Shelving My Inner Pessimist

That little voice in the back of my head, the one I often want to squeeze into an overflowing closet and slam the door on until I feel better equipped to handle it...it's been rather vocal lately.

Like a broken record, it whines time is running out to an unknown tune.

Thinking of summer's close makes my stomach tighten and my head hurt. There's still so much I want to do: go blueberry picking, visit Moosehead Lake, spend a week lounging around our time-shared Cape Cod cottage (that has seen better days but has an undeniably gorgeous water view), take a ferry to Martha's Vineyard to meet a friend, go to Mainely Custards for the frozen custard of the day, hike up Mount Katahdin, go shopping in New York City, research job opportunities in the writing/editing field, attempt a half a dozen DIY projects to decorate my room at school, learn how to make Mom's orange chicken fajitas, check out the rest of the library's Karen Robards collection, have dinner at The Good Table Restaurant, take a weekend to visit Boyfriend on the lake, sail a Laser with my dad and my brothers, complete a 15 mile long run...the list goes on.

Despite my repeated attempts to savor every hour of every day (and subsequently slow down the passage of time), the calendar keeps turning. July is hurtling towards August, and soon the warm weather months will have slipped away entirely for another year.

In order to temporarily shelve my inner pessimist, I'm trying to keep in mind the things that are making me happy. Not having any serious commitments (outside of the occasional doctor/dentist appointment) has been such a welcome relief. Being able to spend time in the kitchen, puttering around the garden, and out on the road with my mom has been somewhere far north of so nice. Having Brother #3 (who doubles as my year-round best friend) around to work out, grill, and bake with has been such a treat. I'm most grateful for the fact that the thought this is the life has popped into my head more times than I can count in past three months.

Of course, there have been some material things worth smiling about too. Here's a look at some of the things that have made me happy this week:

New Easy Reads

Mom's Garden Bouquet

Destination Stickers and a Tomato Red Journal

Progress on the Recipe Book, Part I

Progress on the Recipe Book, Part II

My New Toy!

Turquoise Earrings from The Carry All in Scarborough, ME