Summer Fun

This summer has been one of the more active ones I can remember in a long time. Usually by mid-July I'm feeling a bit depressed, realizing that the summer is almost half over and I've done so little. Not this year. Some of the highlights:
going mini-golfing with Jason
riding bikes along Lake Michigan and exploring Hyde Park
planting and tending to the garden
a Memorial Day BBQ at my house and another at my parents'
a BBQ with all of my oldest Chicago friends
lots of week-ends spent with friends and family
going to see a play in Evanston and then going out for mojitos

Recently we experienced the strange miracle of three perfect summer evenings, all within the same week. That Thursday night was the first "Evening in the Garden" event at Bethlehem, something that was my mom's idea and my first Bethlehem "project". About 35 people gathered on a perfect summer evening in Bethlehem's baptismal garden and had wonderful food and wonderful music (Jason played guitar and a woman from the congregation sang). It was a perfect night.
That Saturday Jason and I went out for his "surprise" birthday date. He didn't know that I had bought tickets to the Chicago Fire (major league soccer) game. We spent another gorgeous evening watching a good game, people watching, and experiencing something totally new. Unfortunately the game ended in a 0-0 tie.

Then that Sunday we joined folks from Bethlehem at a minor league baseball game (the Windy City Thunderbolts). Like the Fire game, it was close to home and was great family fun on yet another beautiful summer evening. Baseball, beer and brats -- what could be more summer than that? It did start to rain in the 7th inning (which is about enough baseball for me, anyway) and we packed up and headed home.

No matter, though, I'd already had enough summer fun for three years. And there's more to come!