When I was younger, the summers seemed to drag at first then speed up once mid-July rolled around. I remember some summers spent at the local day-camp while others involved lots of reading (Charlotte's Web being one of those summer reading books I did when I was 8 or 9). This summer has been in forward speed since the beginning. It's crazy how quickly time flies when every weekend and practically every week night is filled with something. My friend Lorraine told me the other day that I was the busiest "after work activities" person she knew. I hadn't thought about all the things I do after work, but it's true. This summer I seem to be constantly going somewhere, seeing someone, or having to be somewhere. Enjoying life though - - so much better than the alternative!
Hot outside but cold on the inside, falling in love with NY again and again, reading about the pain of losing someone close to you, organization, and a new plant friend - - all memories of this past fourth week of summer.
Day 22: A Book Finished: I bought Joan Didion's book The Year of Magical Thinking a couple of months ago. Didion is someone my writing teachers in college would always talk about. Like always. They knew her, they loved her. I, by default, did too. This book was very well written, but it was too heavy for me for right now. It's a book of death/loss/emptiness after losing someone like your husband or child - nothing I can relate to at this point in my life. I completed it and put it back on my shelf. I'm sure at some point in the future, it'll be comforting to reread.
Day 23: Along the Hudson: One thing I hate about offices in the summer is how freezing they are. Will they ever get the temperature to be just perfect? In the meantime, I've resorted to taking walks to warm up. This day, I found myself walking along the Hudson river, then stopping off at a bench where I sat for about 15 minutes and put on some music. It was something very different to do in the middle of the work day and helped escape any of the stresses at work (at least for a little while).
Day 24: Lunch with a One Armed Tim: My co-worker Tim had an injury a few weeks ago that resulted in surgery shortly after. In a 3 week doctored order of R&R, he lasted about a week and a few days before he emailed me asking to meet for lunch. He had a bad case of cabin fever. In exchange, I realized how much I was having Tim withdrawals. He's the person who keeps me laughing at work. I escape to his edit room to vent, joke, tell inappropriate jokes, and laugh. Everyone needs that person and I'm lucky to have that in Tim! I'm looking forward to his return to work next week!
Day 25: Sailing the NY Harbor with a Great View of Lady Liberty: I posted about my sailing trip to conclude my 30th birthday celebration. This photo was of the amazing view we got of the Statue of Liberty. I always think of my mom when I see this amazing statue in the harbor. She immigrated to this country when she was 4 years old and doesn't remember the trip much except for how sick she was. I try to picture seeing this city for the first time and first seeing this amazing lady greeting you. Must've been one memory that so many immigrants have never forgotten.
Day 26: Kitchen Reorganizing: I did a "stay home" all day one day over the weekend and it resulted in going through all my kitchen shelves and organizing/discarding many things. After seeing this brilliant idea on pinterest, I bought some cork contact paper. I added it to the back wall behind my kitchen cart. I often tape recipes to the wall there when I'm baking, so now I can tack them. However, the cork is slightly thicker than paper so there's not much pinning to do. I've decided to get an actual cork board and put it up on the wall.
Day 27: Philharmonic in Central Park: Once again, a free night of classical music. This time I went equipped with wine, cheese, and crackers! It was a very hot evening and the red wine didn't help much (next time it'll need to be chilled white!), but the music was great. So were the fireworks - which you can barely make out in the photo through the trees. It's crazy how many people turn out for these concerts. Because they're free? Probably. But I'd like to think that people genuinely like classical music.
Day 28: A Mushroom Growing in My Plant: I watered my plant this morning to find a mushroom! It looks like a portobello! I didn't pull it out - - I'm curious how tall it'll grow. Will track the progress!
