I'm sitting here in my backyard with 14 chicken feathers sticking out of my bra and a beer in my hand, typing out a blog post while my hairdresser/friend Renee swears at her iPhone as we wait for my hair to bleach. I know the shocking part of that sentence is that I bleach my hair. She's actually swearing a lot at her phone now and appears to have actually fainted. I think that was a growl. I'm just going to ignore it.
Later I'm going to make us dinner and that'll be it. That'll be the memory. It isn't what you'd call mind shatteringly exciting and definitely not something you could base a Netflix series on for instance but weirdly those HUGE instances in life aren't normally the things that morph and stick and turn into memories anyway. It's the weird little things. I barely remember going to Disney World when I was a little kid but I definitely remember our next door neighbour cooking french fries for the kids in the neighbourhood in their basement kitchen and serving them in brown plastic cups.
Every year when summer starts to wind down and the skies go from bright blue to light blue, when shadows are longer and mornings are cooler I get angry at myself for not having done more. I think *next year* I'm going to do more in the summer. I'm finally going to book a trip to the East Coast, I'm going to go out more, go for dinner more, enjoy more ... and then I don't.
But this year I feel like I've made more memories than I have in a long time. I've made more of a point of saying yes to things I'd normally say no to. Because there might be a kick ass memory to be made. I work less (marginally) and garden more. My front yard is a disaster and I'm sure the neighbours think I'm suffering from some sort of dementia or arthritis or work allergy. Or maybe they just think I'm lazy. LOLOLOLOL!!! No they don't. They might think I'm nuts but they definitely don't think I'm lazy.
Here's a little bit of what my summer has looked like:
A little bit of pizza making.
I've only managed to get through two of the books here this summer and I've just started the one in the centre, The Ice Cream Makers.
A rather large memory from this summer is going to be building this garden. Holy crap. It took months but I absolutely love it now. It's easy to take care of and just a nice place to be. You know. If you like gardening and vegetables and snakes.
This wasn't this most recent haircut with my friend Renee, it was one or two cuts ago nearer the beginning of the summer. She is clearly a garden gnome and I am leaning towards that Hermey the Elf.
This summer I tried to help save a neighbour's sick chick but we weren't successful. But we tried. We really tried.
I grew, picked and made jam out of strawberries.
You'll never believe me but I made this rain hat out of a grocery bag.
Me and Murray. I made it as far as picking up some back ribs from my favourite pig farmer, but still haven't got around to actually cooking them.
One of my favourite super-stupid, boring, simple, summer things to do is go to the feed store.
Met a lot of snakes in the garden this summer. This is the milk snake I saw a few weeks ago living in my stash of wood at the back of my plot. Love him!
And yes I've worked this summer. But I've made a real point and habit of working in the backyard. Outside. It's still working but it just feels slightly better than being stuck inside working.
I've cut scapes and made pesto and harvested around 160 heads of garlic.
And I relaxed for a full ... I'm gonna say day. At Lynne Knowlton's astonishing treehouse.
I even stacked rocks in what turned out to be a fierce rock stacking competition with Lynne herself. So that wasn't so much relaxing as training for what I expect to turn into an Olympic sport.
And I gardened some more.
I'm raising caterpillars into Monarch butterflies like I do every summer.
I went to MORE antique markets and ate french fries. What better memory could a person possibly have? Other than maybe eating french fries with gravy.
But I wanna make MORE memories. So I'm taking next week off from blogging. Here's a funny story. I didn't even know I was going to say that until I typed it. Now that I'm saying it, I feel like I should also take a week off from social media entirely. omg. This is getting real now. Where is this coming from???!! Maybe I do have some form of dementia.
Have a great summer memory photo to share? This is where I ask you to add it into the comment section with a little description of what's going on.
Monday is a holiday in Canada so I wasn't going to post then anyway, so technically you're only missing 2 posts from me. And chances are during my time off I'll be doing stuff that I'll be able to turn into great blog posts when I get back.
See you in just over a week and don't forget to upload some summer memory pics.
Have a great weekend and week!
Eileen
After renovating for seven, yes seven years, we are rounding the last bend and my husband finished a screened in porch overlooking our lake. Mornings with coffee on the loungers and afternoons with a drink are now what life's about.
Ann Brookens
What a view!
Jenifer
OMG!! I NEED to be THERE!
Marlene
We headed to Vancouver to unload our youngest!! It was a just a beautiful wedding, lots of memories and I was an emotional wreak!!! But, we couldn't be more happier for her!! Let the babies begin!!!
Cindy Marlow
This is a very special summer...my granddaughter flew from Baltimore to Portland, Oregon and we went to the Oregon Coast. Such a wonderful time flying kites, searching for beach treasures, and sharing amazing food!
Emily Miller
Oregon Coast is the best!! I live near Portland and spent more time on the coast making memories this summer than the past 3 years combined. One evening I happened upon a shipwrecked sailboat north of Cannon Beach... THIS is my happy place!
Beth
Most recently did some urban kayaking in Chicago, which I highly recommend! Went to Florida with a friend for a week, some concerts and had a visit from my sister and bil. Going to visit same sis in TN and our daughter in NC beginning of September. Also major gardening!!! Have a great week, you deserve it!
TexasMom
AUGH! My pic won't upload!!
TexasMom
This summer I sampled a number of Texas craft beers. And put the labels to good use!
And the summer won't be over until at least October!
Jen
I feel so much pressure every year to DO MORE, especially with my garden, and I've been thinking lately that holy shit the years go by fast and instead of wasting time with regrets, how about NOT. I have some pretty banging memories of this summer so thank you very much for making me stop a minute to think about them.
Gretchen
We took a trip to CHINA! (and are still recovering from the time/jet lag) Highlights included: Great wall, Terracotta soldiers, Li River cruise, and visit to orphanage where we got our daughter. Not bad.
