When she's on her best behaviour Don't be tempted by her favours Never turn your back on mother earth

Michigan was one of the rare vacations where you're actually quite fulfilled and ready to leave by the time your boarding pass indicates the plane will depart. Its not that I didn't need a little fudge to fill my soul and stomach and cherries to cheer me up, but constantly traveling through the tiny quaint towns that feel like the best part of 1950s nostalgia made me a little restless and wanting to do/see something more permanent than the lingering sparkles of fireworks. It was the perfect catalyst for July, the middle of the long hot summer and my month of gargantuan goals.

Thank you so much to the positive response on the last longwinded post! You guys are amazing and really care. I realize in hindsight, I was a bit harsh on myself, but the firm foot I put down has been slowly helping me. This vacation was a bad test for my "No Whining" policy, when you dad's snoring leads to major sleep deprivation and major crabbiness I wasn't necessarily sunnyside up every day. However, the not giving a damn about other peoples lives in relation to mind is extremely stress relieving. I feel very relieved after realizing that yes my friends jaunts about Europe sound amazing, but I can have fun back home too.

In fact, in effort to avoid my book on the neverending planeflight I read an intriguing article in the current Vogue about a woman who had to reduce her lifestyle long before the credit crunch due to a nasty divorce. As she discussed her thrifty ways- how you can travel & enjoy great food without necessarily pulling out the plastic, I thought this could apply to me this summer too. I'm not broke, but certainly not making any money (one good thing about small MI towns is that they still need to hire teens, so as I watched my peers wait on me at the local cafe I was supremely irked I didn't have a job and made the pact that if I don't have a job next summer I am moving to a resort town) and neither are my friends. Plus who said you needed cash for cool? If I really want to buy season 1 of "True Blood" on DVD I should be a bit more frugal in my daily evasions of boredom. So my newest goal is to turn my life into a folk indie rock soundtrack!

This is kind of abstract and odd I realize. Since half the time I barely pay enough attention to lyrics to realize Neko Case is singing about drug addiction sometimes ooops But when Iron&Wine comes on the radio I feel like I should be rising early, drinking tea and reading in the morning, exploring the local lake or cemetery in the afternoon, baking pies at night, and frolicking through fields in the sparetime. What does this translate to in reality? Being a lot more productive and going outdoors more. AKA

*sipping iced tea while reading a novel out on the lawn
*picknicks for one with homemade salads and cookies
*yoga in the mornings while I wait for my new matress to come because my stiff back is killing me...wow I sound so old haha
*still voraciously watching TV shows (I NEED A NEW ONE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ADDICTING TV!?) online, but while stationery biking
*creative writing again, whenever I read another Michael Chabon book I have an urge to write
*working on my tripod skills

In this effort I hope to be as amazing and chic as these amazingly chic bloggers :)

Apparently you guys love daily posting, so I will try to keep it up again this month...

song of the day: "Carried Home" by Iron&Wine (Do not ask me why Sam Beam is obsessed with soldiers on the latest I&W album, but they do create haunting harmonies, there's some delirious piano on this track)