Summer Report

It's time to give myself a summer report card. Did I succeed at doing all the things I set out to do during my summer hall pass...things that I needed to do in order to rejuvenated my spirit..because God knows I was losing faith in humanity near the end. 

Here we go...

Clear my mind and soul - I truly felt relaxed this summer. I let certain people creep in my mind from time to time, but overall I felt a peace in my soul. The peace I needed to be healthy. 

Lose some pounds- Okay, so I only lost two pounds, but it's a loss and that counts. I blame it on being laid up with a foot injury. 

Read - I wasn't my usual summer reading self, but I got two books in. I last read "Still Alice", which I loved (even cried twice while reading). Then I rented the movie and wondered why I rented it, and why the producers butchered the book in the making. 

Bronze my skin--poolside - I took to my sister-in-law's pool several times over my break. I also made certain to take no less than fifteen minutes each day in my chair on the back deck. I sat on the beach of the Big River too. Vitamin D in its natural form lifts the spirit...did mine! 

Hang with people I love - I had no problem fulfilling this. I made a super fast trip to see my bestie and grandma, saw friends that the school year full of family obligations just doesn't allow for.

Go camping - This is just a given. No, we didn't take our usual cross country ventures, but we enjoyed seeing what our own state has to offer. 

Drink grapefruit martinis  cucumber martinis, blueberry lager and Moscow Mules - Check, check, check and check! 

Hike - I took strolls on paved trails in my own community, a trail while in Illinois, and into the woods while on camping trips. 

Run on treadmill - Until my foot swelled like a blow fish I got on the treadmill everyday for at least an hour. 

 

Have coffee and lunch with friends - This was an easy task to check off my list. Coffee and lunch dates are no less than a three hour experience. 

 

Hang with my nieces and daughters - You know what is great to be able to add to this? Hanging with my nephew. He's finally stationed at a base minutes from home. Hanging with my daughters and nieces included dinners at my nephews new house, taking my oldest niece to brunch and hanging with my college bound niece at the pool. 

My girlies and I had the best daughter dates too! 

(Best part of a three-day date with M) 

(Best date night with Princess A- dinner, dessert drinks and Harry Connick Jr. concert)

(Spent a great afternoon of learning with D at a historic site that neither of us had visited, but always wanted too) 

Float on the river - Mother Nature foiled our big cousin float trip, but I'm taking last weekend in that blow up raft boat on the Big River as a success to this task. So I say--check! You can say--cheater. 

Go on dates with King Ralph - He will always be the best friend to go to Steak n Shake with and share a vanilla shake with (even if chocolate is his favorite). 

Make strawberry jam - Well, I made organic blueberry jam instead. I still long to make strawberry jam, and one day I will. 

 

Visit the lavender farm - This was a task of mission impossible. When I say impossible it's nature that is actually at fault here. The harsh winter and relentless rains of spring and summer killed the lavender crop. The fields had to be cleared and will be replanted for next season. Damn you Mother Nature! 

 

Go to the Botanical Gardens Lantern Festival - I didn't see the lanterns glow, but they were equally as fabulous to view during the day. It was a great day spent with my M on her trip home this summer. 

Go to a Cardinals game - I'm ashamed to say this is the first summer in years we did not attend a game. It's almost feel sac religious. 

Go to the wineries - it was just to hot or humid or wet outside to accomplish this task. Maybe in the Fall.  

My over all grade...A for effort! A for enthusiasm. Really, that's what matters most!