Thoughts on Summer's End and Some Chocolate

Sleeping Beauties times two.

I've whined about this already several times .... I think. Maybe I was smart and just thought about it and then wisely chose not to post about it. In any case, here I go again..

I feel like summer was in some ways a complete bust this year. Not the things I did this summer - having my kids all home, greeting a new grandbaby, going to Faerieworlds. I mean summer as a backdrop was a bust. It was so hot and so smoky for so long that a lot of the summer activities I'd looked forward to doing just didn't happen.

I didn't garden past a week in late spring. I didn't do a lot of walking. I didn't finish cleaning the back courtyard so I could enjoy my new cafe set and fountain. I didn't have any tea parties or games nights (because they would have required too much cleaning and preparation). I didn't clean out my garage or have my yard sale finally or make much art or finish painting inside or...... All those things that required physical energy were just beyond me in those weather and health conditions. The only times I felt 100% were when I was in Washington and later Oregon and the temperatures were temperate and the air was clean.

And now here it is, between harvest celebrations on the calendar and what do I have to harvest? Not much from the garden. Not much project wise. I can accept that we just had to muddle through best we could. It's not like I'm the only one who had to deal with the fires or the odd summer! My life was touched only peripherally compared to many. I'm just feeling a little sad and bittersweet about it.

But let's flip it around and end on an upbeat. I've felt really inspired since returning from the faery festival. The weather has been hot and muggy lately, but there are signs of autumn, so I'm just working around the edges of the day knowing that cooler temperatures have to be just around the corner. Or a couple of corners. Although I'm not working as quickly as I'd wish, I'm at least finally getting some stuff done. Maybe I'll get some of those to-do's off my list by Mabon, who knows.

And I have a trip to look forward to as well. I know I've been saying I want to stay home for a change, but it's a last minute planned, pressure free trip. I'm going alone so I don't have to coordinate pet care or pack for the family or anything. I'll be behind the wheel both physically and figuratively, so it should be relaxing. In a week I'm taking off for San Diego to visit with my son Joe once more this year before he ships out to an overseas tour of duty. But I'm gonna try not to think about that. I'm just gonna enjoy his company, enjoy my grandbaby and DIL, and walk a bit in the ocean waves.

And finally, I promised you chocolate:

We stopped at this quirky chocolate shop in Ashland on our way up to Faerieworlds and I just now retrieved the photo I took of my purchase from my other camera. Almost too beautiful to eat! (although, I got over that pretty quick. Gulp. Gulp. Gulp. Gulp. All gone!)

I see they're available by catalog now - Silly Rabbit Chocolates. We discovered it a couple summers ago. You might remember me blogging about it. I think I showed you a photo of the front of their shop where they have a bubble machine going. How could anyone resist stopping to play in the bubbles, yes? I was happy to see that they were still in business. Their chocolates are very expensive, which is why I only bought a box of four. But oh, worth the money. They specialize in the unexpected - chocolates with flavors like pear, forest berries, basil, blood orange, s'mores, rosemary.... We also bought a bag of their specialty made focaccia garlic crackers. Yum!