Hi there folks! The Bessette’s have been just hammering away at our house to dos, anniversary plans, contract work, blog redo - and enjoying the summertime. This means the weekend wrap up posts have gotten a little lost…..so today a look at our July weekends so far….
The weekend of the 4th we had big plans for a housewarming party. But since Danny is still recovering, Quinlan had some residual skunk effects, and I am in the midst of a few time sensitive items -we traded bigger plans for a quiet weekend with some summer time favorites. Starting with the pool on the 3rd!! Danny is not always into the pool - I have no idea why? Bright sun, frosty beverage, trashy magazines and gossip galore……but it is just not something he looks forward to the same way I do. So on that holiday friday, he let my sister and I have our own pool day.
It was sunny, with a light breeze - the perfect scene was set for Bridget and I to do some pool lounging and catch up. She is heading into her senior year, thinking about college, wondering about “the real world”. This year will go quickly and soon she will be headed out to college and the start of truly making her own path. When that time comes, it is these moments I will cherish.
That afternoon my Ganmommy had come to my parents for dinner - so we visited with everyone during happy hour. At the risk of sounding repetitive…. the older I get, the more life seems to speed by, the greater I stop and appreciate that an afternoon hearing my grandmother’s laugh, watching her plead with my mom to use the leaf blower or do some yard work (until just the past few years she still mowed her own lawn - into her 90s!!), hearing my husband ask her about her childhood or early 20s - those little moments in time are gifts. This winter when it is cold again and the snow flakes dance around my parents empty yard, I will recall this sweet summer afternoon fondly. These sorts of time capsules will exist for when my world looks a little different and I want to remember when….
Danny is feeling better, eating more and more each day, and slowly coasting his way back to neutral….but the energy it takes to get himself back to healthy is still very draining. And poor guy found himself asleep around my parents table as we all visited several times that afternoon. There is no doubt he is on the mend, but it is a marathon - not a sprint, and so if he needs naps, if we need movie marathons in the basement, if our weekends are spent counting puppy walks - that is OK.
Friday evening and Saturday during the day were spent at home with Danny continuing to rest and Shiba and I hidden away in our loft writing and working…..the blog redo is almost here and a few quiet hours were just what I needed!
By the time Saturday night rolled around we were ready to be out and about and settled on a movie day. For a moment it felt a little anti-climatic to be indoors on the 4th of July - but for us a few drinks and movie date, in a theatre that was all our own, was just what the doctor ordered.
Luckily for us on Sunday we had our neighborhood’s fireworks display directly above the house!! Dan has always been a firework fan - it sort amazes me how captivated by the show he can be, noting all the detail, guessing how far away they really are- sometimes I wonder what secret he knows that I don’t? His wide-eyed amazement at their beauty always makes me look just a little harded to see what it is he sees. Our first summer dating it was actually a running joke - every date we had we saw fireworks! We would see them randomly and chuckle to ourselves - having no idea how often our summertime love story, set just below the magic of all those fireworks displays, would be retold over and over again.
We also promised that next year - a party on the 5th of July was a MUST with our front seat view to this fireworks show! Happy Birthday America!! So blessed to call this country - land of the free and home of the brave - my nation, under God!
This past summer weekend was another blur! Even as a bunch of our plans changed and we suddenly found ourselves a little less booked, it still went quickly. Friday night was the end of a long week for both the office and my contract work…..so the most I could accomplish was sitting. Lucky for me it was with the view of our beautiful little patio. We are so lucky that a Pintriest worthy DIY couple were the previous renters and we are spoiled by their creations.
In an ideal world Danny and I planned to sit under the stars, sipping a few drinks, enveloped by the fragrance of our garden, and plan the final weeks of summer, catch each other up on some personal bucket list type projects, and plan our recently made barren weekend…..the reality looked a little more like I continue to nod off and Danny tries to wake me and return us to the conversation. Needless to say I had to just call it quits and hit the hay - thanks hun for trying….next time let’s sip Starbucks!!
Originally we had plans to be out most of Saturday but cancellations, pending storms - we opted for staying home. Knowing I had ALL DAY to do something productive I dedicated my free morning to coffee slurping and Kennedy gossip reading. The only way to properly celebrate a Saturday morning. By the time I was done it was suddenly noon and a bad mood set in as I stared at an afternoon of house work and contract work. I did have a lot to do and I did get a good chunk of it done….but my little black cloud would not leave my side - so I also fit in some Yoga. Centering my breath and mind did seem to provide relief to my need to throw a grumpisode. Thankfully Danny and Quinlan ignored me until I was back to myself.
Knowing the weekend was quickly being sucked under the “productive” category, Danny did suggest we run a few errands and sprinkle in some date like activities at the same time! GENIUS! Earlier in the week I had given Danny his much belated Father’s Day/10 Year Together Anniversary present - a new fish tank! Danny LOVES marine life and has had a variety of aquatic eco systems occupy the top of his dresser. After one move where our fish tank met its demise, he has referenced when he can start that project again. So admist some furniture searching - we fit in a Petco trip and it looks like Danny will be building his new exhibit any day now (PS Don’t worry, he does not get the fish until the water and chemicals have had a few days to settle - we are not making some poor fish sit and wait in a water glass)!
And for a little fun for me - we stopped into my favorite Ford’s Fish Shack for a margarita and french fry break. Danny had planned to make fish tacos at home - but this gave us the feel of being out on the town, without the full cost….. and let’s be honest, the man knows the way to my heart - french fries and margaritas. I was on cloud 9.
We got home a little late and a little tired….but Danny still found the energy to NAIL his fish tacos - and before we both huddled back to our couch spots for the night, he served a magnificent dinner!
And now I end my summer weekend post the same way I started - on Sunday we drove to see Bridget compete at her summer dance team camp. As the captian this year , her first official duty as the leader of the team was camp prep and execution. Sadly we did not have enough time to stay for the full afternoon, but we saw her solo performance which was AWESOME and were able to share our excitement for the start of this next chapter.
No results were shared during the camp - but I am proud to say she was awarded a ribbon for the solo dance and a second award for leadership. This year is going to just fly by and starting with this camp visit - I plan to soak it all up with her as much as possible.
So there we have it - summer weekend a la Bessette! Nothing over the top, nothing out of the ordinary - but a lot of little moments that have been imprinted on my soul so when life is not so sunny, easy and breezy - I can know I have had a taste of the good life, right here in the ordinary!
