Summer Nights

new/old summer finds.....
phoenix.
johnathan richman.
andrew bird.
dan deacon.
emiliana torrini.

2009 summer playlist is done.
great dj. the ting tings

waking in vegas. katy perry

i gotta feeling. black eyed peas

bad things. jace everett

jungle drum. emiliana torrini

lisztomania. phoenix.

kind of a girl. tinted windows

hello. tristan prettyman

kids. mgmt

electric feel. mgmt

summernights. rascal flatts

that summer feeling. johnathan richman

egyptian reggae. johnathan richman

still listening to 2007 and andrea's 2008.

Summer reading is here again (saying that with a little skip). I read some pretty dark books this winter like Cormac McCarthy's The Road and I'm in need of a fun summer surprise.

I'm a little nervous about topping last summer. First of all there was the entire Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer . You couldn't ask for more entertaining poolside books. The best was when there were 4 moms and a few teenagers sitting around Grant pool last August all with hardcover Breaking Dawn in their laps. I also enjoyed Stephanie Meyer's adult book Host with her creative stories about life on other planets through the eyes of the Host.


Early last summer I also read the fantasy world of Libba Bray's Gemma Doyle series.


Ohhh... then there was Scott Westerfield's Uglies sci-fi series where everyone gets turned into supermodel pretty at the age of 16 and how it begins to fall apart. You really can't put it down. So good there are spin offs. A whole new language waiting to be discovered.


To top off the summer of young adult fiction there was Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. The second of 3 comes out this September and I almost wished I hadn't discovered the series until they were finished. How she can take such graphic themes and spin them for young adults was/is mind boggling. Looking forward to reading the books again in a few years with Bryn and Hunter.

After last summer I almost needed young adult fiction therapy. The staff at our local children's bookstore knows me by name now.

Desperately, trying to find my groove this summer. Trying out Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. How boring is this cover? I love creative covers and knowing that the publisher, author, editor and all considered the creativity of a book is important to me. Boring.

Did not like Sarah Water's A Little Stranger. The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls tops my summer list. Looking for a few good summer suggestions.

Off we trekked to Silver Creek Falls today. Blanket, chairs, swimsuits, games, juice boxes, grandmas and aunties. Check out Hunter's perfect form in the background.


Koosh ball was an instant favorite.


Cousin Elizabeth.


Hunter took this photo of Aidan and I thought it looked like a photo you'd see in a family photo album from the 70s. No doctoring here. Love it.

More Macleay trail pictures by Sarah and Bryn.




More Macleay trail pictures by Sarah and Bryn.

Kung Fu hiking on Macleay trail in Forest Park.

PGE Park's concession stands. The message is so direct.


What baseball is really about. The food. The American Heart Association was there today and it was also Kids Eat Free Sunday which was a hot dog meal. Of course the kids ate them. I'm just saying......


Parade of Little Leaguers around the field before the game started. They had their princess waves down.

To my surprise I found myself jumping up from my lawn chair to take a picture of the trombones of this middle school marching band. Trombones before the flutes? Has it ever been done before?


To my surprise I was jumping out of my seat again when I heard the sounds of the fluttery flutes behind the percussion of this middle school band. I'm not in touch with the trends and fads of marching bands (especially since I don't know why they still make them wear polyester band uniforms) but I'm impressed with the creativity. It was a sweet treat added to a very hot and sticky day.

A 102-year old tradition was upheld on Wednesday.


This year they made us smile.


They made us oooh and ahhh....


They made us proud that our children participated.


For a hesitant parade going mommy they sold me again. I'll be back at the Junior Rose Festival Parade with lawn chair and water spray bottle in hand next year.

Game ball!!!! For a kid who has never been interested in baseball or hit an actual baseball before April this year he's done great. Saturday he hit a double and made a run which helped his team win by 1 point. Wondering if he'll play again next year now that he's got the itch. Not sure if mom can handle 3 kids in baseball at one time. I'm exhausted.

Hiking Horsetail Falls with family.