Summer To-Dos

Summer’s here, technically. I snapped this photo from the window seat at East One Coffee in Carroll Gardens yesterday afternoon on what was possibly the most perfect late spring afternoon. It was of course made all the sweeter because it came after a string of crappy grey days.

I’m looking forward to summer. I know that when I’m sweating through my underwear on gloppy 90F days in a few weeks I’m going to be rolling my eyes at myself. But I still have a feeling it’ll be a good season.

Here’s what I can’t wait to do…

1) Make a lot of BLTs. Eat them. 

2) Plan and head out on a solo trip. 

3) Travel to other parts of the East Coast I’ve never seen. (This is very easy, as I’ve been basically nowhere on the East Coast.) 

4) Work my food processor. I love it when I use it, and don’t use it enough. I’ve been collecting a few ideas: Deb’s food processor cookies. Stella Parks’ brilliant dehydrated fruit whipped cream. Or her insane idea for Japanese and bagel-inspired dinner rolls.

5) Make watermelon juice (in my food processor).

6) Use that watermelon juice in a cocktail. 

7) Try a new storytelling form. A photo collection, a zine, an audio story. 

8) Read five books before Labor Day. 

9) Make friends with someone with a roof.

10) Spend a few days in a place where it’s appropriate and maybe even necessary to be in a bathing suit all weekend long.

11) Picnics, more of them, as many of them as possible.

12) Eat as many nectarines and peaches as I can handle when they finally are in season. (California I don’t want to hear about the stone fruit you’ve been enjoying for weeks already.)