Karen
The orphanage visit would have been unbelievable!! It'd be hard to top that. ~ karen!
Gretchen
It was pretty awesome. Made something that had been 'out there' her whole life into a concrete place that she can fit into her life journey.
Kipper
First time chicken owner. Three chicks in a dog crate in the dinky bathroom. Longest six weeks ever. They now live in a snazzy outdoor coop. Learned a lot from chicken expert friends(thanks Karen!). Got long dreaded house projects done. Starting to compose a new resume because bosses are retiring (not fun) and will have to start job hunting.
Ninamargo
Spent 10 beautiful summer days in Bordeaux and Barcelona escaping the Arizona heat, eating great seafood, visiting the Picasso, Gaudi, Miro museums, getting to know my husband again. The best vacation we've had in a long time!
Karen
I hope you decided you still love him. ;) I love being somewhere else but hate travelling. Kind of like how I love clothing but hate shopping, lol. Glad you had a great time. ~ karen!
NinaMargo
Thank you Karen. Yes, I renewed his lease for another 12 years which either puts us into our graves or our 70s!
Kelly
We went home to Saskatchewan and Manitoba-took a picture to show friends what a real sunset looks like!
Karen
Oh yeah, Saskatchewan is craziness! You can see forever and ever and ever and ever. ~ karen!
Arlene
Making great memories with my family at the cottage!
We had lots of fun!
Karen
I always love a good kid throwing picture. ~ karen!
Jen
This is the BEST
Kat
I became a Birder. Not just a backyard birder but one that gets on the metro bus once a week to get to the river, where I walk for miles on end lugging about 15 pounds of camera stuff plus a lunch. All this for maybe a glimpse of a bird. Any bird will do. My best memories this summer were a pair of Bald Eagle fledglings that sat in a dead tree for over an hour, a great Blue Heron that let me walk along shore with him while he fished for a half hour and three Great Horned Owl fledglings with Dad overseeing for a full hour. The best therapy I have ever tried! I do not even think about work. I trudge through muck and a zillion bugs down deer trails and it is the best time I have ever had. Can't wait till next summer!
Karen
Great photo Kat! That's partly why I love my community garden so much. There's an insane variety of birds up there you would never even see half a km away. Osprey, goldfinch, bald eagles, heron, mockingbirds ... it's nuts! I didn't realized I liked birds until I started noticing them up there so I get your obsession! ` karen
Linda in Illinois
Have a great vacation Karen, love everyone's photos, makes me wish I would/could travel. I love gardening more then spending money so I vaca at home, in the garden, with the sounds and sites of nature, fresh air and a bit of mud/gunk/blood/sweat/tears under my nails.
Chris White
Spending time with my boys on the St. John River - best place for summer adventure!
Karen
I miss having a cottage to go to. Even though I absolutely hated packing up, getting the house ready, making sure the cats and chickens were taken care of and the 6 hour drive etc. Once I got there it was great, lol! That place looks picture perfect for relaxing and making memories. ~ karen
Chris White
It is picture perfect.... Plus it is our backyard. We live year-round here on the Kingston Peninsula so no packing to go to the beach (well, other than some snacks and sunscreen!)
Kea
I love you. I feel like you are part of my family and I only started reading your blog this week. As far as summer memories go (summer is long from over in my opinion) we bought our first "Forever home" with a yard (which is why i've been reading your blog like it's life juice.) Our place has a pool and a yard and maple trees! (Thanks to you we will make syrup.) So this summer will be a HUGE memory for my partner and I.
Karen
Hey Kea! I'm pretty sure I love you to. You've made enough memories this summer. Now you can just sit around and watch baseball games if you want. No wait, that's what I'm going to do. You can just go and lie by the pool. :) ~ karen!
Susan
Went camping for 2 weeks in July at Wakami Provincial Park in northern Ontario with my husband and had a great time. No cell service so read lots of books, ate great food, fished every day, ate fish, enjoyed the peace and quiet.
Karen, love your screened in raised beds in your garden. How do you open them and do you make them with window screening? What do you have growing in them?
Karen
Hi Susan! I'm going to try to get a post up on how I made them before the end of the season. If not, then definitely by the beginning of next spring so people can make them for next year's gardens. ~ karen!
Karen
Oops. Forgot to say they're covered with hardware cloth which is much, MUCH heavier than window screening. Voles, Mice and raccoons which is what I'm trying to keep away from my strawberries, would tear right through window screening. ~ karen!
Kathy Bo
I so enjoy your blog. Have a wonderful spontaneous vacation! Oh, and this is my grandpuppy Monty. Yes, he really looks like this.
Karen
LOL! I like Monty. :) And thanks for the compliment! ~ karen
Pamela Marshall
Summer is work time for me in the Bed and Breakfast business but I also have been spending lots of time in my garden and orchard. This week I will pick some beautiful peaches from a tree I planted a few years ago. I have worked really hard to learn how to take care of the trees organically and to prune properly for good fruit and this year, with some luck, I will be rewarded. Peach cobbler, peach jam, peach chutney, peach crisp.....
Karen
I'm making canned peaches today!! (or maybe not, I tried last night but they weren't ripe enough to peel in hot water so I'll give it another shot today) I'm extremely envious of your peach tree! ~ karen
Cheryl Young
Do try your best to get to the east side of Canada! It's actually pretty spectacular in the fall, warm days, cool nights and the colours of the changing trees are breathtaking.
Karen
I may need a friend to just book it and say we're going, lol. ~ karen!
Lynne
We spent 2 weeks in PEI and NB with our youngest Granddaughter..... Many many memories <3
Cheryl Young
I live in PEI and was born and raised in Nova Scotia. The Maritimes are in my blood!!