Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass on a summer day listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is hardly a waste of time. -John Lubbock
It's my last day of summer, 2011. I think this is one of those days in the year that lends itself to being a perfect time for reflection. As I sit here with what my mother taught me to do with leftover whipped cream (stick it in your morning coffee),
I actually find it to be a pretty perfect representation of the last couple of months. While it definitely wasn't the most restful of summers (personified by the super black coffee in this mug-cup number 2), it was tempered and sweetened by glorious, homemade moments (the whipped cream on top).
Like most summers, the I created a to-do list in June. You know the one-full of books you didn't get to read, projects you keep telling yourself you really need to do, things that you'd like to accomplish that you think you have a little more time to do now that it's warm outside... Mine was about 1.5 pages long (granted, most of that was books I wanted to read). Looking at it this morning, I find that there are a few things (maybe more than a few) that have yet to be crossed off. For instance, attacking my closet, planning a year worth of service activities, completing my article filing system...
Usually it would bug me to have a list that I know isn't going to be completed by the time the deadline runs out. I don't really care though, because I noticed that the things that mattered the most-See family and friends, beach at least once, work on my cooking and baking skills, keep working out--all are crossed out.
My restful moments completely knocked the pants off of a work-filled summer and I consider that a job well done. I got to see friends of mine get married, had some crazy good food with my mother on our vacation, with friends at dinner parties, got to go to the beach 3x, make some fab cakes with my roomie, play with my precious cousins' children, sit on the porch with my Nana, watch some baseball, sit by the pool a few days, and read some great books: Hunger Games series, The Help, Bonobo Handshake, Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series, and the memoirs of a sweet older man at my church who was totally in love with his wife and traveled across the world (just to name a few).
As for all of these pictures of food, they represent all of these fun times and feeling at home and the things I will remember when I think back on these few months.
Thanks for the memories, summer! Looking forward to seeing you next year!
