53 things I want to do in my 53rd summer…

I normally don’t let myself get excited about summer until the school year is out (and that doesn’t happen for another 2 1/2 weeks). But this year I can’t help myself–I’m in the summer frame of mind and want to celebrate all the fun that summer brings! Decided to make myself a list of things I want to fit into this summer. Because lists are glorious things!

1. Meet and hang out with Ana!!! 😀 😀 😀
2. Go to the Strand with Ana. 😀
3. Take Ana to Niagara Falls. 😀
4. Take Ana to Mount Hope Cemetery. 😀
5. Explore more of NYC with Rich and Gray.
6. Read at least 20 books. (#20booksofsummer)
7. Build a blanket fort out in the yard and spend the day reading in it.
8. Check out at least 5 new walking/hiking trails.
9. Write and send off the last of Gray’s 10th grade progress reports.
10. Send LOI for next year’s homeschooling.
11. Write and send IHIP for next year’s homeschooling.
12. Get all homeschool prep for September+ done.
13. Drink frozen margaritas. Plural. 🙂
14. Go blueberry picking: restock the frozen blueberry section of our deep freezer/restock the pantry with blueberry jam.
15. Finish getting the garden in: build cucumber trellis and build pumpkin and/or melon mounds.
16. Continue harvesting the rhubarb: freeze more/bake more tarts/try making rhubarb jam.
17. Build trellis for blackberries.
18. Go raspberry picking: freeze a few pints/make and can jam.
19. Make and can oodles and oodles of pickles.
20. Can oodles and oodles of sliced jalapeños.
21. Can oodles and oodles of tomatoes.
22. Make and can oodles and oodles of salsa.
23. Freeze shredded zucchini and chopped jalapeños.
24. Pickle and can beets and turnips.
25. Walk the entire Genesee Riverway Trail in bits and pieces.
26. Eat at Sinbads.
27. Eat at Sticky Lips.
28. Eat at the Beale Street Cafe.
29. Make Long Island Iced Teas.
30. Shangri-La beneath the summer moon.
31. Go back to Ithaca.
32. Visit a library branch we haven’t been to yet.
33. Go to Central Library.
34. Have the septic tank pumped. 😉
35. Build our little patio.
36. Finish watching the first 7 seasons of Columbo with Rich. (We’re currently on season 2.)
37. Finish Chris’s slightly moderately ridiculously overdue Christmas present. 😉
38. Finish “ugly blanket.”
39. Bring in flowers from outside every week.
40. Finish listening to The Twelve with Rich.
41. Go wilderness camping.
42. Ride bikes.
43. Eat watermelon. And fresh corn on the cob.
44. Get frozen yogurt.
45. Reorganize my craft/gift/storage area in the basement.
46. Drink iced tea. Every day.
47. Make at least one scrapbook layout/Project Life layout/memory-keeping project a week.
48. Get 10 Christmas gifts made.
49. Visit a state park.
50. Send loads of postcards.
51. Get at least 2 1/2 more 6-block-wide strips added to quilt top.
52. Read at least one essay, one short story, one poem, and one fairy tale each week. Read as many outside as possible.
53. Drink 10 different beers, 5 different mixed drinks, and 3 different wines.

Yep, that has the makings for a fun, happy, and productive summer. What are you most looking forward this season?