So much. So much.

Gratitude.

I am loving this summer.

I've been able to do a little work in the gardens.  The mornings are cool (June Gloom, which I love) I've been productive here and there.  Today I finished this small bed in the front courtyard.  I weeded, deadheaded, dug out  a section of snowdrops (planting THOSE was a colossal mistake), laid a little pathway made of used bricks my dad had held onto.  Added compost, planted some gerbera daisies and Royal Velvet petunias.  Rescued a hydrangea that's been in the wrong place for a few years and tucked her into a pot.  Replaced her with a native sticky monkeyflower that should do better in this full sun spot.

Here's a picture of the completed bed:

When the lisianthus comes to the nurseries I'm going to add them along the back.  I fed everything and am optimistic that this will be stunning.  Lots of color.

I love color.

This is my pride right now.  This is one of the hydrangeas I treated with aluminum sulfate and it did, indeed, turn blue.  Crazy lovely.
 

Inside the house I'm purging the library, hoping to move a set of lawyer's bookcases out of the family room which should create some space for my fabric drawers.  Once they are set I'll move into the garage to purge some more and create more space there and then FINALLY get the crap memorabilia I brought back from the storage unit several months ago out of the family room.  That will be the hard part.  The historian in me has a hard time getting rid of stuff with historical potential (like a box full of Obama campaign goodies) but we're at critical mass here.

All of this must now revolve around my new summer job.

Amazing.

I had a financial need.  My district sent a call for applications for their summer arts academy.  I've always sworn I would never teach summer school, but need is need so I took a look at what they are offering and felt a little explosion of excitement when I saw "Creative Writing."  I put together a resume and cover letter to sell myself as a CW teacher (something I have never taught before) and sent it in with a "Que sera, sera" attitude and GOT THE JOB.  Wow!  Today was my first day and I had a blast!  25 kids grades 4-8.

A delightful little Writer's Community.

Taking advantage of the time off to work on getting my Weight Watchers mojo back.  Have been doing the EKG imitation for a few months now.  (No, no heart problems; just my weight record going up and down and up and down and...)    I have fewer than 40 pounds to go to my goal weight now and would love to be able to knock 15-20 of them off this summer so am exercising six out of seven days a week.  Three days at the gym, one night of clogging and two nights a week of "Yoga For the Rest of Us" (Peggy Cappy.  Easy enough but I can still feel it, and it really does send me to a different place.)

Not planning a trip this summer (saving for Japan in the fall), but I'm excited about what is coming up.  Friday is my birthday (came around fast) and I'll celebrate with my mom at our favorite restaurant (she hosted a family bash for my BIL and me last Saturday).

After dinner I'll return to my town to catch the last showing (read: no kids)  of Disney's newest.

I don't know why I'm so excited for this except that I love the humor I've seen in the trailers.  And the score.  And the art.  And Merida herself, who seems to be so much of what I want to be.

Only older.

Sunday is a double header!  The third Sunday morning coffee with Tom Shadyac and crew in Venice in the morning and the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles concert with Leann Rimes in the afternoon.  A good friend from my writing class two years ago is joining me for the day and there will be lunch and non-stop conversation, if my previous visits with him hold true.

The following Saturday will be a trip to Disneyland.  I don't know that Mom and I will check out the new Cars Land at California Adventure (she hasn't even seen the movie and has no interest; I have no interest in a seven-hour wait for the new Racers ride so will pass until off-season) but I'm very excited to see the new Buena Vista Street entrance and the newly renovated Main Street USA at Disneyland.  We are eagerly awaiting our first Carnation Cafe breakfast in months and some Pecan Nuttles from the Candy Palace.  It's also the season for the All American College Band, and they've moved our Billies to a new venue that we want to check out.

Add in some visits scheduled with old friends and the summer is shaping up great.