Outdoor Movie Night

I spent the morning working my shift at Collage, the little artist co-op/gift shop over in Carillon Point which I've just recently joined. It's such a crystal clear, sparkling day that the view from my "office" - or rather the view I get from my spot behind the register - was truly something special. After a week of rain and grey skies, it's so nice to have a clear, summer day again. And everyone was out watching the boats in the marina, strolling the waterfront, lunching under the cool umbrellas in the plaza and Blu Water Bistro, just wandering around on their breaks, gazing at the beauty of the lake and mountains. The little white boats bobbing along in the dazzling blue waters of Lake Washington, the perfect breeze blowing through the trees - spectacular. It reminds me why I still live here.

And I was reminded again several times in the last couple of days. Several tourists came through the shop this morning from parts far away - one was Oklahoma and one was Palm Desert. Their stories of weather made me all the happier that I am enjoying such a mild, temperate, gorgeous place. No super hot stretches where you can't breathe air when you cross the doorway from air-conditioning to the outside climate. No monsoon rains which run rivers of mud that was previously dust storms. One woman claimed that our weather here over the weekend was like a day in January, and she was freezing in fleece today (it's 75 degrees). Hoo boy.

And my customer from Alaska who phoned, and was spending last month at a new house in New Mexico had similar stories. Too hot, too cold. I know I complain about the rain and grey sometimes but I wouldn't trade for one minute to live in a climate of extremes. It's the sacrifice we pay to have such perfect summers, such lush springtimes, such mild winter months. Yes, we get bad weather. Yes, it's moldy at times. But the loveliness and temperate-ness of it all far outweighs all the other trouble elsewhere.

I am thanking my lucky stars that I am not experiencing the massive rains and flooding in England (or Texas), the deadly heat in the rest of Europe (and everywhere else), the tornadoes, storms and whatnot. It's nothing but easy in this land of plenty. For now.

Oh, the whole point of my post today was supposed to be Carillon Point's Outdoor Movie Nights. Yikes, can I focus for just 10 minutes ya think? Over in Kirkland at the Carillon Point complex where Collage is located, they are doing outdoor movies on Saturday nights. The above link gets you the schedule and more info. Collage is having a little open house (free glass of wine! meet some artists!) on Saturday, August 11. Just in case you want to catch Casino Royale with the tykes and stop in.

That was it. Back to stressing about how I'm going to get it all done in time for Bellevue set-up tomorrow evening. I'll be tying up little bars of soap for the next 24 hours straight. Not. That's not how I roll. I DO need to work like crazy tomorrow, and a bit more this evening. But my beauty sleep is more important. