Summer Bucket List

Last years berry harvest

The air is rich with heat and the scent of warm grass, and the daylight lingers so long it almost wears out its welcome.  Now you know it's Summer.  Time once again when we all seem to write long lists of "things" we want to do through July and August.  And if you are like me, your list is too long to really accomplish it.

By Aug 30th my post summer- guilt kicks in and I'm kicking myself for not learning to paddle- board (that has been on my list for the last three years).  Much like New Years Resolutions, the Summer Bucket list can be difficult to complete; you have so many new and exciting things to do or see that the 100 item list is virtually impossible to cram into 60 days.  Between work, family and housework when will you check off even half of the list? I'm lucky in that I do have the 60 days work free and I still never fully cross off every item on my Bucket List.

So how do you accomplish the list completely, avoiding the post summer- guilt, you ask?  Well, one thing you can do is what my Bestie does- write a Summer Mantra that helps encompass many aspects of summer into one sentence.  She hasn't posted hers yet, but I think mine last year was- This is the summer of Wellness, Good Food and Great Company.  So in other words I wanted to relax, keep fit, hang out with people I love and enjoy all the yummy summer food.  All you need to do is write This is the summer of.... and fill in the blank with 3-4 things you want to focus on.  I usually do the mantra and then I make a long bucket list.

Cabin View

I haven't written my mantra yet, but my list is already forming.  I have decided to write 15 doable things and when I cross off at least 10 I will add 2 more, and so on.  That way by Aug 30th I should have my entire list crossed off in black slashes.  Also I'm choosing most activities that are in my wheelhouse and adding only one or two that is not, in hopes it will happen this summer, so it can get off my Maybe Next year list.

My Summer Bucket List:

1. Berry Picking with my mom at Krause Berry Farms
2. Eat fish n' chips from Moby Dicks' on the beach
3.Attend an outdoor concert or play
4.Spend a few days at the lake alone to write
5.Swim at Shuswap lake
6.Campfire and S'mores
7.Get away with just Scott and Triggs
8.Go on a boat ride

Boat Ride last year

9.Eat ice cream while strolling along a beach
10. Attend or Host a BBQ with friends
11. Drink The Flame ( an ice wine we bought three summers ago)
12.Play at the beach with my nieces and family
13. Make homemade boozy Popsicles
14.Read a book in a day
15. Paddle Board (it's happening this year)

Mantra: This is the summer of yoga, writing, fabulous company and romance

Yes, I said romance.  Stay tuned for my inexpensive dates and ways to ignite the flame post

So start your list or mantra and share it with me.  What is the first thing you want to do this summer?

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Ole Ole Ole

This post is supposed to be tongue-in-cheek, so all you FIFA fans please take this as just that.

It recently occurred to me that it has been almost two months since I last wrote a blog post, and while most people would think I'd post something about the teacher-strike, I have to say quiet frankly I'm done talking about it.  So instead here is my view on something that has taken over our house in the last week and a half- FIFA World Cup!!

Most of you know I'm not an expert on sports, let alone soccer.  Nor do I usually notice sports unless my husband is watching them and even then I'm usually wrapped up in the Twitter verse to really know what is happening.  Then one day last week this weird phenomenon happened- I was home bored and I put on FIFA.  And I have to say I was impressed by these athletic Gods of the soccer ball.  When Scott came home he asked what I did that day and I replied "watched the World Cup".  He almost fell over.

Then he asked me why.  I replied " because have you seen these guys?  They are remarkable.  Not only are these men incredibly athletic and passionate about their sport, but ALL of them are sexy.  I don't know if it's the uniform, or all the running and sweating, but there is something to be said about soccer players.  They are something to look at". He chimed in with "aren't all athletes good-looking?"

"Not really" I smirked.  So I went on to explain my grading system of the sports we regularly watch- Hockey, Football, and Golf.

* Hockey players are probably well-tuned athletes too, but they wear bulky uniforms that cover up everything, and they have missing teeth, brutish looks and they spit a lot while on the bench.  Not my cup of tea.

 * Football players are pretty much the same as hockey players, and some of them are definitely not in the best of shape.

Then you have Golfers.  They may dress nicely, but with the exception of Adam Scott, there isn't much sex appeal; it's kind of like watching your dad or brother play.  Not to mention the matches are slow and can be boring.

Soccer and Australian Football are new sports in our household and I'm slowly learning the lingo and rules, but in the meantime, I'm finding it pretty exciting to watch.  No to mention it keeps my mind off of other stressful things.  So Ole, Ole, Ole...