Labor Day Weekend harolds the end of summer. How can that be?! Seems summer just started. And then, it seems like nearly years ago already, so full of everything it was.

Favorite things I did this summer . . .

• Being at the Lake.
• Kayaking in the mornings.
• Walking in the evenings, just before dark.
• Laughing with friends.
• Wednesday evenings with The Artist's Way group.
• Meeting with friends at the Pub on Friday nights.
• Saturday afternoons at the sandbar.
• Making favorite dinners and snacks for Derrick.

Projects I worked on . . .

• Sewing some new clothes.
• Mixed media - two lovely pieces now housed at the Lake, plus one for my sister.
• Artist Trading Cards.
• Heart pillows for birthday gifts.
• Too bad I can't list all the great ideas I have floating around my mind as completed projects.
• Greeting cards.
• Index cards.

Happy moments . . .

• Watching Derrick graduate from high school.
• Spending time with Derrick and his friends at home. Even if my only role is simply to be present while they're hanging out.
• Being with the kitties. Even now they are on my desktop with me.
• Listening to my dove coo a greeting for breakfast or dinner.
• Full moons . . . a special one in June and another in July reflecting on the Lake.
• Listening to crickets sing me to sleep.
• Wide open windows on a cool evening.
• The smell of rain after a dry spell.

Favorite summer foods . . .

• Blueberry muffins, crumble, milkshakes.
• Margaritas.
• Mom's potato salad.
• Grilled brats.
• Dom's steak and ribs. (Hmm, even if I don't eat much meat, it's showing up here!)
• Somemores.
• Tomato, basil, mozzarella salads.
• Iced green tea.
• Cafe Latte in the morning as I write in my journal on the patio.
• Aunt Nita's chocolate cake. (She always brings it for the 4th of July gathering.)
• Kristen's special salsa.

School has been back in session for four complete weeks. So in a way it feels like summer has been over for awhile already. But summer always lasts in my heart until Labor Day Weekend.