The Official Start of Summer

Teachers gifts were made just under the wire. That was close. Not sure what took me so long to get my butt in gear 'cause these cup sleeves took no time and little skill. I might do some things differently next time such as use longer hair elastics, but the instructions were flawless. If I can do these, anyone can.

As of yesterday, the girls finished their school year, and I wrapped up at work with the Annual General Meeting - not to mention a 12-hour work day. Ah, sweet summer!! The girls are looking forward to staying up late each evening and sleeping in each morning, no homework, and no walking to school. I can do without all the hassling to finish school work and packing lunches for picky eaters. I can stop worrying about running out of drinking boxes and white cheddar popcorn and butter croissants and sandwich bags. Now I just need a plan to keep them somewhat active and not bored. I have ideas - I just need to get these lazy daisy girls on board.

So I am nearly finished my first non-fiction-current-world-issue-library book on modern-day slavery, and I have to say I've never been SO engrossed in a non-fiction-current-world-issue-library book EVER before. Who knew trafficking humans was so lucrative? Did you know that a Romanian prostitute can bring in $250,000 annually for her pimp? Did you know that there are more slaves in the world currently then there has ever been before? That is with all of the sanctions, treaties, policies, human rights commissions, and legislature in place. It's incredible. It's also incredible how the "solutions" add to the problem. For instance, international religious agencies are profitting from "redeeming" slaves, and traffickers and war lords are in large part funding their operations using funds paid by "redeemers". It all seems so ridiculously hopeless. And the real tales are sickening. Just being born in North America has gifted us a life of privilege. We have all the necessities to survive, and we live in a culture that demands we have freedoms. Is it education? Is it wealth? Is it social services? Is it love? I am curious to see how the author ends this commentary. And is anyone else blown away by how flippin' hunky this guy is? He's a cross between Justin Timberlake and David Beckham. Oh dear.

Happy weekend!

N