Jump Start (3): A List-less Summer (aka Draft Folder cleanup)

Draft folder clean up.  We all have those unfinished posts that hide out in our draft folder, on scrap pieces of paper, or in Word documents.  Finish one up, now.

I think I have about twenty partially started posts in my draft folder and who knows how many on scraps of paper.  I think I needed to finish this one, to remind myself of warmer seasons.  Yesterday's high actually made it into double digits, 11 degrees, unlike what it is going to be like later in the week.  Brrr!

The past few years we have created a Sand Pail list for the summer.  The list was just a bunch of ideas of fun things to do.  Some of the things included trying out a new winery or brewery, going to a concert or the county fair or the local parade. 

We didn't create that list this summer.  It didn't matter.  Actually, maybe it was better.  I didn't have that feeling like I needed to cross one more thing off a list.  I didn't have to keep track of what, if anything, we were doing for fun.

We did all sorts of good stuff - a few concerts, a new, local winery, and even a baseball game.  But it felt a little more laid back, less scheduled.

One day during my summer week off from work, we started out for Amish country.  In the first five minutes of what was going to be several hours on the road, we met every incapable, bad, dangerous driver that there could possibly be.  We decided the aggravation wasn't worth it and turned around. 

We stopped at local garden center to pick up some plants for the front yard.  After that we headed to a local farmer's stand where they also sell outdoor furniture.  We picked out a couple of Adirondack chairs.  Best purchase, ever.

They are a great place to rest after gardening or to have an adult beverage after work.  Where we have them, under a tree on the hill, is perfect for watching the world, and all sorts of birds, go by.  There's a great breeze that is pleasantly cool on a hot summer day.  It's a great place to decide which concert or winery we want to visit.

Who needs a list?  We've got chairs!

AMDG

Sand Pail List: 2016 Edition

Several years ago we started creating a Sand Pail List of things to do during the summer.  The lists are good for that summer only and contain a variety of entertaining ideas.  Seeing things in writing seems to help me.  It reminds me of my options when I’m getting bored or when I’m overwhelmed with yard work and just want to do something fun. ( ‘cause girls just wanna have fun! )

What great summers we’ve had since starting the lists!  Not that we didn’t have fun before, but it got us trying and doing things that we may have thought about but never did.

 

Without further ado, here’s our 2016 Sand Pail List.  Some things are repeats and some items are new.  Watch out summer, here we come!

· Try out a new winery or brewery.

 

· Go to at least one free concert.

 

· Go to the county fair and enter something into one of the competitions.

 

· Go for a hike in one of the county or state parks that we haven’t yet been to.

 

· Try kayaking.

 

· Go to the batting cages.

 

· Plant something new in the vegetable garden.

 

· Go to a drive-in movie.

 

· Go on a photo safari.

· Attend the Chesterton conference.

 

 

Am I missing anything?  I'm open to suggestions.

 

What's on your list?

 

 

AMDG

Quick Takes (33) - Sand Pail Update

Since we're about midway through the summer, it seems like a good time to update the Sand Pail list.  We seem to be taking this summer at a different pace than previous ones, a little slower, a little more deliberate.  And, I'm lovin' it!  I don't feel stressed about doing, going, getting things done.  Everything is happening when and how it should.  

-1-

Every summer we like to visit a new-to-us county or state park.  This year was no different and we took a drive down to Salt Fork State Park in central Ohio.  It is a beautiful and large property with all sorts of activities.  We took advantage of one of the hiking trails.

-2-

The path was a little deceiving.  Once we got into the woods behind the trail sign, the hike quickly went downhill from there, literally.  That's not a bad thing; though, whatever goes down must come up.  It was a fairly hot day and the woods offered a cool respite from the sun.  It was beautiful and gloriously quiet, at least until the very large military helicopter flew overhead.

-3-

The park has a fairly large lake on which we saw quite a few boaters and fishermen.  The beach, however, was almost empty.  To say there were twenty people there would be a generous count.  We were actually rather surprised since it was just a few days before the Independence Day holiday and the weather was beautiful.

-4-

We enjoy going to some of the free Friday night concerts held at the nearby town, but many of those have been cancelled due to rain or threat of storms.  We finally made it to one of the concerts held on our township's circle.  A couple of weeks ago The Akron Big Band was featured and was excellent.  They played a selection of oldies but goodies including Rock Around the Clock, Moon River (my favorite), and their one "naughty" song, Makin' Whoopee.

-5-

Besides watching the band, we had a funny little dog to entertain us.  She seemed more intent on watching people walk by than watching the band perform.

-6-

When we looked around at the crowd, we determined, that even at our age, we were among the youngest ones there.  Most of the crowd had at least fifteen to twenty years on us, easily.  I'm not sure what that says about us, other than we like music that spans generations.

-7-

"Pride flings frail palaces at the sky,

As a man flings up sand,

But the firm feet of humility

Take hold of heavy land.

"Pride juggles with her toppling towers,

They strike the sun and cease,

But the firm feet of humility

They grip the ground like trees."

The Ballad of the White Horse - by G.K. Chesterton

Don't forget to check out more Quick Takes at This Ain't The Lyceum.

Have a great weekend!

AMDG

Sand Pail List – Take 2

Last year we created a Sand Pail List of things to do during the summer.  The list was good for that summer only and contained a variety of entertaining options.  Some of the items were very specific, Stop for ice cream at the local stand, and others were more open-ended, Go to at least one free concert.  

