Showing posts with label summer list. Show all posts
Showing posts with label summer list. Show all posts

Monday, August 31, 2015

Summer Wrap Up

The last day of August; the first day with kids at school. The beautiful weather will hopefully be around for a bit but I am in summer vacation review mode right now that my summer break has become past tense.
Of course the weather is suppose to heat up again this week. It always does this once we go back to school! Makes you want to be swimming, not teaching, but there is a long holiday weekend coming up. (And if history continues, it will cool off and rain this weekend). Oh my!
Back in June I wrote this list about what I hoped my summer would be like. I love going back and looking to see what I wanted and whether it was what I ended up with.
(I'll warn you, this is rather a LONG post today!)

What Adventures  I Hope This Summer Brings

1-Relax and  enjoy (or continue to enjoy) the longer warm days, the flowers, the garden growing, the humming birds buzzing up to the feeder, the birds singing and all that jazz.

2-Read a lot of books while I am relaxing-and hopefully not napping too too much.

3-Make art! Have some good long uninterrupted studio time, try some new things, play with color, play with my camera...etc.

4-Do some new things not usually on my summer agenda. Actually I have already signed up for a 4 day baking  class-which I am hoping to learn and add some more tricks  and also a friend has paddle boards which I would like to try out one day too.

5-Go to some new places.  It is tough this summer for me.  Usually the husband and I (and often my daughter) head out for 10 days of exploring someplace out of our home area, but I have had issues with his kidney dialysis center scheduling anything. So I am going to find some new places to go near by, even if I have to go alone! Let's see where my sense of adventure takes me.

6-Come to some peace about my husband and his kidney issues and also about my mom and her dementia issues. Also I am going in to see if I pass step 2 in the being a kidney donor process and we need to get my mom placed in some type of housing where she will get more care for her dementia.

7-Do some old fashioned summery things like swimming, cook outs, raspberry and blueberry picking, and even a few campfires in the fire pit the hubby is building. All those kind of things.

8- OK, do a couple of house projects. The first one I want to do it finish painting my daughter's old bedroom, which means she and I have to (this is scary) clean out under her bed. I also have a kitchen over flow closet in the basement that needs emptying out, shelf adding and reorganizing. A good project for some hot humid day when the basement is cooler than outside.
And I have to finish purging my play space (but this one is actually enjoyable).

9-Go to a drive in movie.  The only one left around house is for sale and may not be there any longer after this summer. We used to go a lot when my daughter was little.  I want to do that again. And a few of my students are performing with a local theater company that does outdoor plays. I'd love to go see them. Guess the title of this number is redo some things that I haven't done in a long time.

10-And most importantly, not plan too much or be too busy so the summer just buzzes right by in a blink. Have a good fun and happy summer break. Live each moment. Enjoy my down time.

And how did I do? Well I didn't read as many books as I hoped, and the house projects, well, I didn't get a good grade for them either.  And somehow I ended up busy, but mostly fun busy, so summer did fly by in a blink, but doesn't it always do that? And the sad parts were losing my cat (still miss him terribly) and my daughter splitting up with her boyfriend and moving home, but she seems to be recouping from  that and I am enjoying her being home. So at least there there is a bright side. I also made it far further in the kidney donation route than I would have guessed, and getting my mom settled, which is such a huge relief. So looking ahead to fall, there's a lot that needs to be done and thing I want to do, but that's all for another day.
Here's some photos, just to recap summer.
First time at a tiki bar that you reach by boat. Ha-ha. Expensive but was a fun adevnture. Enjoying the sun and the water is what summer is all about. It is even better when you get to spend time with family and friends. 
Two dogs in my house now.  Good thing they really love each other.
The summer of lobster rolls.  I ate a few too many but yum!
Napping in the afternoon sun. OK, most of the time it was home on the screen porch, but when you get a chance, you have to enjoy the lake.

The dog learned to swim and retrieve her ball.  
Margaritas were the drink of the summer.  Not that I  am a big drinker.
I love Mexican food and I got out 3 times for it too.
I ate way too much food this summer!
Classroom at baking school.
Ocean days.  Blue skies.
Playing with some fabric this summer.
Fires in the fire pit and roasting wieners. I love cooking hot dogs on a stick!
 Road trips-driving down the highway. This pretty mountain view is in Vermont. But I headed out in other directions too. Never too too far from home.
Spending time with my Mom. She has settled into assisted living quite nicely. :)
And being a local tourist.
So many fun summer adventures. Sad those days have wound down, but fall will offer its own adventures.
But I can't think that far in advance right now.
Even if I did see a  this leaf on the road the other day when I was walking. And there was a few more around it!

