The Sunday Salon ~ July 1st

Happy July 1st!

Wow, it’s hard to believe it’s already July. The days fly by yet I wonder what I do with the time! Except for the last couple of days because I’ve been reading, reading, reading! I haven’t been in such a reading mode in a long time. And it’s fantastic! I have a lot of great books I’m reading and others waiting to be read. It’s the perfect way to deal with the heat, too, since my reading style‘s a pretty sedentary activity. The days of exercising on a stationery bike or some other piece of exercise equipment are over for me. Been there, done that! Now I prefer to do my reading in a comfy chair or in my bed! (If it was possible to read while swimming laps, I might consider it but I’m happy there isn’t!) The a/c is good for my breathing but I don’t like sitting in a/c round the clock. Even though it’s hot and the air is still, I prefer to be outside for a little while or have the windows open for a little while. Sitting and reading with a fan on and ice-cold water is working well for me so far.

Huxley, Lola and Magoo have come back inside after initially balking at Rosie’s presence and deserting their home for a day or two. They sleep all day, spread out as much as possible. Bob left home at the same time as Huxley, Lola and Magoo but Bob, who used to stay indoors sleeping all day, discovered that the overgrown garden ~ now a mini- ‘jungle’ - in the backyard, just past the deck, is very cool during the day with a nice breeze. Bob’s taken to sleeping there almost all day, everyday. Once or twice a day, I visit him. I’ll out his name a few times, Bob comes up on the deck, leans his furry butt against my leg ~ the Bob sign of love and affection ~ then sits next to me and allows me to scratch his cheeks and head and pet him a lot. When Bob’s had enough attention, he gets up walks towards the end of the deck and the jungle, turns and looks back at me as if to say, “See ya later and thanks!” and then he finds himself a comfy, cool spot in Bob’s jungle. There are several plants in Bob’s jungle with enormous leaves. My friend told me their called ‘elephant ears’. This morning, Bob was asleep under two extra-large elephant ears with only his little stub of a tail poking out of the plants in the jungle!

Little Rosie is the only cat who shows some displeasure with my reading. If she can, she climbs on the book while I’m reading it or sits on my chest blocking my view of the book. If she’s unable to climb on me or reah the book I’m reading, she finds another book and chews on it! Fortunately, so long as I twirl a string for her, roll a ball across the floor or push a bottle cap around so she can chase all or any of them, she’s happy as can be and runs around and around until she drops from exhaustion and sleeps for an hour or two. Rosie also loves to attack the oxygen tubing I wear because If I’m moving at all, it’s moving. Rosie’s too little to cause any damage to the tubing now but I’m going to have to find a way to dissuade her from playing with the oxygen tubing soon or else, one day, she’s going to put some holes in it!

Today I’m going to finish Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter, just in time for my review Tuesday! I’m also reading The Roots of the Olive Tree by Courtney Miller Santo and I’m just getting into The City and The City by China Miéville. I picked this book up as part of a informal readalong with Care, Ti and other bloggers. I’m a little behind, as is usually the case, but very happy I’m reading this book around the same time as other terrific bloggers! I look forward to their thoughts on The City & the City.

I hope you’ve been having a great weekend! Enjoy the rest of your Sunday!
I hope you are reading something enjoyable!