Summer Ambitions

My head and my heart are currently at war.

My head shouts, “Make hay while the sun shines!” while my heart whispers, “Relax, recharge, reflect.” 

My head wants to make a hefty To Do list and tackle a project each week; my heart wants to snuggle up in cozy blankets and read romance novels.

My head reminds that my plate is overflowing with home repairs. My heart says, “Maybe it’s time for a diet.”

Summer is almost one third over, and the Head vs Heart debate has come to a head so it’s time for a compromise. These are my Summer Ambitions.

Get Some Work Done

The list is long and never-ending, and this summer I will cross a few items of the list, but I don’t think any major jobs are on the agenda. The fence will have to last one more season, and the deck … well, I’m not going to hold my breath. The thing is after the last year I am exhausted, and my husband still isn’t able to help as much as he’d like. We’ve tackled more big jobs than we ever even knew we could this year, and maybe this summer it’s time to let some big jobs ride and take on a few small but important tasks.

This summer I will finish jobs that can be done in an afternoon. Prune the hydrangea. Replace the outdoor sconces. Pull weeds in the flowers beds. Repaint the outdoor chairs. Reorganize the closets or cabinets. There are lots of days and lots of small tasks. I know I’ll get some of them done, and my summer work ambition is to give myself the grace of not counting.

Have Some Summer Fun

I wish I could whisk my family away to the beach for a month, but that’s just not in the cards. We have jobs. We have commitments. We have bills to pay and, at least this summer, no month-long-beach-trip money to spare, but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy as many of the special little summer indulgences as we can.

My resting summer ambition is to drink summer up to the very last drop. Take a day trip the beach. Go camping. Eat froyo. Grill all the dinners. Eat s’mores. Sleep in. Stay up late. Visit the Farmer’s Market. Visit my daughter in Seattle. Enjoy the long days of summer by the fire with friends.

This summer I want to forge a balance between work and fun. Get it done and have fun at the same time. Make some decent changes, but also rest up and be calm before the Fall hustle bustle hits.

Happy Summer, my friends!