June was one of those months that went by in a blur, each day running into the next and all feeling the same, so this month-in-review will be pretty short.

I finished “Still House Lake” on audio and immediately started listening to the first book in the series of “Tales of the City” in anticipation of the new Netflix adaptation that released earlier this month. Overall, Netflix did a good job. There were some story lines and characters that seemed like filler, but the ones that mattered and who were part of the original series are the ones that really shined. I finished it on Netflix in just a few days and the “Tales” audio in two weeks. I’m not going to listen to Book 2 or the others. I’m ready for something else.

In print, I stopped reading the new Thomas Harris. Yep, I know I said I was going to finish it but life is too short to read bad books. I picked up Patti Smith’s “Just Kids” instead and really enjoyed it. It’s the story of how she moved to New York in the late 60’s and met Robert Mapplethorpe, and how they became artists. It’s a brilliant story that any creative person will savor. Patti is such a free spirit.

After finishing it, I picked up my advanced copy of Stephen Chbosky’s new book called Imaginary Friend. It’s practically a bible at over 700 pages, but the chapters are short. It’s due out in October. Stephen wrote Perks of Being a Wallflower. As of June 30th, I’m only about 100 pages in.

I’m still working for Instacart on the weekends. It’s a constant battle with the lack of information on the app. That’s the woes of working a job that there isn’t proper training for, but it’s nice having the extra money at least. I also joined a local Instacart Facebook group for support and help.

I did manage to write two poems this month after not writing any last month. These were drafts I’d penned earlier in the year, but at least they are finished now. I didn’t read much poetry either so I need to get back on track with that.

I’m still plugging away on the novel in progress and I’m at about 56K in words. It’s been slow but steady. But would you believe me if I told you I set it aside the last week in June to work on something else? More about that next month. It’s too soon to tell.

I keep a journal though I’m not loyal to it every day. I started a second one this month to record memories from my past. It’s been fun to write in it when none of the characters show up to help me write my novel.

I watched “To Kill A Mockingbird,” having never seen the movie before. I’ve also never read the book, believe it or not. I enjoyed the film though. It was so simple. They don’t make movies like that anymore. We also watched “Murder Mystery” on Netflix which was fun and light. Oh, and we watched the third season of “Riverdale.” Guilty pleasure! Don’t judge.

We ended the month with a visit to the nursery on Saturday to buy some annuals to set up a pottery garden on the patio. I never buy annuals, but I was in the mood to do this and I’m pleased with the way it turned out. We had so many flower pots that weren’t being used which we’d accumulated over the years. Not anymore! They are all full now. You can find pics on my Instagram of it.

And on Sunday, the 30th, we went to Pridefest, something we haven’t done in years! It was the 40th anniversary here in St. Louis. What a spectacle! We had not been since it moved downtown a few years ago. Thousands of people and a parade that last over two hours!

And that was June! Like I said, a quick month. A blur. It’s July already!