Summer to-do

This may be the first time in my life that I've had a tan before Memorial Day.  I'm not a sun worshipper by any means, and I to glare as hard as I can at the 20-something blondes who lather on the oil and park it outside all day.  But, it's nice to have some of that glow (a very little bit), and be forced to buy "summer" make-up once a year.  It's especially nice to have that tan (the very little tan) after a hard day of labor outside, which is what I've earned after two days of heavy gardening. 

This gardening business is becoming addicting.  I find myself outside in 90 degree, HUMID weather, sweating like a you-know-what-in-church, dirt on everything, and just loving it.  Loving the smell of the dirt and sunscreen mixed together, loving that feeling of exertion and using muscles you haven't used in a while, and loving the progress and feeling of success that gardening brings. 

It's really not much right now, but it's a lot to me. I have heirlooms growing.  Heirlooms.  I'm anticipating juicy, ugly looking red and yellow tomatoes.  Not perfect, green house, Chile tomatoes.  No, those heirlooms and all of their bumpy, odd-looking goodness.  The type of tomato that looks like a reject when they're (rarely) in the grocery store, but when you slice them open, add some kosher salt, pepper, and fruity olive oil----they shine. 

Also growing: Cippolinni onions, broccoli, red and golden beets, peas, red and orange bell peppers, green beans, and so much basil, it's going to be scary at the end of the summer. 

Shortly after our freak snow storms in February, I started going all Martha Stewart-style and planned my garden.  My first veggie garden, besides the two times I went to Lowe's in the past and bought a whole two beefsteak tomato plants (and planted them in a terra-cota pot, and got 3 tomatoes out of them--TOTAL).  I bought about 30 different seeds from Johnny seeds, including veggies, herbs, and flowers.  I planted them in my basement, and crossed my fingers, because that's all I knew to do.  Those named above are what's remaining, including some measly chives, thyme (thyme grows no matter what), and some red-leaf lettuce. 

I'll plant the pumpkins and squash this week, because they'll take over your garden, so it didn't matter to start them indoors. 

Create an outdoor oasis

This is my first goal of the summer.  I'm off to a good start.  The patio furniture has been out.  I cleaned up the back yard, weeded like a mad-woman, and added a few things for the birds. 

Looks like we have some hoarders.

I want to finish this back yard soon, so we can spend many a splendid nights amidst the stars and next to a roaring fire. 

Run out of things to burn

I want to have so many campfires this summer that we have to stockpile for labor day.  I've been saving any bit of dried wood I've stumped upon in the backyard/valley.  No thanks to Lilly who's chomped on a many sticks that have been sitting in the firepit. 

I don't care if the summer is as humid as it was today.  I want more fires.  I want to build a fire like I did in my camp counselor days.  I want to sit next to my honey and possibly my puppy and sip wine and wear a long sleeve shirt like we have to do during the summer in Seattle. 

Oh, the pyro in me is aching.

Concert it up

This should be the summer of concerts.  This should be the summer when the summer song returns.  You know, that song that embraces the vibrancy, the youthfulness that summer brings.  We were suppose to go to a U2 concert (shhhh....don't read babe, I know it still hurts) in Seattle, at Quest field in June.  BUT, Bono had back surgery, and all of the N. American concerts were cancelled.  Sigh, sigh, sigh.  Nevertheless, I still believe in concerts this summer.  I'm thinkin Dave Matthews in July, maybe throw in an unexpected country song towards the end, hell, even find a County fair and see what's jammin.  We will get our music fix somehow. 

Hike

Rather than camp.  We were suppose to camp, but after that promise was made, I had to sit through a lecture on Lyme disease in nursing school, and I am not scared shitless.  Utterly.  There are ticks everywhere here, and I don't want them, and I especially don't want them on my dog.  So, instead of sitting in a tick mind, we'll go hiking instead.  We'll put on our hiking shoes, fill the backpack with granola bars and a treat for the top, load up our water bottles, and maybe get on of those cute-but-really-cruel doggy packs for Lilly.  We'll hike, and we'll dream of great camping trips in the future. In Seattle. 

Party like it's 2011

We are kicking off our wedding festivities with an exclusive, wedding party only event, in July.  We're having a intimate dinner at one of our favorite Hbg restaurants, followed by an after-party at our house.  In my back yard oasis, no less.  We sent the invites out last week, and almost everyone has confirmed at this point.  I can't wait.  I just can't wait. 

Super cute, eh?

Spend the summer in dangly earrings and faux pearls

Mmmm....so done.  They go very well with my (barely) tan.

And the rest of my goals:

Teach K's cousin Theresa about the best female vocals out there.  I recently introduced her to Ingrid Michaelson, and she's hooked.  She heard a KT Tunstall song and thought it was Ingrid, so I need to further teach her that Ingrid Michaelson>Brandi Carlisle>KT Tunstall>everything else. 

Take full advantage of Netflix, to the point where it's criminal

Complete our wedding blog.....oooh, pretty cool, huh?

Live it up in Seattle come June

Read 5 books

Find "the" summer song

Love the puppy like never before

(And the fiancee too)

Study something nursing related

Become a workout-aholic

Try and catch a firefly (before they become extinct)

Re-watch a season of LOST, to fill the void (I don't want to talk about it)

Rock a nail polish that isn't in the pink/red family

Grill corn

Become a morning runner

Buy new summer sheets

Sleep naked (this should be done every summer, right?)

Find a signature summer cocktail

Record all of my recipes down

Finish painting the basement

Have one of those classic summer moments where you're listening to great music, at dusk, in a car, with your hand out the window, thinking that life doesn't get any better

Create a photo portfolio

Go swimming

Take Lilly back to Little Buffalo

Enjoy my summer harvest

Pick Dahlias

Welcome Summer.