Summer To Do List

- Go on a lot of picnics. My family was on a picnic kick last summer and it was lovely. And I can't wait for more this summer. Sometimes we just have dinner at a local park, but Wisconsin is lovely in the early evening in summer.

- Have a magical vacation to Albuquerque!

- Turn 29. What a weird age.

- The Third Annual Summer Netflix Project!

- My pumpkin patch. I have a really fertile area for this summer's pumpkin patch, which makes me super excited. This year I am trying a new variety in addition to my standard jack 'o lantern pumpkins: rouge vif d'etampe. They are super pretty and magical looking.

- Growing sunflowers. The only thing that can parallel my love for growing pumpkins is growing sunflowers.

- The annual reading of Gone With the Wind.

- Going on a lot of walks. My favorite is to go on them on windy days along the marsh. The tall grass moves like the ocean and the feeling is epic. And mosquitoes aren't as bad when it is that windy.

- Farmers' Markets: I sincerely love that weekends in my town are defined by the Festival Foods parking lot being taken over by farmers selling their crops.

- Long drives with the windows down. There is nothing like driving through the country on an afternoon with the wind blowing into the car. Sure, you have to avoid driving by the dairies...but otherwise, the smell is amazing.

- Walking around barefoot. Summer in Marshfield really does feel like The Shire, and part of that is because shoes are negotiable. My favorite is to go barefoot looking for wildflowers on Sunday afternoons after dinner.

- Playing in the rain. We have some epic late afternoon thunderstorms here in the summertime. And it is lovely to go stand in the rain while everyone is freaking out about tornadoes.

- Lurking in stores in order to celebrate back to school sales...which start shortly after the 4th of July.