I've been:

1. trying to find a sliver of time to write here.

2. wondering why stores feel the need to put out school supplies like summer is over already and school starts tomorrow or something. so totally wrong.

3. cleaning the house like the pope's coming for tea. he's not, but you never know. really, I've been prepping for houseguests and they're here now, hopefully enjoying the fruits of my obsessive, frenzied labor.

4. gleefully consuming bags of cherries and many quarts of fresh blueberries from the neighborhood farmers market.

5. watching top chef and wishing I could cook something other than whole wheat spaghetti with marinara sauce.

6. making giant-sized pom-pom paper flowers for ava's big secret garden birthday party.

7. missing color week.

8. grilling out with good friends.

9. watching my zinnias bloom with much excitement and wondering when the sunflowers (whose stalks are now as tall as me) are going to start showing some color.

10. finishing up interpreter of maladies so I can start on the good earth. still putting together my ultimate reading list (based on all these terrific recommendations).

11. perfecting my strawberry lemonade recipe.

12. hoping to visit the drive-in movie theatre in newberg before the summer is over.

13. marveling over the fact that I CAN NOW SEW. my skill is limited, but still. I took a class last month and learned how to make an a-line skirt. I can't believe I made a skirt! have now cut the fabric out for about seven different skirts, all ready to be sewn. happy to say, a sewing machine will soon be in my possession.

14. listening for the tinkly music of the ice cream truck, hoping for the ice cream man to come through our neighborhood.

15. lamenting over the end of the summer postcard swap (though I am still receiving the occasional postcard). a wrap-up is in the works.

16. cleaning out the garage and unpacking so many forgotten boxes. finally, I have summer clothes and sandals to wear. finally, I found the curtains. and my big box of old letters to hang on the wall and the rest of our music collection and the ice cream sprinkler and the beach towels. the list goes on and on and on.

17. in a mild state of (pleasant) shock over the recent feature on photobooth friday in the oregonian newspaper. I do so solemnly swear to share it here this friday.

18. cursing my ice cube trays. why is it so hard to get the cubes out of the trays? I'm serious. I think I'm missing something. some special trick or something. it's really become quite the problem and I am a girl who needs a good supply of ice on hand.

19. wondering if there's any way I can make it to brooklyn in august for my brother von's first art opening.

20. dying to see paris je t'aime. and don cheadle's new movie. I am a big fan of mr. don cheadle.

21. hanging out in the backyard after dark and loving it. me and ward, we wander out there once the kids have gone to bed and sit out under the wisteria and string lights and we eat popsicles and talk about things. am currently obsessed with wyler's italian ice pops, which look like flav-o-ice pops but are slightly more sophisticated. why? because they are delightfully slushy and come in flavors like raspberry, lemon, kiwi-watermelon and orange creme. I discovered them at k-mart a while back while stocking up on martha stewart glassware and can no longer find them ANYWHERE. officially disappointed.

22. thoroughly enjoying keri smith's guerilla art kit. which is not supposed to be out until november but for some unknown reason, can be found at urban outfitters. sorry, keri-- I know I should've resisted the purchase (on principle) but I could not.

23. on the hunt for the best bubble recipe ever and the perfect white cotton nightgown.

24. wishing for a hammock.

25. dreaming of the ocean.

26. enjoying a new haircut (abby, I absolutely love the place you recommended and am totally going back).

27. relishing the time with my family, especially my brother nate. wondering how we're going to say goodbye when they leave here today. I don't think I'll be able to stand it.

28. wishing the summer would slow down already and not fly by at such a frightening speed.