So it’s Labor Day weekend which means summer is unofficially ended. School started this past week. The grass is uncharacteristically NOT brown. And families will be meeting up before battening down the hatches for winter. At this time of year, I think myself about how quickly the summer always seems to pass. When I reflect on a recap of our summer activities, I understand…
Projects
The first project of the summer was putting together our pergola, new table and chairs, and a fire pit. Many thanks to that girl Andrea. She guided Marc (her boyfriend) and that guy Mark (me, her father) through an afternoon assembly process that left us all hot and suntanned.
We’re still not quite sure how a trip to Lowe’s for Weed and Feed turned into all this, but we have definitely gotten much enjoyment out of our deck this summer.
Project #2
The summer’s second project saw the completion of that girl Audrey’s (and my) long-awaited YouTube Studio. Audrey has always been a creative. Since receiving her DSLR camera for Christmas, she has been shooting “exercise” footage in our media room and some “make-up” footage in her bedroom. Now she will have a place to record formally for her YouTube channel. Given the limited space, I think we did a pretty decent job with the set-up. It’s nothing fancy, and we need a few more backdrops, but we are basically in business.
Mexico
Since this summer marked our 10-year wedding anniversary, that girl Carol and I decided to spend 10 days in Mexico… sans children. The first 3 days were spent in Playa del Carmen.
We stayed at a wonderful (and inexpensive) “new old-fashioned” hacienda where no one really spoke much English. Good thing that guy Mark speaks some Spanish!
The open air courtyard made me feel like I was on a movie set. Even though it was small, we all had a blast just relaxing in the pool. Unfortunately, the beaches we subpar due to a seaweed invasion.
For the next 7 days, we made our way up to Cancun. We lazied in the glorious sun at our resort’s ginormous pool. Not the seaweed problem that we experienced down in Play del Carmen.
Still More Projects
We have finally gotten all but one upstairs room painted in our home. We just need to finish the girls’ bathroom.
The first room of the summer was that girl Andi’s room. She chose a pretty lavender color to match her bedspread and sheets. (That’s Andi hiding under the covers.)
Andi took the lead on this project. She is meticulous, so she was in charge of cutting in the trim. I did the easy part with the paint roller.
Scranton Wine Tour
On the day of our actual anniversary, Carol and I went on a short do-it-yourself wine tour in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area. We visited some nice new-to-us vineyards and tasting rooms that were off the beaten path. Our favorite was definitely Maiolatesi on… get this… Cabernet Drive.
Located in Scott Township, it was off the beaten path for sure. Not only did these guys have an excellent selection of great wine, but they also serve local PA craft beers. There were also a wonderful indoor and outdoor eating areas. They concentrate on special events. While we were tasting, they were getting ready for their Friday Night Pizza.
Hazleton with Nadine
The first weekend in August, we visited Carol’s friend, Nadine, from Hazleton (Conyngham, actually). We instantly fell in love with her new home. Even though we had to sleep on Philadelphia Eagles sheets, we can’t wait to visit again.
Besides hanging with friends, the highlight of our weekend had to be visiting the D.G. Yuengling & Sons Brewery in Pottsville. That’s right! Nadine organized a tour of the facility. Yuengling is the oldest brewery in America. With so much history, I see why so many people enjoy the Lager – the affectionate name given by Pennsylvanians to Yuengling’s showcase brew.
I felt a tinge of guilt, because we have been talking about visiting Pottsville forever with our friend Kevin. But now we know the ropes for bringing Kevin on our next visit.
Alexandria Bay (1000 Islands)
This is the last hurrah of our summer and has been for all of our 12 summers as a couple. We always go for the first weekend of Pirate Week. Alex Bay is a small idyllic community on the St. Lawrence River.
After 11 years, we managed to secure an upper channel room at Capt. Thomson’s Resort. The rooms had been remodeled over the winter. Very nice and affordable.
Our best friend Kevin was also able to get an upper channel room. Must be a large group of people decided not to come back to Capt. Thomson’s.
The best part was waking up to a view of Boldt Castle. What a magnificent view! And with such a rich, yet tragic, history of unbridled romance, we can’t resist visiting almost every summer.
Even More Projects
15 rooms down, one to go!
We finally painted our master bedroom. We had knocked off the master bath a few summers ago. So Andrea to the rescue again. She helped with the tape and trim here too.
Here we went with Mindful Gray. This was we can match anything.
Next summer?
The girls’ bathroom and the garage — both the walls and the floor!