rush hour

Half the Summer I looked ahead to the lazy days of Fall when K would be back to school and I could have some time to myself. When I could nap, luxuriate in quiet, have long lunches or read a book...

What was I thinking? What sort of bizarre dreamland was I living in and how is it even possible that I am ten times busier now than I was weeks ago when I spent all day with a 6 year old shadow?

On those long past summer days we slept in. We ate leisurely breakfasts. We played. We colored. We frolicked and blew bubbles! Now we get up at 6:30 in the morning, scarf down food, rush to get dressed, to make lunches and scramble out the door in an early morning mental fog.

I don't get to go straight home and relax. No nap time. No long lunches. My task list is ever growing... Oh summer won't you please come back.

heat it up...

For many of you Summer is already here, but for those of us in Oregon we've been experiencing the glory of mild 70's and 80's, more like a warm spring...

It's the lovely stuff that beautiful Portland weather is made of, but we can kiss that goodbye.

At least for a few days.


Friday is supposed to mark the first in a series of days in the 90's... Days that will not find me strolling in the sun, enjoying a bike ride, eating out doors or basking in the garden as I've been doing these last weeks...


Summer is coming and it's gonna take a lot of prisoners. I'm totally going to be one, I'm not afraid to admit that I'll be hiding in my air conditioned basement playing Wii and surfing the internet...

I'll leave the sunburn and heat stroke to my vegetable garden.

summer in view

there was so much sun today that it poured in the windows as I was trapped in my house. I could not leave, there was far too much to do.

But even the brief moments when I ventured out into the yard to take out the garbage or sort the recycling were heavenly.

The warm air pressing against me, the cool breeze ruffling my hair and the promise of tomorrow bringing another full day of sun.

Not another housebound day staring out the windows longingly, no.

A day where I can kneel on the earth, dig my hands into the soil and sow a garden. A garden that will be nourished by the sun and rain.

A garden that will nourish my family and friends.

A garden that will supply too much. Too many vegetables. Soon I will be the crazy lady with too many zucchinis just begging to give them away. I will chase my neighbors down the street waving them in each hand screaming Please!!! Please take some, damn it

Ah summer. You're almost here.

***

On a note not at all related to Summer but very much related to crazy ladies... today is Sybil's birthday... give her some love.

Sybil: Happy birthday baby. I love you so.

tiki time?

By a show of hands how many of you know about my love of the Tiki goods?


Eh, I'm not impressed, some of you have been skipping posts... I'll let it slide this time but I'm warning you there willll be a test soon (and maybe a prize for the winner).


So yes, we aren't talking about that test now, we're talking about Tiki. Tiki goods, Tiki Gods, Tiki kitsch, Tiki this, Tiki that and Tiki clocks.

Oh and the Tiki mugs, and the drinks... can't forget those.

What leads me to all this?

Tiki that's what.


If our summer had gone along as expected we would be planning our big summer Tiki party right now. I do mean right now too, it's all we would be doing for a month... but sometimes life steps in and says "Hey, maybe instead of throwing that big ol Tiki Party you should take your kid to Disneyland" and this year that is exactly what life did. With a big ol poke in the ribs that we gladly accepted.


And who am I to argue, after all they do have a Tiki room there.


So being responsible (or somewhere near it) Mr. Kaos and I decided that for this year two things will have to go.


1) We will not remodel our kitchen this summer, the cost and the stress would be too much.
2) We're not throwing our Big Ol Tiki Summer Bash this year. Why? We'd rather spend that money on mouse ears and air fare and restaurants (oh my).


This leaves a big hole in my Tiki heart (I have a Tiki heart in addition to my regular heart, it's right next to my black and white photography heart).


I was sad. Defeated. Disheartened. Though I knew we were doing the right thing, my heart said "Oh, how could you"

The Tiki heart said that, the regular one didn't much give a shit.


So as we sat on the back patio this evening eating our dinner, listening to K sing some made up pop song about puppies and hamsters for the 10 millionth billionth time we realized that we don't need a big ol Tiki party to inflict our love of Tiki on our loved ones...

All we need is a few strategically placed get togethers... Starting with Wednesday (you know, it's a Holiday Wednesday, the 4th of some month) when we have a total of 3 adults, 1 child and 1 infant coming to our house. We will start with them (though they have all been thoroughly infected with Tiki by now).

What's next? Who knows. Any Portland Metrobloggers out there? I warn you you may very well be invited to the Kaos Tiki Lounge. Family in town? Expect a small scale Tiki BBQ. Friends stopping by for a quiet evening? Haha Tiki shanghai.

I've decided that here at Kaos House anytime is Tiki time... so if you're invited, be prepared.

seasoning

I always think I hate summer. When asked what my favorite season is I will always answer Autumn. Or Fall. I have been known to say Fall. I always think I hate the summer.

I hate it until it's nipping at my toes and kissing my face. Until the first time each year I'm watering my garden and K, laughing, shouts "I bet you can't spray me" and I pretend for a moment that I can not but then she runs right through the spray and we laugh and we laugh until we're rolling in the grass soaked and laughing smiling that summer is almost here.