ode to summer days

i can't believe it will be September in just 2 more days. its amazing to me how it flew by so fast, even though i had all this "free" time, not working and all.

i could say this was the summer of being poor and depressed, and having my PapPap diagnosed with a very rare disease. but even though these huge things are like dark clouds on my life, that doesn't mean that the sun didn't come out for me to enjoy on occasion. so in order to recognize this summer as a good one despite my other inclinations, i decided to make a list of all the good things that have happened since the end of May:

*having a super fabulous 27th birthday party eating @ the Cheesecake Factory and seeing Sex & the City 2

*seeing my far away friend that lives in Alaska and having a 2nd birthday shindig for both of us....including the same restaurant & movie because they were that good ;)

*making new friends at the infamous one and 1/2 week long job assignment- it was the best working experience i've ever had. hence the phrase short and sweet.

*spending 2 whole weekends with my sister- making up for lost time and re-getting to know each other

*receiving an unexpected email from a long lost friend, whom i had a falling out with. a sign that all things forgotten are not always lost...or all things lost are not always forgotten.

*having fun in the sun with jesse's family, when his dad took us and his little sister to the local aquatic center

*making the yearly trip to Valley Junction farmer's market with my friend and eating gormet cupcakes

*having a "staycation" with Jesse @ Gray's Lake when we were supposed to be in Colorado

*going to my very first I-Cubs game for free, all due to my bff in Des Moines

*making plans with my best friend from high school to catch up & hang out-just us girls. something pleasantly unexpected after people get married and don't live too close.

*starting a new scrapbook, just for me this time. the first out of 7 that i get to keep.


...and i'm sure there are more pleasant memories or things that happened simply because i didn't have other set obligations, job wise. so to invite another cliché into the mix, that is the silver lining to my dark clouds.