This summer is flying by! I’m eternally grateful for my retirement from teaching, or I’d be thinking summer is over, which I’m absolutely not ready for yet. Since I don’t have to go back to school, and the Fall Equinox isn’t until September 22, we still have a month to go.
Someday, I’ll Have a Sunroom
I’ve been busy with a few projects. The most exciting is that I’m building a studio sunroom onto my existing patio, where I’ll do my reading, writing, art, and general relaxing while gazing out at my back yard. It will be life-changing in that I’ll be able to get any and all of that done, all while having a direct view of my dogs when they’re outside, which is A LOT. I waste a ton of time now, waiting for them to come back in, pacing back and forth to check on them by looking out the window, never able to sit down and get INTO something.
This sunroom is also the only chance I have for a room with a view, a vaulted ceiling, and nothing but windows. Based on the current economic situation, it seems I’m forever married to my mortgage, so I’m using some equity to do this. It’s also the only major renovation I could imagine living through, simply because it’s all taking place outside the back door. Still, it’ll be a NIGHTMARE for a while with the dogs, but ultimately a huge upgrade for all of us. I have lots more to say about this, and the whole process (don’t get me started on some of the salesmen I met with), so there will be a “Someday, I’ll Have a Sunroom” post when it’s all over, including the whole saga and lots of photos.
One Sick (Elderly) Puppy
I’ve also been dealing with a sick dog, again or still, depending on how you look at it. Penny has Lyme disease, which she first got in 2022, even though she’s had the vaccine and monthly treatment. I guess it’s like Covid—you can still get it, and in her case she was left with bad arthritis. She’s getting older, so it’s naturally getting worse, but it also flares from time to time, and she has to do another round of antibiotics. She already hates taking her usual pills, but the antibiotics push her over the edge, making mealtimes a huge stressor for all of us. I do everything except tap dancing to get her to eat so I can get the medicines in and she is SO STUBBORN! It takes a lot of time and energy.
Writing & Creativity
While I’ve been spending lots of time to get the sunroom project rolling, so I can have a beautiful space to write and create in, I haven’t gotten as much writing and creating done as I’d like. Funny how that works, but the practical stuff has to get done, and a sick dog waits for no one. Regardless, I’ve been indulging my creativity more by attending Zoom workshops/events, like HippoCamp Online 2026 & Craft School events, reading, lurking, and doing projects around the house.
A HippoCamp session on using objects to spark creativity suggested a visit to an antique shop, which got me thinking: how creative can I be when it comes to furnishing a new room that’s already expensive? In my wanderings around the house, I’ve identified a lamp, a fan, and two pieces of furniture that can be repurposed. The furniture (wood) will be spray painted in bright colors, because what makes a better spray room than a shed that’s being torn down for the sunroom construction? I know I have some dog beds and blankets in the basement that just haven’t had a place in the house, but will fit into my vision of the brightly colored sunroom. It’s coming together. In the meantime, the books I bought from HippoCamp arrived today. Will I get to read them in the sunroom? 😁
As for writing, I haven’t done much new writing except for ideas (they’ve been coming fast), gratitude, and curriculum for The Someday Salon, which all COUNTS, of course. I have spent a little time editing a current WIP that’s about 3000 words and needs to be more like 2000, probably. Still, I refuse to make myself feel guilty about it because I typically get no writing done in the summer, and I’m feeling very creatively blessed this year.
Substack Stuff
I also spent some time learning more about Substack’s features and updates. I subscribed to Kristi Keller 🇨🇦 and I’ve learned so much. I spent a whole morning going through all my old posts and fixing the tags. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, check this out:
I also organized my articles into “Someday Stories,” which are my usual articles about doing a thing I’d been dreaming about, putting off, or missing, and “Lisa’s Stories,” which are the more personal essays that I’m hiding behind a paywall more for privacy than anything else. I added a separate tab for The Someday Salon which includes an updated calendar at the bottom. More on that below, but in between, please enjoy this lovely divider that Kristi Keller 🇨🇦 made me:
The Someday Salon
I have been THRILLED to host these first few salons! The learning curve on Canva has taken WAY more time than coming up with content. The content has been building for more than 25 years now, so that’s easy. Making the slides takes forever, but it is getting better (faster).
I want to say a huge thanks to Writing in the Dark with Jeannine Ouellette for sharing the salon in her announcements in our Craft School group. I was so happy to see some new faces and I think everyone enjoyed Prompt-a-Palooza on Wednesday. The more the merrier, and dogs are always welcome!
Please consider upgrading your subscription or reaching out to me so you can attend and write with us. Here’s the upcoming topic calendar:
The Someday Salon
June 2026: Hermit Crab Essays
Wednesday, 6/24 at 7pm CDT & Sunday, 6/28, at 3pm CDT
July 2026: Holiday Writing
Wednesday, 7/22, 7pm CDT
August 2026: Prompt-A-Palooza!
Sunday, 8/9, 3pm CDT & Wednesday, 8/19, 7pm CDT
September 2026: School Days, Lessons Learned, Teachers & Mentors
Wednesday, 9/16, 7-8pm CDT & Sunday, 9/27, 3-4pm CDT
October 2026: Scary Stories, Fears & Tears, Sweet Treats
Wednesday, 10/14, 7-8pm CDT, & Sunday, 10/25, 3-4 pm CDT
November 2026: Gratitude, Attitudes, & Latitudes (Travel)
Wednesday, 11/11, 7-8pm CST & Sunday, 11/22, 3-4pm CST
December 2026: End-of-Year Inventory, Celebrations, & Salon Open Mic!
Sunday, 12/6, 3-4pm CST & Wednesday, 12/16, 7-8pm CST
That’s it for now. How’s your summer going? I’d love to see you on my screen soon. If you know someone who would like The Someday Salon, please share this with them. Thanks so much!