Oh wow I almost forgot

Look!! I finally got around to it!

And NOW it is summer 

What a joy!!

Preparation part 3!

The next preparation part is obviously packing and getting mentally ready for this trip! Let me recap:

I am going on a canoe trip to the boundary waters with my Mad-sistah Rose and the Mad-aweseomniece Emily.  We are going through her church, who made the arrangements.  There is a group of 8 going, including a guide.  Like we would go WITHOUT ONE!  HAHAHA.  Anyway, we head up to Cook, MN on Sunday (that would be tomorrow) and arrive to learn about packing our packs, canoeing, having a swim test, and in general get ready.  Then we leave on Monday morning and will be canoeing between 7 and 15 miles a day.  Portages will take place.  Camps will be set up and tents will be slept in.  You get the idea.  We return on Friday at some point, take a shower, collapse in a bed and drive home on Saturday morning.

Sounds really awesome!  For those of your wishing to interject your own fears about camping, bears, rain, wind, cold, food, sleep, tents or any other subject that concerns you------- KEEP IT TO YOURSELF!!!  We can discuss at a later date, say, oh, I don't know- when I get BACK??!!!!  As I am not allowing myself to go there.  I want to go and just live the week and not have expectations of anything!!!

It has been suggested that I will be breaking out in a cold sweat from having no phone for several days and there may be some truth to that statement!!  :)  Again, I am trying not to think about it.

Yesterday, I gathered my "outfits" such as they are together for the week.  Limited space means making everything count!  I've never thought so hard about whether to take a tiny piece of clothing along or not.

Yesterday also found me preparing by having a pedicure with a gorgeous purply pink nail polish on my toesies and my summer fingernail.  This may seem quite unnecessary and even contradictory to my purpose of this trip, but if you think that, you really don't know me!  HAHAHAHA.  I am all about the color. I needed the stress relief.  I needed to have my feet pampered. AND I love that reaction when people tilt their head slightly to the side and you can just see them thinking- WTF???? You got a pedi before a CAMPING TRIP?????   hehehehehe  It is birthday month after all, why the heck NOT??!!

One more preparation, I am making arrangements for a quick birthday/anniversary  just birthday party for me complete with fireworks and maybe some cake.  If I can get someone to make a cake.  Or maybe I will feel like it when I get back on Sunday???  Hmmmm, I'm not seeing it. So anyway, I think Sunday when I get back at least a couple people can come over for perhaps cake, beer, tequila and fireworks around the fire ring.....  Gotta have some birthday month follow through!

Today's agenda includes packing, cleaning a little, washing any last minute things, trying not to go insane, and picking up any last minute items that I will need.  Should be a full day!

But not without its joy!

DONE for now, or ..... tale of the summer fingernail

I am finally done with my orders for next year!  I am a terrible procrastinator and put off until the last minute filling out, on line, my orders for supplies that I need to begin the school year in September.  So I had my elementary orders done and my hs orders nearly done when I went to submit them on Friday evening- which was technically the deadline for the first round.  Well, low and behold, I go to do that and ka-pow.  The website was down for maintenance.  SERIOUSLY?????  So, I emailed our intrepid principals and throw myself on the mercy of the court.  Lol, a few other people were in the same predicament, so it was ok.  Whew.  So, in my usual way, Monday at some point I went to submit the Elementary order and of course there was a glitch I didn't know how to fix.  Call school.... talk to the genius there who is our financial officer and had to get her to fix some things.  Oy.  She is a wonderful, patient person.  You will notice that it is another whole day plus later and I finally finished up my HS orders.  YAY.

So WHAT you might ask does that have to do with a fingernail??  If you want to really know what the whole summer fingernail thing is about you need to message me or something. I am guessing the majority of you who actually want to know, already do!  It is weird and slightly embarrassing, sort of, but I don't care.  It is just me.

Among other things, my summer fingernail occurs at a time when my hands are not constantly in water and art supplies, so it, along with the rest, get a chance to actually grow out.  That does not happen for the rest of the year. It is a fun to paint it up and make it look snazzy.  It was looking a little tattered and natty, as was my mood last week.  Monday, I took the time, under strict orders from my dear friend Jane, to repaint and decorate my summer fingernail as a transition into birthday month and definitely as  reminder to find my joy each and every day during the month of July.  I did paint it on July 1 and though I hadn't blogged about it until today, I am glad that I got my transition out of the way on July 1 and the rest of this fair month has been pretty rocking awesome.  As a matter of fact, July 3 was stellar! And July 4 is turning out to be pretty good too. AND thank you from the bottom of my heart for the birthday month wishes, by the way....

TRANSITION TIME!!

STEP 1: Remove all traces

STEP 2:  Begin to decide on what to decorate your nail with....  decisions, decisions

Start with a base color

End up with something that looks much more patriotic than you intended!

A little more cleaned up and tidy!

SO, here is to an improved attitude and outlook. Turns out I won't actually implode if I can't exercise for a couple days.  WHO KNEW!?  AND it is a great feeling to be done with those orders hanging over my head.  NOW, I need to order a few things for my trip at the end of the month. I don't think that I will be putting that off for quite so long!!

Sometimes we need a little help finding our joys!

And it's ON!

Many of you will know exactly what this means!!!

Summer is ON BABY!!!

Game face!

Find your joy and get ready to GO!