Summer Musings

AHHH!! I can't believe that it is July already. Where did all the time go? It seems like just the other day I was looking at the clock on June 3rd and waiting for the school year to tick away and mark the beginning of summer vacation. There are lots of things that I enjoy about summer.

First - the sunshine; I love being outside. Camping, hiking, and playing sports are some of the highlights of summer break. For example:



On Memorial Day, Bruce and I went up to Kickapoo State Park to do some hiking. We voted on doing the 7.6 mile loop. We took a few wrong turns here and there and ended up 1 mile away from where we parked our car. When all was said and done, we probably did closer to 9 miles. We got a chance to break in the new hiking shoes we got for Christmas last year. We wanted to do some canoeing on the lake there, but decided to head on home when the rain started pouring down in sheets. We made it to the car just in time.

Second - the ants usually stay outside instead of inside. This spring we had some major problems with ants. Every time I turned around, more ants were found crawling on the floor, the kitchen sink, the counters, and even some clean dishes in the drawer. If you don't believe me, here are some pictures. The first one is of an apple strudel I made. It was left open on the counter for no more than 20 minutes. When I came back to take care of it...this is what I found.

It's difficult to see, but if you look close enough, you can tell that those little black dots do not belong in an apple strudel. I don't mind some insects, but they do not belong in my house and definitely not in my apple desserts.

Third - Summer time = garden time = FRESH Produce!!
I am not an expert gardener. In fact, every year I struggle with something else. Weeds are the bane of my existence. I don't mind most of the conditions of the fall, but the stipulation of "noxious weeds to torment men" is curse enough. I mean come on....REALLY? I have spent countless hours in the garden getting rid of crab grass - I guess I can deal with weeds, but crab grass...YUK!! Every once in a while, all that hard work pays off. Check out the produce I got in one picking.


Fourth - FREE TIME!!
Don't get me wrong, I still am busy. My schedule isn't quite as rigid, and I have the flexibility of choosing a variety of activities. I don't have to be as picky at what I fill my time with; there isn't really anything so pressing that I have to get it done that day. I can take time to go on walks, hang out with friends, and play with kids. I can do those "projects" I've been wanting to do around the house. And I usually don't have to as rushed to do those things that must get finished. I can go to Youth Conference, Girls Camp, and other activities. I can go to aerobics and socialize with my friends.
Last month, I hosted book club at my house. For refreshments I made these mice cupcakes.


Do you really think I would take the time to decorate that many cupcakes like that if it weren't summer time? YEAH RIGHT!!!

The beauty of summer!! Stay tuned to find out what other things I've been up to this summer.