(*edited: How could I have forgotten? This awesome photograph is courtesy of one of my dearest friends Christie. We hang out and I try not to drool over her camera.)
This past weekend I had the perfect Saturday. I slept in, curling up next to the Mister to keep warm in our chilly house because all the windows were open. The crisp morning air was as refreshing as cold lemonade in July. We got up and made ourselves tea and drank it while reading the morning produce weeklies. Then we went to our local farmer's market, where we sampled homemade butters and salsas and crackers and smelled freshly made soaps and candles.
Wonderful.
Then we checked out our new library location (a very important part of our local landscape, since we visit practically every week) and it was loaded with really good books. (Our last library was a beautiful mess of DVD shelves and crappy chick lit). The Mister was perusing a copy of Phoenix magazine and noted that the restaurant reputed to make the best carne asada in Phoenix was nearby. And it was lunchtime. And so we went. And it knocked our socks off. The day ended with more snuggling, a trip to the hot tub, and watching Planet Earth.
This past Saturday, the perfectly cool, silky blue day - it was unmistakably autumn, and no mistake. Fall is incoming.
When I think about the summer of '09 I will remember:
Belting out the Cranberries song "Zombie" in a car full of Jordanian friends
Visiting Le Grand Canyon
Drives to San Diego (with necessary car snack Starbust jelly beans)
Cutting The Mister's hair on the back patio while sweating half my body weight...at 9 a.m
The beginning of a new weekend tradition: Freshly made whole wheat waffles with blueberries and homemade vanilla maple syrup
Too many (a.k.a. just the right amount) trips to Chipotle
Sunday afternoons lounging in Mom and Dad's pool
The smell of brownies in the oven - all for you, EmDes-ers
Riding bicycles down the boardwalk next to the Pacific Ocean on the 4th of July
So tell me in the comments: for you, the summer of '09 was the summer of __________.
Summer of '09:
ReplyDeleteLounging lakeside at Bora Bora enjoying the view of the mountains (Congo & Burundian foothills), eating the best local pizza while the breeze swept over me.
Laughing so hard with Asele that we made a scene at Botanika - and then Cappuccino and pretty much anywhere we go together!
Learning about my personal penchant for electricity by NOT having access to it often.
Discovering how much I like sambousas - in lieu of Chipotle.
Deciding that I do, actually, like mangos! Mango - banana smoothies, mango - cucumber salad, mango salsa.
Hosting 30 Texans in Burundi and having a blast - beyond expectations!
Getting lost on purpose (almost) with Rene in South Africa so that we could steal away more time together - and get more rooibos tea!
Get-aways with Claude to Rwanda and Kenya - both liberally peppered with the best of friends in each city.
Falling in love with the daily drumming in our neighborhood, finding that in the end the rhythm really IS going to get you!
Confronting the fear - language learning! Taking Kirundi classes and loving and hating it at the same time!
Finally discovering Cold Play (thanks to Mike Todd), delving deeper into U2 and bopping around the house to ABBA.
Summer of '09:
ReplyDeleteScrubs everyday.
Class/clinic everyday.
Hot and sticky Oklahoma.
Never want to repeat.
P.S. Rad picture. The photographer must be amazing.
@Anonymous (a.k.a. Lady Kelley Johnson, drumroll please): so glad you have learned the joys of mangoes and Coldplay!
ReplyDelete@Christie: UM, how could I have forgotten to add photo credit?! That photo session reaped my favorite pictures of R and I ever...and the photo of you and I lounging in the grass is seriously one of my fave pictures ever. How about next time I bring MY camera too (!)(can't wait to have it in my hot little hand)
summer of '09 brought:
ReplyDeletenew beginnings on the shadows of old dreams
too many days working at Carver training center
a gift of the fewest humid days in memory
day sails on the Chesapeake with new and old friends
baseball with good friends
wonderful week at the beach with the giggles and joy of children and grandchildren
shedding inches of myself
falling in love with teaching again
stretching myself beyond my comfort level to achieve new beginnings