Thanks for stopping by for a visit today.

Sunday, August 24, 2014

Best Made Plans

The last day of my summer vacation has arrived. The worst day of the year. No, maybe that's tomorrow. The first morning I have to get up at 4:45-even though I was awake at 4:45 a lot this summer. Tomorrow I can't go back sleep-oh no!

 Cry lots of tears-ha-ha! I know, I still have the whole day today. But still, hard to believe 8 weeks of no school and those 8 weeks have blown right by like they were about 2 weeks.

So today, while I sulk about the fact that I have to get up tomorrow and start the morning commute again, I thought I'd go back to my summer wish list which I posted on May 26 to see whether it was on target or not.
Do I want to accomplish anything this summer?
Using that word accomplish sounds so much like work!!!
Let me say, here's what I hope to experience this summer while I am lounging away on the long sunny hot days with my daughter having by then moved out and my hubby at work and for the first time in over 22 years, me having a summer really to myself.
Much better.
1- I hope to sew. My sewing machine has been collecting dust and I have a new serger I have never even pulled out of the box for the last 6 months. Time to rekindle my fabric obsession.
OK, started a serger course on Craftsy and have opened the box. Who knew sergers were so complex? I never really got rolling on the sewing, although I did cut out 2 skirts and haven't written it off my list yet.
2-OK, one little chore, get my studio into tip top shape.  The thing about this job is I love cleaning my studio. Going through my things, purging, reorganizing. (as long as I can then find those things!)
Success! There's still purging to be done, because that never ends, but it looks so much better and it fairly neat and organized! YAHOO!
3-I have some furniture that is in the basement I want to pull out, refresh and find a place for in my house. Cheap redecorating! Now that the college girl is gone, time for a new environment to perk up the place-and me.
I managed to bring up one chair. But never got to my old trunk which I wanted to repaint. Somehow, it never even crossed my mind. Summer brain I guess.
4- Watch a few sun rises and a lot of pretty sunsets. On the water maybe.
Nice! I love these beautiful nature moments.
5-Pick flowers.
No, but my gardens were well maintained and look gorgeous.
6-Become a better long term veggie gardener.(I always get excited to start, and then it flounders.)
And I succeeded here. Very proud of myself.
7- Make jellies, jams, chutneys and relishes.
Haven't yet. I am planning on some pickles though. The beauty about making jams and jellies and chutneys is you don't have to make them in the summer. Right?
8-Catch up on a couple more seasons of the old soap Dark Shadows.
No. Not really interested in this, but I did watch some chick flicks and some Rick Steves and some Star Trek and Dr. Who...
9-Have adventures. Spontaneous glorious moments of exploring.
A+++++++++ adventures
10-Read! Finish up the pile of books on the floor by my bed.
No, but I did finally read Outlander and I read several other books. I did manage to keep to my goal of 2 books a week except when I went away on vacation, got involved in a couple of long books...next years goal-don't make a goal about how much reading I should do.
11-Nurture me. Things I want to do. Things I love to do! Last summer was busy and I took a 3 credit grad course that took me to Costa Rica and an excellent adventure. Not that I want complete mellow this summer, but I want less someone else organizing my time. 
I did. Nurture me that is.  Maybe too much. But is there too much when it comes to nurturing yourself?
12-Paint more.
This I did a lot of and I am very very happy with all the painting time I had.
13-Spend long lazy afternoons on my screen porch with a cold drink and a good book and a comfy nap place.
It was a beautiful summer and I certainly enjoyed both it and my screen porch.
14-A road trip or 2 would be a lot of fun!
I could have taken more, but somehow getting into my car and driving seemed like such a lot of work.
15-Hang out with family and friends.
I feel good about the time I spend with family and friends this summer, especially with my mom, and seeing Uncle Bob before he passed.
16-Dream and contrive ways to make dreams come true.
Working on that. Now if only I could remember what I thought about all of those things yesterday.
17- Write the book that is in my head right now.
This is one thing I wished I did do. Been thinking a lot about it, but never actually figured out how I wanted to organize it. 
18-Hope to travel
We had a great vacation. Now I am thinking about fall travel and travel next year. I want to be sure I go away next summer the week before school starts.
19-Do nothing-watch the clouds or hummingbirds. Take advantage of having the summer to myself.
That was the best part of summer. Filling my day with me things.
20-Be spontaneous. Do something I never think of doing or expected to do.  Or when something comes up, do it.
Yes, and I took advantage of this.  I have to remember to not let the school year work schedule stop me from being so spontaneous.

