Goodbye Summer, Hello Fall

Every season I try to make a photo mosaic. Then I can look back and see what I did and where I've been.

So here's my Summer 2011 recap:

Top row from left to right-  an evening at Fenway Park, daytrip to Rockport, spending time at the Winchester Farmer's Market, al fresco dining and a delicious gelato

Middle row from left to right:- discovered a new shop Brissonte in North Reading, chilling out with an ice coffee and one of my favorite reads, a second daytrip to Rockport, Miss Marble the kitty we fed most of the summer

Bottom row from left to right- daytrip to Kennebunkport, daytrip to Nubble Light, Melrose Victorian Fair, Percy admiring himself

I didn't take a Summer vacation this year but I have 18 vacation days to take by the end of the year. I see lots of daytrips or long weekends this Fall!

How to spend a perfect Summer's Day

Summer is the time to kick back, chill out and enjoy the nice weather.  It doesn't last long does it?

My favorite ways to spend a summer day?   Dining in the open air, oceanside.

Relaxing on a porch swing with a good summer read or a magazine sipping ice tea or lemonade.

This gives new meaning to the words Sleeping Porch. It's all about being lazy.

How about a nap under some crisp summer linens?

I do love a little cottage in the woods complete with screen porch for those cool summer evenings.

How would you spend a perfect Summer's day?

Want to read more about the joys of Summer? Visit Sarah at Modern Country Style and join her blog party. Just click on the button.









                                         

Man, it's a hot one...

Man it's a hot one, like seven inches from the midday sun ....

I listened to the lyrics from the  Carlos Santana song, Smooth, which was on my car radio today.  It was 102 degrees outside according to my phone.

When I first got in the car, I nearly burned my hand on the steering wheel! I was hating the heat but then I remembered these scenes from not that long ago.

I remember listening to snowplows working hour after hour during the night and me worrying about the morning commute.

I remember having to clear my car off abour a million times a day to keep up with the accumulation of snow and ice. And one of my least favorite sounds in the world is the sound of an ice scraper on the windshield of a car. It sends chills up my spine. It's like nails on chalkboard!

I remember having to keep my distance from all the cars on the road in case I skidded or worse yet, someone who does not know how to drive in snow slid into me.

And I remember having to shovel a path just to get to the car and then still having to shovel off the car.

Ok, I am not going to hate these triple digit temps. I think I can make peace with the heat.

How are you staying cool?

Let's Have Fun this Summer

The other day my sister said to me, " I want to have fun this Summer."  She is a teacher so she is out of school for a couple of months. Me? I of course will be working most Summer days although I will take a vacation day here and there and probably a week or so in August.

Her statement made me think about past Summers. When did I have the most fun? And what year was it?Who was I with and what was I doing?  Then as I reminisced, songs popped into my head. When I hear these songs on the radio (they're considered oldies at this point) it brings me right back to those days when I was young and yes carefree.

I made a new playlist based on songs that bring back memories, not all of them are  Summer memories but some are.  Like Cruel Summer by Bananarama, I was heading off to England in July 1984 when this song was popular. Every time I hear it  I think of that wonderful trip and the tumultuous romance that I was leaving behind in the States.

I had my first real romance in the 70's and I remember the song How Long by Ace was playing when 4 of us rode to Cape Cod in my boyfriend's 2 seater Fiat.  This song was also playing in my head when I fell head over heels for another boy when I was still dating Fiat guy. And Best of my Love by the Eagles was playing when the second guy, head over heels guy, told me that he hadn't missed me that much after we'd not seen each other for a while. I was devastated.

Faithfully by Journey was playing on the car radio when I called off an engagement. No, he didn't cheat on me.

Do you remember Boy George from the Culture Club in the 80's? My sister used to love the song Karma Chameleon so naturally I think of her when I hear the song.

And the guy I broke off the engagement to? Well our theme song was Love is a Battlefield by Pat Benatar. Actually that is probably still my theme song!

When I was a young banker, my boss used to sing Uptown Girl to me.  I was always trying to dress for success and for the job I wanted in those early days of my career.

So feel free to click on the songs on my playlist and take a trip down memory lane. Let me know what songs take you back. And I hope you can make some fun Summer memories in 2011!

Quote of the Day

The Summer night is like a perfection of thought- Wallace Stevens