What a great summer we had!  We didn’t do everything on the list.  Some items we did more than once and in the case of another, we did a slightly different version.  All-in-all, we had fun!

Without further ado, here’s our 2014 Sand Pail List.  Some things are repeats and some items are new.  Watch out summer, here we come!

· Stop for ice cream at the RS stand. – We’ve passed by this place a few times and it looks like a combination of corner store, ice cream stand, and bait supply shop.

 

· Try out a new winery.

 

· Go to at least one free concert – Last year we went to several, but the one we really wanted to see, a Janis Joplin cover band, got rained out twice.  I’m counting on sunshine and blue skies on June 27th!

 

· Go to the County Fair and enter something into one of the competitions.

 

· Go for a hike in one of the county or state parks that we haven’t yet been to.

 

· Browse the local antique barn. - We've driven past it any number of times but have never stopped to look.  Why not now?
 

· Take a train ride.

· Go to a drive-in movie. - It's been years since we've gone to the theater to see a movie, it was the last Harry Potter one.  It has been much, much longer since I've been to the drive-in - before we were married.  Here's hoping there will be something good to see this summer.

· Brew our own beer.

· Make homemade ice cream.

What’s in your pail?

AMDG 

The Sand Pail Report - Saving the best for last

Back in the spring Himself and I put together our Sand Pail List for the summer.  It was a list of fun things we’d like to do that maybe we had never done or hadn’t done in a long time.

One of the comments I received was "Love this! Can we add "meet up with Rebecca" to it - and I'll put "meet up with Donna" in mine :)!"  And so it was added. 

And so we did!  It wasn't summer, but who cares?

We met in the middle at a beautiful resort/park to see the Christmas light display and have dinner.  When Rebecca texted me that they had arrived, Himself asked if I would recognize her when we got to the lobby.  Not a problem!  It was like meeting an old friend for the first time. 

What an awesome evening!  We talked about everything - faith, IF, authors, running, blogging, Breaking Bad, and so much more.  I love talking with someone who "gets it", who understands what we believe and why we do.  Those conversations are so energizing. 

Even a call from our dog/house sitter to say she locked herself out hardly paused the conversations.  A call to Sis to rescue the two strays set everything right.

I can't wait to do it again.



The Man, Rebecca, Donna, Himself

(I had to "borrow" Rebecca's photo.  I had two cameras and didn't take a single picture!)

PS.  Inspired by the surroundings and by this post we came up with a possible idea for next summer.  You'll just have to hang on a bit for more details.

AMDG

The Sand Pail Report - v1

 

 

Am I ever so glad we created our Sand Pail List!  We have been having a great summer discovering new things, some just right around the corner and others a little further away. 

 

After almost nine years of driving past the local ice cream haunt we finally stopped.  Actually, we've gone there twice.  It's good, cheap ice cream and we've gotten to enjoy the local scenery.  The first time we walked across the street and sat at the ball diamond.  The second time we were entertained by two littles of a family that shared our table.  The eighteen-month-old was enjoying both his and his dad's treats while the two month old baby ogled her mama's!



In our quest to visit a new-to-us state park we took a drive to Malabar Farm.  I knew nothing of this park other than it was a reasonable drive away.  On the tour of "The Big House" we got a history lesson about author Louis Bromfield.  He was a prolific writer with a keen interest in land preservation.  He became friends with Humphrey Bogart when they were both "nobodies" and was best man in two of his weddings, the second of which was to Lauren Bacall, which was held at the farm.  I can see us going back to this park as we only scratched the surface of what is to be discovered there.

The Big House

Mama goat and babies





Barns






Bromfield's study

What’s in your pail?

I've never seen the movie The Bucket List, but from what I’ve read Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman play two men who have terminal illnesses. While sharing a hospital room together, they decide to leave it and do all the things they have ever wanted to do before they die. It seemed like after that movie it became all the rage to create your own bucket list. 

There is something about that I just don’t like. Which is odd because I love lists. I just seems negative to me. It sounds so final. I’ve done everything on my list, now I can die. It sounds limiting. If it’s not on my list, I’m not going to do it. Or, what if something you want to do just isn’t possible? Like have a baby. 

At the end of last summer we came up with an alternative – the Sand Pail List. It’s good for just one summer and one summer only. It’s not a list of chores or tasks or goals. It’s a list of fun things we’d like to do that maybe we’ve never done or haven’t done in a long time. It’s also a reminder for when we look at each other and say “I’m bored. What are we going to do now?”

A few things on our list for this summer are:

· Visit the local historic Farm and Village. - The last time I was there was in 1987!

· Stop for ice cream at the local stand. – We’ve driven by it on our way to and from church for almost nine years and have never stopped. It’s about time.

· Go to at least one ethnic festival. - One summer, early in our marriage, we went to a bunch. What a great way to try new foods and partake of their entertainment. And they are usually pretty cheap too.

· Try out a new winery. – I have a particular one in mind, but you never know, we might find something else.

· In Amish country go for a buggy ride.– Just because.

· Go to at least one free concert. – Both near home and near my workplace the cities have weekly Friday night concerts. Most are cover bands so it will probably be a trip down memory lane.

· Go for a hike in one of the county or state parks that we haven’t yet been to.

· Plant something new in the veggie garden. – Looks like this year’s new item is going to be peanuts

There’s no prize for doing them all and there’s nothing to say we can’t do them more than once. But, my guess is that we’ll have a grand time this summer!

What’s in your pail?

AMDG