

Next year, I'll be harassing my brothers earlier.  It's so difficult when everyone has different work schedules, summer camps and vacations.  I would also love a winter without snow days eating into our summer.

The remainder of our summer is pretty full and includes a special, magical vacation.  A lot of people ask if we spend huge chunks of time on the Cape.  We spend at least one full week there during the summer and then there are long weekends and regular weekends.  The girls have a mandatory dance class that runs July into the beginning of August, so we have to be back here for part of the week.  Plus, they like to to see their friends.  Going back and forth is a good mix.  Back in the spring, a local meteorologist had predicted a hot but rainy summer.  So far we've had heat (no complaints) but not much rain (complaints.)  We really need rain.


Storm's coming!

We had some refrigerator issues the week before last.  Rich declared it "Fridge Week."  It all started on Wednesday morning with an electrical burning smell coming from inside the fridge at home.  As opposed to the fridge at the cottage.  That would come later.  I googled it and read that dust under the fridge on the coils could be causing the system to overheat, so I pulled out the kick plate, broke down the vacuum to make it as small as possible and cleaned out that space.  That didn't do any good, and then I read that if dust had been burning off, the smell would be coming from outside the fridge. Hmmmmm.

I spent too much time researching (instead of sewing) and all signs pointed to some type of electrical failure.  With the fridge approaching its twelfth year of service, we assumed we were going to have to purchase a new one.  Which we did not want to do.  We decided to call for service through a local appliance store, which would give us a credit on a new purchase if it wasn't cost effective to make repairs.  By the time the repairman arrived two days later, the smell was still there but not as bad. Hmmmmm.

It turns out that a new unopened carton of milk stored in the back of the top shelf had a leak.  Milk had run down the back of the fridge, which wasn't noticeable because it's the same color, and filtered through a vent into the electrical system located in the freezer.  The milk was burning off on the coils in the freezer, creating that burning electrical smell.

I'm sharing this because it did not come up during my research.  I keep the fridge fairly clean so I did not even think to look for a spill of any kind.  About ten days before this, I had pulled out the fruit tray to clean out strawberry juice in it and had wiped up behind where the drawer sits.  This was the exact spot of the leak.  We ended up paying $95 for the service call but at least we didn't have to buy a new fridge.

We went down to the cottage that night.  As soon as I woke up the next morning, Rich tells me it's Fridge Week.  I thought the cottage fridge had died.  Nope.  Thankfully.  Someone had (unknowingly) turned the knob to the coldest setting and two cans of soda in the back of the fridge had froze and exploded overnight, leaving soda all over the inside of the fridge.  Well, at least we didn't have to buy a new one.



Look at the pretty color of those hydrangeas.  One of Rich's co-workers gave us some cuttings, which we replanted at the cottage.  We have two small hydrangea bushes there already and I'm convinced an animal dined on them over the winter because they are barely more than a few twigs right now.  

Alright, I need to get back to sewing!  I will share what I made for this Disney trip at some point.  I had started to take photos but it seems easier to do it all at once rather than piecemeal.  I've been making fabric hair bows to match outfits and I'm in love.