I imagine all of you.......  Enjoying your lovely summer, sitting by the water or in the shade reading a great book, that you'll share in the coming week.  I've missed reading the conversation with you all.   It's been a heavenly day here low 70's no humidity to speak of,  my gardens are weeded and watered, the house is clean, the girls are off running around. DH is at work, I don't have to make dinner!!  We're having chicken ceasar salads with left-over grilled chicken.  Then I'm going to curl-up with Edward I, gosh it was going so good there wasn't it.  Maybe I'll curl up with Jamie Frazer and leave Edward until tomorrow.

Hope you all are enjoying your week-end.

I like your summer better than mine.  Can I trade it for a crazy busy week working at the Mall of America?  I have however, made some time for Stephen Lawhead's Hood.  I have loved Robin Hood in all his many guises since I was a very small girl.

MOA,!   You are brave just going to work.  I have such a hard time even walking into the place.  I only go there when I have out of town guests.  Yesterday was a fluke, believe me that's why I commented on it.  Now that our foster son is home two weeks sooner than we expected,  I'll be busy.   We wanted to paint, and his room is stripped.  Oh but it's good to have him home, One whole year he's a man!!   There was something in the air yesterday, I could feel it.

I'm waiting to read the Lawhead books, please tell me what you think of them.

Letty 

Um........er..........does it count as history that I'm reading Thomas Friedman's 'History of the 21st Century' (The World Is Flat)?

But I'm doing it in my hammock up here at my summer place in Minnesota . . .It took until mid-July for the weather here to be "summery" . . . but, better late than never.

Bonnie ** LOL*  I'm not a hot weather person.  I know alot of people want it warmer. But mid 70's and no humidity for me it's heaven. If your in your hammock  it counts.

I just got back from driving to Erie, Pa and back to pick up my son who was visiting the grandparents in NY (Erie is the 1/2 way point).  My dad volunteered to accompany me and by time the day was over I was so stressed I had to go on down to the hotel lounge and order myself a nice big strawberry margarita :-)

Now I am back and verrry sleepy.  I have read the 1st of the Robin Hood trilogy by Lawhead and loved it.  I have the other 2 on my shelf patiently waiting for me to get to them.

I find that the lovely weather makes me want to be out in it, and as I have little non-work relaxation time, being outside tends to fit nicely into my reading time---so summer, other than the obvious poolside/beachside spurts, is always a low reading time for me....but you're right, we have been quiet....

Yes, I agree.  Quiet around here!  I tend to read just as much in the summer, if not more, than in the winter.  In the summer the kids are running around outside a lot more, thus allowing me to sit outside in my chair, enjoy the sun, keep an eye on the kids and read!  In the winter when they are more housebound, they tend not to let me have much quiet time to read until they are in bed!  LOL!  We've spent some time at my in-laws' lake cabin and also went on a mini vacation to Duluth/the North Shore, but I didn't get as much reading done as I would've expected or liked on our travels.  I also have read some long books this summer, thus my actual "book count" is probably down a bit. I just finished The Far Pavilions, which at almost 1200 pages, took me the best part of a month to read! 

Unfortunately fall will be here soon (I, on the other hand, AM a hot weather person and am not looking forward to fall after a cool-ish summer), but at least fall might bring with it more action here on the HF forum!

Jerelyn - I am assuming that you, like Cheryl and I, are also a Minnesotan?  Where are you at?  I too NEVER go to the MOA.  I live out-state in the central part of the state (Melrose), but when I do go to the Cities, I go to one of the smaller malls like Southdale or Ridgedale.  MOA is a mad-house, IMO, and too overwhelmingly large for someone who is by nature not much of a shopper!

Holly - where in NY do your son's grandparents live?  I've lived in Buffalo, Rochester, and now Syracuse - all which are not too far from Erie.

My reading also tends to fall off in the summer, as there's so much going on outside.  I just got back from a week in Boston and Maine visiting families.  Weather was horrible, but it was nice to be off work.  This has been the "summer that wasn't" in the Northeast, very cold and rainy, so I'm really dreading fall!!

Shelley G.    Your right I do live in St. Paul, and nothing against the MOA but I'd rather eat bugs big ones than go out to the sprawl!  {As DH calls it.}

We are going back up to the North Shore for a mini vacation in mid-Aug.  SIL and youngest daughters birthdays are a day apart and they all have been working and school, so as a treat we're going for 4 days. Our foster son just got back from nearly a year biking and backpacking through Europe, so he'll go, it will be lovely.  It's also one of my favorite places on earth. 

