Oh how I miss the summer days of my youth - September looming far off in the distant future, plenty of time to relax...and time to waste. The never ending luxury of feeling bored...and the weeks seemed to go on and on.
Now as an adult, time feels crunched. Eric and I are coming to the close our one week vacation, and it occurs to me that this was our summer vacation, whittled down to a small week of wonderful.
My mom and two of my younger sisters (I have three sisters in total) came up from Eugene for the Fourth of July. My youngest sister Kelsey stayed on with Eric and I for the remainder of the week, allowing us to impress her with our favorite Portland restaurants and a series of backyard gatherings. Kelsey is almost 15, and as I am almost 30, she is exactly half my age. Despite her youth she is wise beyond her years and I feel a deep connection with her. I love my other sisters too, but since I am pretty sure she is the only member of my family who actually reads this blog, I feel comfortable in letting her know that our relationship is extra special. She went home earlier today, and I already miss her.
We had a great week. We headed out to Indian Beach for a bit of surfing on Tuesday, ate oyster shooters, clam chowder, and fried halibut and prawns (of course!) On the way home the next morning, we hit up a market for delicious stone fruit and berries. Evidence of my growing vintage pyrex obsession below:
This array of summer sweetness made way for a wonderful fruit salad which accompanied amazing pulled pork sandwiches over at the new Portland Harris house... I'm not sure if I would love the summer quite as much if it wasn't for the berries.
From Wednesday on, Eric and I worked around the clock in preparation for the Mississippi Street Fair. Eric built me two new earring racks, and thanks to Robin's suggestion for the perfect mirror - my display was a true winner. I was so proud of how everything turned out, it was just as I had envisioned it.
Sunday. Now it's time to settle back to regular life again. I feel like I need another vacation to recover from the fair and all the work it entailed. Next year I vow to take off two weeks instead. Afterall, a whole summer's worth of fun and relaxation can't be contained within one week. It's just not mathematically possible.
Now that the Mississippi Street Fair is behind me, it's time to start working on the various projects around the home. We are having a new roof installed tomorrow (ouch!), and next weekend is dedicated to painting the living room. The hardwood floors are to follow, and on we go.