A New To Do

Some of you might remember last summer?  When I set off to find 25 summery things to do in order to keep my mind on the most beautiful months in the Northwest instead of madly counting down the days toward my trip to France?

Well this summer I'm doing the same thing.  

Only instead of following a list, I'm creating one.

#1) Grill burgers (check)

#2)  Make coleslaw (check check)

(Welcome to SSG's dinner last night.)

#3)  Chat outside with the neighbors enjoying the twilight that lasts until after 9 p.m. (check check and check)

I'd say the first day of summer for SSG went pretty well.

(And yes, SSG realizes it's not TECHNICALLY summer yet.  But in SSG's world summer lasts from June 1st - September 5th-ish.)

Serendipitous Summer

This dear readers, is Lake Oswego.  It's a suburb south of Portland and where SSG lived before she bought her house.

Um ... SSG could not afford a house in Lake Oswego.  But DID have a very nice apartment for 6 months.

The city has a great farmer's market that runs from May to October that I still love going to.

I don't think there is anything more beautiful than a farmers market early on a Saturday morning. 

Unless of course we're talking peonies.  

Or asparagus. 

They even have a doggie day care with the CUTEST little volunteers (and their parents) watching the pooches.  

SSG strolled through the market, pondering summer ... DEFINITELY grateful that spring is behind her.  What with the cleaning and purging and general overhaul of Chez SSG, she's ready for some good quality down time ... sitting on the deck each night with something cold to drink, afternoons at the coast, slipping into a novel for an entire day, long hikes with Fisher split up by lunch and the requisite dunking of feet into a cool stream.  The good life.  The LAZY life.

And as she was driving to the grocery store, sipping on her iced coffee, she pondered ease, dreams and FIREMAN.

SSG almost crashed her car trying to get their attention.  But alas, they turned at a different light than where she needed to go ...

That's okay, SSG's peace of mind this summer doesn't need to be cluttered up by the butterflies that show up in her tummy with respect to boys ... but ohmahgah THE FIREFIGHTERS WERE SHOPPING AT HER GROCERY STORE!

Scratch that earlier assessment.  What IS IT ABOUT THE NAVY BLUE UNIFORM?! 

(Sorry for the poor quality, SSG was in a rush trying to carry her basket, wipe the drool from her lips and take a picture all while looking like she was v.v. interested in the display of Prego.)

But MAN they are cute.  And seeing the little kids talking to them was ADORABLE.  SSG must really borrow a kid next Saturday.  Do they have a service like that?  Rent a kid or whatever?

Anyhoo ...

SSG spent the evening downtown on a new BW09 outing ... which is slowly starting to turn into Stout Watch 2009, because SSG has discovered she loves STOUTS.  And Portland is like the brew pub capital of the universe so there is A LOT to choose from.  And yes, we're still talking about the beer.  Maybe.

It was a great weekend ... full of fresh food, sleep, beer, baseball, flirting and fireman.  

Which coincidentally sounds like just the right plan for SSG's summer.