Tag Archives: Summer

Summer, Ice Cream and Blueberries!

Summer’s here!

And what do you normally do when it is a holiday weekend? Spend time with family, go on a mini vacation, have friends over for a BBQ. You know, take time off and have some fun. Right?

Me? I decide to write a post.

I know. I need to get a life. Lol.

Okay, it’s obvious, I don’t care as much as I should about the blogging. And I know I should care. I do care. Really, I do. But, you see, I’ve been preoccupied with the edits. Lots of edits. Lots and lots of edits. As in, terminal editing. I think it’s a disease!

Will it ever end?

At some point, I am sure I will have to let this baby fly on its own. Yet, for now, there’s still much work to be done. And so I press on.

Meanwhile, summer rushed in while I’ve busied myself with the writing project. Long, hot summer days are now spent in air-conditioning for the most of us. Unless you’re at the beach.

Oh yes, the beach. I really miss the beach. Have I mentioned that already?

How’s it going over there, Murphy?

(See, I left the bird behind, excuse me, mascot at the beach. He was better off. There’s a beautiful wildlife sanctuary along the coast in Huntington Beach. Truly he’s more suited for that environment. I mean, when’s the last time you saw a pelican in the desert? I thought not.)

Murphy has agreed to be my foreign correspondent for all things beachy and coastal in SoCal.

Are you there, Murphy?

Yes, yes, I’m here. Quite nice, actually. No air-conditioning in my neck of the woods.

Don’t rub it in Murph, okay?

Sorry. I’ve noticed a number of posts on Facebook containing ocean waves on your FB page Karen. Here’s one I especially like.

11012645_1763125833914040_2470037653109068796_n
(Photo curtesy of Chris Harsh, surfer extraordinaire)

(See, this is why I left that crazy pelican behind.)

Okay Murphy, we’ve got the picture. Thank you.

Anything else that I can help you with? Just let me know. I am at your disposal. A Picture of hot babes in bikinis, perhaps? Or I could send over a shot or two of our beautiful weather. Maybe a picture of a couple of buff surfers would do the trick?

That’s quite enough Murphy. Thank you.

Righto! Cheerio!

So, what was I saying? Oh yes. Summer is in full swing. And you know what that means?

Here’s the scoop. Summer means Ice Cream.

Blueberries are just the cherry on top.

Why do I say that?

Well, can you imagine summer without Ice Cream?

I didn’t think so.

Picture a glorious hot summer day with a creamy, dreamy scoop or two of your favorite flavor.

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(Google Images)

See what I mean? My mouth is salivating! What do you think Murphy?

Does it come in fish flavor?

(This is what I get for asking.)

Why don’t you go for a short walk…Oh, never mind Murphy! Just skedaddle. Adios!

Anyway, my personal favorite is Straus Family Creamery’s Organic Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. It’s tradition back to the basics. In other words, perfection. And for those of you that are sensitive, it’s certified kosher, gluten free and Non-GMO Project Verified.

organic-vanilla-ice-cream
 
It’s like fresh churned Ice Cream!

Then add in fresh, organic blueberries on top and you get my drift.

Happiness on a hot summer day at the McFarland’s.
 
 
 
So what to you think? What is your favorite Ice Cream flavor? How’s your summer going thus far? Have any plans for a family vacation? What fun things help you and your family stay cool over the summer?
 
Cheers everyone! I hope that life is treating you well. And as always, thank you so much for all your support and wonderful comments!
Karen

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Let’s Whip Our Summer Into Shape!

(Huntington Beach, California)
 

Yes, those lazy, hazy, crazy days of Summer are upon us.

For most of us, what does that mean?
 

For those of us that have children in the house it means school is out. That is a whole other subject altogether. Although I will say that may fall into the category of crazy, IYKWIM.
 

For those of us who fall into the other category, meaning, for whatever reason, there are no children to disrupt our daily activity, we have our own challenges. Not to take away from those parents who pull double duty mind you. We all have immense respect for you. Been there, done that. And may the force be with you.
  

Yet, it was brought to my attention the other day that summertime may cause a lazy haze to creep into our daily routine much like a fog bank makes its way onto shore. One minute we’re enjoying the warmth of the sun and then a climatic change threatens to rearrange our good intentions and before you know it, we can’t make our way through the all the minutiae.
 

But do we give ourselves the time to appreciate life’s little pleasures? Most of us have trained ourselves to be self-disciplined people. And as such, we make lists and schedules that do not allow us to take a break from our normal routine. I would venture to say that few of us ever accomplish what we set out to do on any particular day. Which keeps us in this vicious cycle of frustration and exhaustion knowing full well it is virtually impossible to get everything done.
 

So what to do?

Take a small break.
 

No, I’m not talking about cleaning a toilet, or fixing a meal, or doing a load of laundry, or catching up on all your emails. Over the years, I have found that for some reason, those things will still be there for you to do later. It’s called job security.
 

No, what I am proposing is to take a little break. For some of us, we may have a vacation planned on some exotic Island for all I know. Yet, what I’m suggesting does not require that drastic of a measure. Here’s what I propose:
 

Get out of the house!

Yes, get out!
 

Go for a walk and breathe in some fresh air. It can be around the block. Or at a beautiful park. Or at the ocean, that is, if you live near an ocean. As you can tell by the picture above, that is one of my personal favs. Even if you are living under a deluge of precipitation that measures in seismic proportions, go to a mall or some other indoor arena available to you and walk.
 

I know some of you are working out. You may be doing potty squats with Ginger Calem. Or Crossfit like Jenny Hansen. But that’s not what I’m talking about. We need to get out of our normal routine and change the scenery.
 

And the best part— it doesn’t cost us anything.
 

Well, maybe our time, which I know is a precious commodity. But you will not believe how stimulating it can be. It helps to clean out the cobwebs in our brain.
 

Have you had writer’s block lately? Has a figurative “fog bank” rolled in across the page?
 

Then take a walk.
 

And you will be surprised how fast you’ll Whip your WIP this Summer into shape!
 
 

So what do you think? Have any special plans for this summer? Do you like to exercise? Do you have a hard time allowing yourself to take the personal time needed to regain your creativity? What things do you like to do to help stimulate your mind and keep your sanity?
 
 
Thanks everyone for stopping by and for all your amazing comments!
Karen

 
 

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