I read more now than ever, with the kids all grown, I no longer work out side the home.  I missed reading  more than I realized, {I was reading maybe 4-5 books a year] so many good authors emerged during the 25 or so years I was working and raising a family, while also helping to grow DH business. This form has been a wonderful source in helping me to seperate the wheat from the chaff.  The opinions I get from you all are so helpful.

They live in Copake which is an hour south of Albany.

I live five miles from the MOA and have never been there.  (No big loss, I don't think--although since I've never been there, I could be wrong. LOL)

I am loving this cooler, less humid weather. I hate heat and humidity--one of the reasons I moved back here from Florida, but sometimes summers here are bad enough!

I haven't been reading much HF lately, but I see Hood mentioned. I have that one here waiting patiently, my son just grabbed it off my shelf and devoured it, he's started Scarlet already.  Most of the HF I've read this month has been in the form of historical mysteries.

Cheryl

Wow, quite a few Minnesotans who read HF! And two Cheryls!   Not to mention, none of us seem keen on MOA! LOL!

Jerelyn - What a coincidence!  We loved our 4 days at Duluth/the North Shore with our two youngest kids.  We had a great time!  Stayed at a fabulous inn about 10 min. north of Duluth (if you ever need a recommendation for accomodations when you go there, PM me for their website) and did everything - Canal Park, the acquarium, the Wm. A. Irving, Gleensheen, Gooseberry Falls, Split Rock, watched the big boats come in, etc.  I was hoping to pick up a good book on the Congdons (and maybe satisfy the non-fiction challenge for our HF Challenge), but the only two books they sold at Glensheen were about Elisabeth Congdon's murder at the hand of her adopted daughter, which although is non-fiction, probably doesn't qualify for the challenge as all that happened in the 70s. I'm hoping the book delves a bit into the lives of Elisabeth as a child and her parents.  I really wish they would've had some sort of book on Chester & Clara Congdon, their lives and the building of that fabulous house.  Have a great trip! 

Shelley,  We always stay at Lutsen,  It's perfect for us The condo is right on the shore and since HD, SIL DD and SIL wannabe all golf well, they leave me and other DD to go to the spa. 

Some dear friends married at Glensheen oh 20 years ago, still ranks as the best wedding I've ever attended. The Pastor as standing on the edge of the fountain and almost went in the Groom pulled her back, it was quite funny.   I'll keep a look out for a book about the Congdon's we'll be in Grand Maris, there might be something there.  It seem I remember a book about Chester and Clara,  through the MN. Historical Society.  I'm not certain it might have be J.J. Hill.  Anyway I'll keep an eye out.

It's great having so many other HF freaks in the area! LOL

I would move back to Duluth in a heartbeat...I lived there for several years in the late '70's/early 80's (went to college there) then moved out of state, then moved up to the Iron Range where my first husband was from. I worked in Duluth for several years and commuted from the range...when I got divorced I moved back down there and lived there again for several years til I started boomeranging all over the country. (I did travel nursing for awhile.) When I decided it was time to move back to MN (there's no place like home!) I couldn't find a job I liked in Duluth so settled for the Cities. But of anywhere else I've lived, Duluth feels most like "home" to me. I'll get back there some day. :)

*wistful sigh*

Cheryl

Cheryl;  I agree it's nice to have MN. represtented here.  I'm in Minnesota by choice, I've live here longer than my birth state. 

I still want to go to MOA even though I have wicked anxiety and probably wouldn't be able to handle the crowds for an entire day.  Looks like towards the end Aug I'll be travelling again.  This time we're going to TX to see my older sister.  My dad is handicapped and he insists on driving the entire way instead of flying but there is no way he'd be able to do it alone so in the car we go.  Four days trapped in a car with my dad..... I see more of those margaritas in my future :)

I think my slowing down on the reading is less weather related and more because of the travel and because we've been training our new puppy. 

Holly,  I really don't mean to slam the MOA  it's a thing to behold,  I used to take my kids there for "Camp Snoopy" the amusement park.  It's something else now, and for Nordstrom's for the amazing shoe dept.   I just have places nearer to me I prefer to shop.  My girls went there alot when they were teens since they have alot of store's that they don't have in other malls, but even they seem to be over it.

I hope you enjoy your trip, traveling with your parent can be stressful, I love my mother but would rather not be stuck in a car with her for longer than a few hours.  (serious drinking at the end of the day would be called for) **grin**

I used to travel to MN quite a bit when I worked for General Mills, and I loved going to the MOA!  My mom and aunt even flew out to spend a weekend with me at the MOA.  I'm sure it's one of those things that you would avoid if you lived there.  I also loved downtown Minneapolis.

I think your right Michelle,  I love downtown Mpls.  too it has a terrific skyline!