Is Summer REALLY over????

Well, Labor Day has come and gone, and I might as well face facts. . . it is time to turn over the wardrobe, pack away my white linen pants, my Lilly dresses and capris and store away the flip flops (ouch, that actually physically hurt to say the last part about the flip flops!!!).

All in all I had SUCH a nice weekend! It started off with a migraine and me just being kind of down in the dumps, missing my girls after spending so much time with them. I made dinner for the boy and I after work, chicken rollups with asparagus and cheese over rice, but, I was too busy chatting about my trip and consuming wine to lessen the headache, that I over cooked the chicken a tad and it was a little dry. I still have not really gotten the handle of the boys kitchen yet and it seems as though my culinary skills have been out of practice for a bit, so I have not been doing very well. I will be rectifying that situation however. I did have a melt down though. He was wonderful however, I truly am quite lucky. I guess it was just the whole thought of knowing that I don't have that special group of friends here that love and support you no matter what like I have in my girls out East. I got through it though, and Saturday was a new day and it started out pretty nice. We got up and went for a really nice long fast walk which felt really good. He and I both really enjoy looking at the architecture of different houses and also the curb appeal of different homes so walks are fun for us. The migraine was still hanging on, so I went home to shower and get ready and then see how I felt before we decided what to do for the day.

After getting cleaned up and talking to my sister for a bit, we thought maybe Stillwater, MN might be a good idea. Stillwater is the oldest town in MN. It is right on the river and is just beautiful. I had never been but the boy had a few times and we had chatted about going in the past. Well, we picked a good weekend as everyone else in MN was at the fair. It was nice to just throw on a skirt, v-neck AA tee and flip flops and just shoot out there. We had a nice afternoon of rummaging through some the antique stores which we both love as well as some of the old book stores. Had a couple of cocktails on an outdoor patio over-looking the river and also a very nice dinner at The Saint Croix Music Cafe. It was a really nice relaxing low key day.

Before we went to Stillwater, we had the opportunity to go and take a look at the house that he is going to flip. I am really excited about this as it will be the first one I will get to see him do from beginning to end. I must say, this one looks like it has great potential and it is closer to downtown than he is. Most of the work that the house needs is cosmetic with some landscaping and the cul-de-sac that it is on is really nice and the neighbors seemed really friendly as well. I am hoping that he is going to let me help with it here and there. I would really like to help with the landscaping if nothing else, but I am not going to push it, everything in good time. Speaking of which. . . . .

I met the parents. . . .and he met my mother! HUGE for me! And scary of course, but it all turned out for the best! We didn't really plan it, but on Saturday he kept saying I could come up to the lake on Sunday, and that he didn't want to pressure me or anything because his parents were going to be there, but I was welcome if I liked. So I decided to go up for the "day" on Sunday and did not get home until late last night!!!! Luckily I thought ahead and packed enough just in case, but we really had a WONDERFUL time and his parents are really great, not that I did not think they would not be, it is just kind of a big commitment to "meet the parents". His dad is so much like him and REALLY funny. I really liked his mom too. We talked about the house he would be flipping and how we went to look at it. They both bragged about how talented their son is when it comes to these things which was really cute. I was nervous though. It was nice that the boy handed me a cocktail pretty much as soon as we got up there.

On our way up, me following him, I was on the phone with my sis talking about what she would be up to and such, and she said that my mom was at her antique store up that way and that they were having a special event for Labor Day weekend. I knew that if she found out that I was up that far and just drove by I would never hear the end of it. So I phoned the boy in front of me and asked if we could take a quick detour. I think that he was okay with it, but I am sure that I caught him off-guard too. It was nice though and I think that my mom was really pleased. I also think it was good for the boy to see one of my mom's stores. I saw a drop-leaf kitchen table with two chairs that I thought was really cute, but until I am moved in and know exactly what I need I am waiting on pretty much everything until I am moved and unpacked. Although I did pick up a missing piece to my pyrex pink gooseberry collection that I found with him on Saturday, that was fun though.

Hi familiy's house on the lake is beautiful of course. Not that I would expect anything less from that family. With his dad being in real estate for the past 28 years or so and after seeing his brother and his brother's girlfriends new house as well as the boy's house and knowing how particular he is, I just knew that everything would be immaculate and very well decorated, homey and comfortable. After a quick lunch (leftovers from the night before, the brother's girlfriend made two huge pans of lasagna, the boys favorite) his dad took the three of us for a spin on the lake in the pontoon. It was raining a little on our way up, but by the time we got up to the lake it was sunny and nice. The lake is really pretty, just the right size and the water is crystal clear. We circled around a couple of the islands and looked at some of the other houses and then they took me to see the nest of two bald eagles who have settled on the lake and we were lucky enough to see BOTH of them! They are so majestic and beautiful looking, it was SO much fun to see them! By the time we got back the brother, his girlfriend and her two boys had appeared. We hung out and then the brother, girlfriend, boy and I grabbed a couple of cocktails and hopped on the boat for a spin around the lake. A really good time, and the boy looked so handsome and relaxed as he just sat back enjoying himself. We got back in time to have some snacks on the deck and the girlfriend and I helped mom with a little pre-dinner prep work. She made an 18 lb. turkey that was delicious. It was nice to sit down, all 8 of us, and have a big turkey dinner it NOT be Thanksgiving! Later after dinner we went over to the brothers lake house for a bon fire and some more cocktailing with them. Got to bed quite late, and of course the boy, not being a big drinker, woke up feeling slugglish the next morning so after breakfast with his parents (I slept in his room, he slept on the futon) I dragged him out for a nice fast three mile walk. I of course would have liked to have gone further, but we did have a good time. It was a beautiful day and we got back and jumped in for a swim. More boating and hanging out yesterday and then I headed home. I am so glad I went though and his parents really are wonderful, not that I expected them not to be, they did raise him and he is wonderful, but it is a BIG step for me in a relationship. But, it is now out of the way. I had a great last weekend of the summer, and now I am ready to embrace fall.

We have a lot planned already, so I know it will be fun. We have a Twins game (and they are playing so well), the Renaissance Fair, the Vikings home opener, his birthday (which I need to start planning today), me moving and his house flip. I am sure there will be other things that will be coming up as well! I have a couple of wine tastings and polo this weekend, plus bookclub and a few other things that I would like to knock off of my to do list. I need to look at my holiday gift list and see what is needed there as well as think about Halloween and see what needs to be done there. Moving is going to be a pain as it will throw me off, but work and the boy will keep me grounded.

Off to look at this weeks to-do list! I have to figure out how to pack away my flip flops this year, and I also have to pack away a vacation bin so that it is convenient with the things that I would like to bring. We talked about Florida in March this past weekend, and while of course I would never make plans with the boy this far in advance at this point, it is nice to have that tickler in his ear. I would like to do Boca Raton, Del Ray and Ft. Lauderdale again this year. We will see! Any thoughts on how to store flip flops would be greatly appreciated. I have my ElizaB's as well as my basic reef's that I wear when I need to just run around in the basic black or brown. But with all of the cute JCrew one that they had out this year, I think I have pushed my flip flop count to about 20 or so. . . . .

We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have.
— Frederick Koenig