Fly-By Summer

It's impossible that Fall is only a week away!

Last time I blinked it was June and summer was just beginning. School was out, mornings were bright and sunny and my drive to work was stress free. Evenings were long with so much time after work to accomplish everything that needed to be done. But then on June 21st the days began getting shorter! I find that weird somehow. Because, I mean, afterall, on June 21st summer has just started...

But it's September now and school's back in session, along with darker mornings and a more stressful drive to work.

Can you tell that the seasons have alot to do with my driving state of mind?

Anyway, I feel like I did absolutely nothing this summer. When in actuality I guess I did a lot.

For starts... Does anyone remember those two horrid and dead pine trees on the east side of my house that I had cut down last fall and then had no idea what to do next?

It looks much better now.

And then there was that equally horrid planter in back of my house that never seemed to do what I wanted it to do. Probably because I always thought I'd remember exactly the way I wanted to split, move and transplant my plants once they were either dormant in the fall or little sprouts in the spring. That never works! So I got smart this year with some help from PhotoShop!

Let's see what else?

I had my first succesful garden. Hard to believe that two little raised beds could have produced all they did.

My first harvest!

And of course with all those pickles I had to learn how to do THIS...

And THIS...

Just kidding... However, I DID use my cucumbers in my California Rolls. Learning how to make sushi was definitely one of the highlights of my summer!!!

Let's see, what else?

Somewhere in there I got my hair cut (even though I really, really need Daryn to fix it now...)

Oh yes! Got the fence fixed! (the fence that has been precariously leaning into my neighbors yard for the past two years...)

And I can't forget about the two months it took me to nearly rid my woods of this culprit!

As for the grand finale, which is probably the main reason my summer flew by as quickly as it did...

I went through every single nook and cranny of my home in an effort to clean out and downsize. One closet or drawer a night, one room a week, all summer. It was the HARDEST THING EVER to part with so many things that have always just been part of my life. I made sure not to get rid of anything that my kids were passionate or sentimental about and sent them THIS LINK in order to choose. (So anything you said you wanted is still safe girls! The rest of it has either been sold or donated... :( But my house is now SO CLEAN AND ORGANIZED!!!)

That said... I will never do another garage sale EVER in my life again... WAY too much work! Garage, consider this your last party on my watch.

Even though it was very successful overall!

I even had some old friends drop by.

It would have been SO great if both my girls could have been here too!

Anyway, as difficult as this is to say... "Bye Bye Summer, you steamy beast!" I know I'll see you again before I know it.