And this fall-
what I hope is in my life
1-exercise and watch my diet. try to lose some more weight.
2-keep reading. work on getting through those books I really want to read.
3-Keep  painting. 
4-try not to let the work schedule get me into a rut. work later in my play room. watch more movies. take a day off and go out and play if I need it.
5-start cooking more.
6-sew...make those skirts...do some art quilting.
7-travel. go out and have some fun weekend spontaneous adventures
8-LAUGH a lot
9-get apple picking.
10-get myself a comfy chair to put by the wood stove so I can read by the fire on cold nights.
11-maybe go out and try to identify some constellations.
12-oh my, and it is getting closer to hockey season
13-get down to see my mom more frequently than usually happens in the fall
14-knit those projects
15-plan my upcoming travels
16-leave myself open to new things, try new things, don't let a messy house or something insignificant get in my way of expanding myself.
17-have quality time with my hubby, with my daughter, with friends, the rest of family
18-hope for lots -happy and healthy time-not letting people who want to bug me get to me and don't let a list drive my time!

Oh yeah- and another little sad bit- it is the last episode (forever) of True Blood tonight. We're taking guesses what's going to happen.
It is time for that show to end but I will miss it. A great way to wind down on a summer Sunday night.
Enough of my babbling.



Monday, May 26, 2014

Summer

I can't believe it is already Memorial Day.
Spring took forever to get here and then it just slammed bammed popped into place- like over night.
Woe Nilly!
But here it is, the start of summer season. Less than 1 month left of school.
The marina has opened and boating season is here.
Getting closer to my summer travel.
Swimming season???? I have been in for my first dip many times over this weekend. Not this year though. We're having a slightly wet Memorial Day Weekend.
WOW!!!!!





(summer photos from my archive-all taken by me!)
Seeing I am such a goal oriented person and seeing I have been a list maniac lately (sorry if you find other people's list long,boring, unexciting, stupid, repetitive...)
thought I would think about what I want to accomplish this summer.
Wait a minute-
take that back.
Do I want to accomplish anything this summer?
Using that word accomplish sounds so much like work!!!
Let me say, here's what I hope to experience this summer while I am lounging away on the long sunny hot days with my daughter having by then moved out and my hubby at work and for the first time in over 22 years, me having a summer really to myself.
Much better.
1- I hope to sew. My sewing machine has been collecting dust and I have a new serger I have never even pulled out of the box for the last 6 months. Time to rekindle my fabric obsession.
2-OK, one little chore, get my studio into tip top shape.  The thing about this job is I love cleaning my studio. Going through my things, purging, reorganizing. (as long as I can then find those things!)
3-I have some furniture that is in the basement I want to pull out, refresh and find a place for in my house. Cheap redecorating! Now that the college girl is gone, time for a new environment to perk up the place-and me.
4- Watch a few sun rises and a lot of pretty sunsets. On the water maybe.
5-Pick flowers.
6-Become a better long term veggie gardener.(I always get excited to start, and then it flounders.)
7- Make jellies, jams, chutneys and relishes.
8-Catch up on a couple more seasons of the old soap Dark Shadows.
9-Have adventures. Spontaneous glorious moments of exploring.
10-Read! Finish up the pile of books on the floor by my bed.
11-Nurture me. Things I want to do. Things I love to do! Last summer was busy and I took a 3 credit grad course that took me to Costa Rica and an excellent adventure. Not that I want complete mellow this summer, but I want less someone else organizing my time.
12-Paint more.
13-Spend long lazy afternoons on my screen porch with a cold drink and a good book and a comfy nap place.
14-A road trip or 2 would be a lot of fun!
15-Hang out with family and friends.
16-Dream and contrive ways to make dreams come true.
17- Write the book that is in my head right now.
18-Hope to travel
19-Do nothing-watch the clouds or hummingbirds. Take advantage of having the summer to myself.
20-Be spontaneous. Do something I never think of doing or expected to do.  Or when something comes up, do it.

That's the beauty of summer. Its a great time to be light hearted and follow your heart, whereever it takes you.

Do you have any plans or goals this summer?
Thanks for visiting.


Saturday, August 17, 2013

10 Things Saturday-Summer List Check

Here's a pre-post since today I am  flying home from the rainforest of Costa Rica. 
Hopefully will have lots of photos and stories to show you in the next few days. Thought today I would take a look at my summer list that I composed back in June to see if I've done anything on that list so far
since we all know
SUMMER IS NOT OVER YET!
Nope, it is NOT over yet.
The fat lady hasn't even warmed up to sing yet.

