Summer So Far

Just a little over a third of the way thru our summer...thought I'd post a summary.  We're more on track than I expected we would be with our to-do list but a few big things just haven't happened yet.  I guess we have 2/3 left to get it all in.

The great garden experience isn't panning out as I had hoped.  And, the herbs, flowers, and peppers that I did manage to get in the ground are not thriving.  Kind of disappointing but will keep watering and tending.  This was going to be the year I made jelly and canned everything I could get my hands on but it just hasn't worked out (yet?).  I have been churning a lot of ice cream this year.  Well, frozen custard, actually.  Not super-happy with any of the recipes I've tried unfortunately.  It's going to take a while to zero in on a couple of crowd pleasers...especially considering the price of dairy these days.  It is NOT cheaper to make your own!

Claire is on her way to launching her own fashion line (she thinks).  She has sewn a bubble skirt and a little dress on her birthday sewing machine and did really well.  They were both extremely simple projects with no patterns.  Next will be a simple pattern project (yet to be selected) and then she wants to make a little Nancy Drew inspired jumper.  She already bought the pattern...super cute. 

Next week we're taking Claire to see Wicked.  She's been begging to go for some time now and I think she's old enough to enjoy it.  I splurged on some fairly decent seats, hope it's worth it.  Claire got to meet one of the characters a few weeks ago when he offered a dance workshop at her studio.  All the girls enjoyed it, he was a very impressive dancer.  Speaking of impressive dancing, Claire and I also attended two of the three nights of Spring to Dance at Touhill.  It was a great mix, some we loved / some we hated.  Kind of amazing to have that much variety.  I suspect that Spring to Dance will become a yearly "must-do" for us.  Can't really beat the price - $10 a ticket.  I guess to round out the report on the arts I should mention that I attended my first opera.  Marriage of Figaro was pretty amazing.  I'd definitely hit the opera again, but I'll be honest...I don't think season tickets are in my future!

The rest is just normal summer stuff:  violin practice, pool time, reading, etc.  We have a list of "simple pleasure" activities intended to fill our time.  We've been good at cracking these too but again, in the interest of being completely honest and open, simple pleasures can  be really freaking boring.  I hate to admit it - and maybe I'm still adjusting from my faster-paced, working girl life, but there are days when I think throwing money at a gltizy summer vacation (or maybe even Six Flags) would be more satisfying.  Time will tell...