Summer... 
...A time to try a few new things on for size. Or to sleep, if you're lucky enough to be the dog. 

So this summer I've been gardening.  (Yes, those of you who know my long history of killing plants--this girl who was [remarkably] raised on a farm and a ranch for the better part of her youth--has finally realized how to nurture green things.)  And now armed with my new electric rototiller, my husband figures we'll be grassless by the end of September.  My latest garden covers what must be 25 or so feet between two of our large maples.  It's a gorgeous (if I do say so myself) shade garden full of huge leafy things.  (I'm not much of a name dropper since I can't seem to ever recall what it is I've purchased or planted.)

And, naturally, I've been writing.  Mostly working on the two adaptations I've mentioned in my "About Me" section.  But I've also been writing short stories and essays again.  I just can't contain myself!

The meetings have begun again, too.  I'm chairing the committee to select screenplays for the NH Film and Television Office newest screenplay reading series venture with Red River Theatres in Concord, NH.  News will be released in a few weeks of our upcoming reading scheduled for October.  At the reading we will unveil the details of submitting scripts for consideration in future readings.

And I've begun work toward producing a few Fall 2009 Southern New Hampshire performances of Speak Truth to Power: Voices From Beyond the Dark, a play penned by Pulitzer-Prize winning playwright Ariel Dorfman that features the incredibly true-stories of many remarkable Human Rights Defenders from around the globe.  The one-hour reading is based upon the book written by Kerry Kennedy Cuomo and edited by Nan Richardson, which features stunning photographs by Pulitzer-Prize winning photographer Eddie Adams.  The NH performances are being sponsored by Jayme's Fund for Social Justice where I am fortunate to be working with the dedicated and passionate Caren Lipkin-Moore.

I am also serving as the secretary to the Water Conservation Subcommittee for our town, which is looking at both underground water sources and above ground resources and what we can do to encourage conservation and a commitment to keeping our waterways clean.  As the only non-technical/scientific person on the committee, I'm learning a great deal in the process.  And having a grand time while I feel at least a bit useful in the community.

We'll be looking at colleges next week.  Our college sophomore is considering moving from his urban digs at the NH Institute of Art to a more remote setting.  Top on his list (and ours) is the University of Maine at Machias; we're taking three days to travel there and visit the campus and the area.  It's a mere one or two towns south of the Canadian border on the coast of Maine.  We'll also be day tripping to Vermont where we have stops planned at Green Mountain College and a drive through of Castleton State with one of my girlfriends and her daughter who enters her junior year in high school this fall. 

And of course, our week's vacation in Maine is almost here.  Every year we head to one of the islands in the Casco Bay region, but this year we're headed inland to a cozy cottage on a lake.  I was outvoted; this year the teens chose warmer waters in which to swim over lazy lobster dinners and crashing waves.

We are also changing our diet and our lifestyle a bit--trying to go greener and healthier.  We no longer have a gas-guzzling riding mower, opting for the reel mower powered by human energy.  We even have two so we can get the lawn cut sort-of quickly if we need to.  And my hubby traded in his truck for a much more gas-friendly Honda Accord.  He also added another bike to his repertoire.  If not for the suit he needs to work in, I think he might be tempted to ride the 35-plus miles each way to work.

And while our daughter has gone vegetarian, the rest of us have left red meat behind completely, but not quite weaned ourselves from chicken and fish.  Still, we eat much more leafy things and seasonal fruits and veges (some of which we grow ourselves!) and have added whole-grains to our diet.  I even baked my first two loaves of bread the other day, sans the help of a bread machine!  Better yet, my family loved it, even loaded as it was with whole wheat flour and oats.

So that's what's going on here.  What are you up to this summer?

(Photo above of our rescued greyhound, Ellory, who turned 11 this month.  She's an angel and a pro at enjoying the good life!)