Girls weekend and beyond

Girl's weekend kicked off August but the sunshine was not around much to show us how August in Idaho is suppose to feel. Still, there was lots of relaxing and fun to be had. Barb made us all feel like slugs by doing the Coeur d'Alene triathlon with a best ever time. She has now recognized a new training module for success: train all winter like crazy then, when the sun finally comes out, eat drink and make merry. This seems to result in equal and better times on the racing circuit. Next year she may push the envelope to see where the breaking point between training and drinking really sits.


It was a small group at the lake this summer, just Anita, Barb, Judy and I but we truly focused on relaxing. We read on the dock, swam ever so often and took walks every day to keep moving. It was actually pretty difficult to return to accomplishing tasks on Monday, when we all returned home. Judy had the most to face, what with final tasks moving into her new home and out of her old one. Clint is getting married in 4 weeks, so there are all kinds of family arrangements to make her insane as well. Even she acknowledged that is took 3 or 4 days for her to care about the insanity. That is the sign of a GOOD vacation. She is now starting to think about retiring!.
Barb is carrying on in Seattle, drinking coffee and putting on rain gear for the first time since May. We still want lots more summer and are hoping it returns for Erin and Colin so we can all play just a few more times. The boat needs a better work out at pulling skiers. I have been working on fiber projects in the wet days this week but plan a big garden weekend this weekend, to start pruning for fall and of course redesigning a couple of spots. I planted a few fall vegetable crops with hope and a prayer- green beans, peas and favas. It is surprising how dry my soil is despite all the rain. There have also been lots of kitchen tasks- drying sweet cherries from Eastern Washington,baking chocolate zucchini cupcakes, making peach pies, drying a few of the peaches before they spoil and making blackberry jam. All part of summer, with more harvests and preserving to come, I hope.
Now I am to the post office and a few errands. I hope everyone is feeling the warmth of summer and remembering to use that warmth as an excuse to enjoy the moments of living each day. It is never easy to make time when life demands many directions from you but if you don't make the time to stop and share smiles of happiness and love, all the other directions become tangled and lost. So- make time today to laugh when you might not feel like laughing and have a slow walk when you think you should be running.

Love you,