Be Still a Minute...: 30 Things I plan to do this summer (because...)

1. Go to a drive-in movie or two because there is one only about 25 miles away from me and I have not been to one since I was like 6 or 7 years old.

2. Drive to the mountains for a picnic because we are only an hour's drive from the Blue Ridge Parkway and it's always a good 10 degrees cooler up there in the summer

3. Eat several fresh homegrown tomato sandwiches because the Dracenator and I have planted 4 tomato plants in the backyard. Not to mention all the ones he is helping Popaw Bob grow in the big garden.

4. Pick some blackberries and make something yummy out of them because the things grow wild all over the place around here.

5. Take the boys to the nearest amusement park because I'm a glutton for punishment.

6. Finish reading my book because I put it on hold when we moved and start the next one in the series and finish it too.

7. Swim in the Atlantic Ocean because that is what I do every summer because...well, I love the ocean and that is the closest one to where I live.

8. Get at least my feet wet in the creek with the boys because I haven't in...well, forever and I have fond memories of creek swimming.

9. Make homemade ice cream a few times because we all love it and really, who doesn't?

10. Eat a lot of homegrown watermelon because I know it will be aplenty and plus, I love it! And if you read my have you ever? post last week you know why I won't be accidentally swallowing any seeds.

11. Sit out in the sunroom (on my new furniture which should be here in about 4 weeks) during a thunderstorm because I kinda have a love/hate relationship with them. I'm awed and fascinated by them but also a little scared of them too and I think the sunroom will be the perfect compromise for us...."us" being me and the thunderstorms.

12. Paint the kitchen because we FINALLY got all that stinkin' no good wallpaper off about a week ago and it is so past time to get some paint on those walls.

13. Strip the wallpapers in the bathrooms and paint those too because I just don't do wallpaper and I really want my red bathroom.

14. Keep up with my zumba, pilates, yoga and boot camp classes because my sanity and the very lives of my family members depends on it and plus, I seem to be talkin' about food a lot in this post!

15. Keep the Dracenator reading because he made a lot of progress over the past few months and I don't wanna see him lose any of it.

16. Sleep in at least 2 days a week because if you've spent any time reading this stuff of mine you know that I'm no big fan of mornings.

17. Try to keep the Darlings (mostly Big Boy) from digging their way to China in the backyard because, number 1, I don't want a big Texas sized hole in the yard and number 2, I am not planning on running a doggie salon in my bathtub all summer long.

18. Have some friends and family over because we finally have enough room to entertain.

19. Get my old friend, the porch swing, painted and hung on the front porch because I miss my friend and all the quiet moments we used to spend together at the old house.

20. Ride my old friend, the bike, at least once because what's it been, like 9 or 10 years now since I let the poor ol' girl outta the basement?

21. Try to find a fireworks show on the 4th of July because I haven't done so in quite awhile and this will be the first time in 3 years that I've even been in the country on the 4th and I'm still proud to be an American and plus, I just like me a good fireworks display.

22. Eat a meal of homegrown fried okra, and squash and tomatoes and cantaloupe and corn and cucumbers because I know Momaw Pat will fix up a good mess of all that stuff out of Popaw Bob's garden at least once and she can cook like nobody's business.

23. Drink a whole lot of sweet tea (though I try to do Splenda instead of sugar most of the time) because...I'm from the South? And plus, I like it. A lot.

24. Get some new hummingbird feeders and hang them out in the yard because I love watching the sweet little things, though if you have ever really spent a lot of time watching them, you know that they aren't always sweet cause the little territorial suckers will flat out fight over a feeder they've staked their claim on. I like feisty. ;)

25. Get the basement at the old house cleaned out and all the other projects done around there that need doing because we need to have a renter in it within 3 months for insurance purposes.

26. Eat a lot of fish and green salads because I like fish and salad and they're both good for the body so if you have any good recipes for either of those two things, throw 'em at me.

27. Go see the new Twilight movie, Eclipse, because I finally broke down a few months back (after I swore I would not be sucked into the madness) and ~~read~~ devoured those books like a crazy person.

28. Try to prevent the two loving brothers from inflicting any major injuries on each other because who wants something like that on their mom resume?

29. Sit out on the deck and enjoy a glass of red wine or two because all the stuff I've just said I'm gonna do this summer has me a little bit stressed already.