In a holding pattern

So it’s almost July, and I’m trying to gauge just how productive I’ve been this summer; as I told a colleague yesterday, this summer has been about the 3 “R”s for me–reading, writing, and redecorating the house. I’ve been doing things here and there, but I don’t really feel like I’ve totally finished any huge projects thus far. What have we been doing this summer (I’m including Dave in this sentence for a reason, which you’ll see below):

1. I planted a vegetable garden in the backyard, and I’m currently waiting to see what grows. So far, the tomatoes and mint plants have produced, but a lot of the other plants are starting to bloom, which means July and August should be fun months for eating good food!
2. I started redecorating the bathroom, starting with replacing the shower and window curtains and updating the hardware on our cabinets (even these small changes have made a huge difference). I still need to frame the mirror, replace the hinges on the cabinets, and *drumroll* replace/cover/do SOMETHING with the not-so-cute wallpaper border. We’re at a stalemate right now for a few reasons, including a Dave and I disagreeing about how to proceed: he wants to cover the border with a less-heinous pattern, while I want to remove it completely and do something like a stripe around the room. We’ll figure it out eventually. . .I hope.
3. We did make one huge change this past weekend: we replaced the awful brown carpet in our spare room with a wood laminate flooring that turned out really well (thanks to Dave’s handiwork). I’ll write a separate post with some details and pics soon.
4. I started working on an article based on one of my diss chapters, but my focus has since shifted thanks to a convo with my diss director. Now, I’m pushing forward with a book proposal based on my diss instead. Again, I’ll need to post more about this development later, but I’m waiting for some feedback on the draft of my current proposal so I can send it to an editor (eek).
5. I just finished reading  Reality Hunger: A Manifesto by David Shields, which is the first book I’ve read for myself in a while. It blew my mind, and I’ll be writing about my reaction shortly.

I think the biggest project for me this summer is one of recuperation (how’s that for a 4th “R”?) and living life. It’s been a while, and I’m enjoying it, though I can’t quite shake the (Catholic) guilt associated with not getting more done at this point in the summer. I am so my mother’s daughter; I have to be productive.