Share Four Somethings - July 2023

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 As July comes to a close, it's time to share Something I Loved, Something I Read, Something I Learned and Something I Ate. I'm surprised at how quickly the summer is going by! And in a way, I'm glad, because I kind of want the time to go quickly between visits with the family. I'm busier too, which also helps me feel less like the days are dragging monotonously. Here goes!

Something Loved

We bought a new (to us!) vehicle last weekend, which has made my days a lot easier! I started a part-time job about three weeks ago, but at the time we still had just one vehicle so every day I would have to go along with my husband to work so that I could bring the car back home and have a way to get to my job a little later in the morning. Then I had to go pick my husband up from work at the end of the day, and if I had to leave straight from my job to do that, the drive was so stressful and long! So last weekend we headed to the used car dealership that we'd scouted at least two used RAV4s that we were interested in and proceeded to test drive and compare them. I really wanted a red one. So bad. Not sure why, but I kind of had my heart set on red this time. However, we decided on the blue one mostly because it had fewer miles on it. So for those keeping score at home, this is now the fourth blue RAV4 we've owned. The first one was totaled in an accident and we replaced it with another one, slightly older (2013) and a lighter blue. Then last year we bought another blue RAV4, a different model year. When we moved we left the 2013 for our daughter to use and brought the 2011 to Ohio. The one we just added to our fleet? A blue 2013, exactly the same as the one left in Maryland except this one is all-wheel drive. It sure felt very familiar when I started driving it!

 

Something Read

Here are the books I'm currently reading:

Rebecca (Daughters of the Lost Colony Book 3) by Shannon McNear

Composition As Conversation by Heather M. Hoover

Reykjavík: A Crime Story by Ragnar Jónasson and Katrín Jakobsdóttir

The Vanishing at Castle Moreau by Jaime Jo Wright

   

   

Since the last SFS I've only written two reviews―Man of Shadow and Mist by Michelle Griep, and

A Perilous Perspective by Anna Lee Huber. I'm hoping to get reviews for the first two above written pretty soon! My monthly link-up for review posts launched a month ago (Book Review Bulletin for July), and a new link-up for August will open on August 1st. I'd love for you to drop by and share a review or two, and comment on someone else's review. The hope is that we can comment on actual reviews and share them. And of course, all the rest of my reading news is at Just A Second if you're interested.

Something Learned

I've been learning the accounting and record-keeping programs for my new job and it's a lot! But I like it. I started learning the phones, which is still overwhelming and is the one part I don't care for, but I keep telling myself I'll bet more comfortable with it once I start doing it. Oh, and I realized that the double deck on my desk is one of those height-adjustable ones, so I figured out how to lift it and I prefer standing at my desk! I'm also learning which routes to drive to and from work, and although I still put the GPS on, I can get there and back on my favorite route on my own. 

Something On My Plate

I did better at remembering to take some food photos this month, but I don't think any of them did the dishes justice. We started July with a big Canada Day feast that included maple-glazed bacon-wrapped carrots, poutine, grilled salmon, tourtiere, and bannock. Desserts were beavertails, butterscotch confetti, butter tarts, and Nanaimo Bars.

I had picked up some Irish bacon at a market, just because I was curious how Irish bacon was different from back bacon (or what Americans call Canadian bacon). It's not all that different, to be honest. But it made for a very good brunch one day, as I made Eggs Benedict for the first time ever.

We've been back to Dirty Dawgs barbecue and loved it again. I had the smoked mac and cheese with brisket this time.

We've been back to Bubbly Hall again, and this time we tried Just Chicken. I had the loaded fries, which were definitely loaded and were very good! Two whole meals for me!

Another first for me―I made chicken salad. I've never made chicken salad before! It was really good, even though the picture doesn't look all that appetizing.

And one of our very good dinners was a cheesy baked chicken with gravy. So good!

What's Been On My Calendar? #WBOYC

A successful job interview (despite this traffic jam at the driveway threatening to make me late!) and then starting work on July 10th.

Canada Day and Independence Day - On July 4th we visted the Dawes Arboretum during the day, and attended the church cookout party in the evening and watched the fireworks.

Church every Sunday, and I was on the worship team for three of the past weeks. Pool dates almost every weekend!

We went to the free showing of Top Gun in the town's amphitheater and got dinner from the food trucks there.

We bought a car. We walked in the parks.

And we went to a baseball game.

Share something in the comments, or share four somethings with the rest of us in the link party!

This post will be linked at Overflowing With Thankfulness in the Share Four Somethings link party.

This post will also be linked at What's Been On Your Calendar #WBOYC hosted by Deb's World.

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