The Summer Bucket List--How to Survive the Hot and Sweaty Months

June 08, 2015


“June is the Friday night of summer, and all is full of possibility.”
—Laura Vanderkam

Each new season brings its own delights. Though summer is not my favorite season here in Florida, each year I grit my teeth and make the best of it. I was inspired by Laura Vanderkam’s words (see above, and read the full post here) to start thinking about things I can accomplish and enjoy during these hot and sweaty months. Maybe working on the list will distract me from the heat and humidity?

In keeping with my word of the year (delight), this summer will be long on delights/adventures/pleasures, but that doesn’t mean I’m only going to play. I want to experiment with different writing venues (#2) and try some new exercise classes (#7). I always take a little more time for reading (a future post about my summer reading list is in the works), but this year, my summer bucket list includes:

  1. Take Tank to the beach. Yes, really.
  2. Go to the library to write (the only downside is I can’t take my coffee with me).
  3. Take a week’s “staycation” (or maybe several long weekends?).
  4. Go to a Tampa Bay Rays game with my mom when she visits in August.
  5. Sketch in my sketchbook. Maybe even finish—i.e., fill all the pages of—a sketchbook!
  6. Make homemade frozen pops. I never got around to doing it last summer.
  7. Try a month of unlimited classes at Karma. 
  8. Spend a day by the pool.
  9. Go to the beach at sunset with my husband.
  10. Rewatch The Princess Bride and Support Your Local Sheriff (my cat is named after the female lead in this movie).
  11. Try the new gelato place in town.
  12. Make pesto with the basil from my garden. (Done!)

What’s on your summer bucket list?

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6 comments

  1. Debbie NolanJune 8, 2015 at 1:18 PM

    Dear Kathy- checked out Laura's post. Looks like she has a great summer bucket list as well as you do. Training Schindler is on my bucket list this summer. Like the idea of yours to completely fill up a sketch book too. Hope your bucket list gets accomplished.

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  2. Sketchbook WanderingJune 8, 2015 at 5:33 PM

    Kathy, you inspire me as always. Rather than worry ahead of time that I won't get to do summer things, I can take action and PLAN a list. Lately my bucket list has been more of a Chore List. Yours is delightful, full of delights. Aaah, riding, or walking, a horse on the beach...OK, a few: spend a day in Boston (soon, before the heat), go to the national & state parks in Maine...wander around my own town.. get out there & walk...finish a few bucket list art projects...
    Thank you, as always, Rita

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  3. Kathy A. JohnsonJune 9, 2015 at 7:51 AM

    Debbie--Laura's list is pretty ambitious! I have a couple of sketchbooks in use, and one is almost full so I have a pretty good shot at completing it. Hope you have fun training Schindler and finishing your sketchbook, too.

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  4. Kathy A. JohnsonJune 9, 2015 at 7:53 AM

    Rita--I deliberately left off all the chores on my to-do list. There are always plenty of those, but sometimes I forget to schedule in fun times. Hence the list.

    I certainly hope you do plan some fun outings this summer--Boston and Maine parks sound fabulous! I look forward to seeing sketches on your blog.

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  5. Cheryl GebhartJune 9, 2015 at 3:48 PM

    Love your summer bucket list, especially numbers 4, 5, 9, & 11.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Kathy A. JohnsonJune 9, 2015 at 9:49 PM

    Thanks, Cheryl. What's on your summer bucket list?

    ReplyDelete