1- Find and visit this famous sign in Maine.NOT YET

2- Take down my kitchen cabinet doors,clean them, paint them, put on new knobs, new hinges, spruce up the place a bit -YES working on them-I assume Dave is painting the wall mounted frames since he is alone this weekend.

3-Clean up under the cellar stairs so I can take that off my list -since that has been on the summer list for at least 5 years now-ha-ha- let's see if that happens-Nope is not going to happen- once again

4-Grow big juicy tomatoes in my garden. Some yummy green peppers and enough cucumbers to make pickles and maybe relish too.
I love playing homemaker and being home. Tomatoes yes, the other veggies, don't think so. Every year I get excited and get the garden started (though this year no zucchini came up) and then I get so busy it kind of fizzles- I really would like to do some relish or pickles though-maybe I'll have to buy some veggies to do that.

5-Rediscover the art of sitting sitting still and just taking in the beauty of summer. Not sure this happened to me this summer. Unfortunately. I miss it too. BUT on the other hand, I have relaxed and enjoyed so peaceful down time.

6-Visit the Portsmouth Headlight Lighthouse- actually visit it and take a tour and also visit the Frank lloyd Wright house in Manchester, NH.-not yet

7-Go raspberry picking and blueberry picking and make some jam. And pie.  I want to make more pie.
I made a strawberry pie and went strawberry picking. But not sure I'll make the raspberry or blueberry picking. Lots of pies coming this fall though.

8-Rewatch the early seasons of True Blood while I watched the latest season. Can't wait, only 2 more weeks until the 6th season starts! I did!!!!!

9-See some fabulous sunsets and sunrises.- I did !!!!!!!!

10-Go eagle watching.I did!!!!!!!

11-Visit some places that are new to me. I am not sure where they might be yet, but they will happen if I am open to their opportunities.-Costa Rica, all those places in Colorado, Utah and Arizona, went to see the Coast Guard Eagle tall ship, an old house in Portsmouth...more to be coming.

12-Sit by an outdoor fire and look at the stars and the moon. Maybe even watch fireflies dancing and flashing their lights. Yup, only fire is the 4th of July one, too warm, but have watched those fireflies dancing around.

13-Finally get my studio cleaned out and reorganized. -Don't think it will be this summer! Hopefully this fall.

14-Get kayaking. Hopefully I will still get out.

15-Get in touch with people that I don't usually see all winter. Like old college roommates, my new friend Estelle from the lake- Hmmm, not this summer- been so busy.

16- But pull the plug on work for awhile. Not as much as I want to, but I have been ambitious here around the house, BUT, I have pulled the work plug, and I really wish I could retire or take a leave of absence and not go back.

17- Be a tourist ( both far away and locally). Oh yes. Have done this!!!

18-Have  the pile of books to read next to my bed get shorter. They are.

19-Practice backing up the boat on the trailer. Not yet.

20-Lots of screen porch naps a few- probably enough to call this a yes.

21-Walk most mornings-get moving! Yup!

22- Eat fresh and local- enjoy the bounty of the season. Yup!

23- Definately play in the studio and try to do more than just keep my summer journal. That is important but I want to make some jewelry and some polymer clay mosaic tiles. Experiment with some things...not get bogged down doing 1 basic kind of thing. Yes and no. There are things I want to do that I haven't yet got to.  These home improvement projects have taken up a lot of time, but I am happy to be getting them done.  I haven't pulled out the clay yet but I have done some art...and summer isn't over yet.

24-Not be too busy though! Just enough not to be bored. YUP!!! Definitely!!!!

25- And mostly, have fun! Last summer ended up being a blast- and this one will be great even if it is 1/2 as good.  YUP!!!! Absolutely  definitely!!!!

And what have I done this summer-
1- lots of home improvement
2- lots of good traveling
3-some good visits with my mom and my husband's family
4-a little work at the lake
5- a few good eBay sales to clean out some craft clutter
6-lots of gardening
7-lots of sunshine and fresh air outside
8-some fun art time
9-earning 3 grad credits
10-some great boating time (no big fish yet)
It has been a great summer so far if I must say so.

I am absolutely not ready to think about going back to work.
Summer is way too short this year-
maybe because Labor Day is so early this year.
I only have a week until school starts when I get back from this adventure,
and I will admit,
that bugs me.
Wish I had 2 weeks left so I could do a few more things.
But that's not how it is
and I am lucky to have a job
and a job I like.
So, I will learn to accept those things I cannot change
and enjoy what down time I have left.
Thanks for visiting and letting me unload.
I appreciate it.