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Summer Manifesto 2012

Summermanifesto

I love celebrating the seasons and yesterday was the solstice, which means it's officially summer. It's my fourth Arizona summer - I can't believe it! I suppose I'm getting better at tolerating the heat but I haven't come to love it, as some people say they do. It's not so much the high temperatures (we've already hit over 110 for quite a few days) it's that the heat drags on and on...and on and on. All the way into October. It's like that final mile of my most recent 5K: I have no idea where the finish line is and I'm losing enthusiasm for the race. 

BUT hot summers are a reality here so I want to make the best of it. Enter my Summer Manifesto 2012, which is hereby enacted through the fall equinox on September 22 (look at these fun astronomy terms I'm using!). By that time Falliday will be right around the corner, and hopefully the cooler temps will too. Here's what my manifesto entails:

+ lots of salads for dinners. Keeping the house cool - and the oven off - is key. I don't get too excited for the standard lettuce with some veggies so I'm going to try making salads from recipes (which I rarely do) for some inspiration. Cabbage, kale, nuts, and homemade dressings are all part of my leafy vision.

+ I've never been a scrapbooker - until now! I bought a summer minibook and am already having fun with it. I've always loved journaling and sometimes keep ticket stubs or scraps of paper. Now all my summer memories can live in one place. And maybe next summer I'll flip through my book and remember all the fun we had and how the heat wasn't so bad. Optimism!

+ once the Christmas season rolls around I'm so busy I don't get to make many homemade Christmas decorations, which I always want to do. Well, I've got plenty of time to hang out inside this summer (while it's 115 out) so I'm going to get crafty with some red, green, and white (and maybe sparkles). And hopefully this will remind me that it won't be hot forever.

+ and finally, when all else fails, get out of town! We've got two great trips planned to Missoula, Montana and Honolulu, Hawaii towards the end of the summer. Can't wait.

Happy summer!

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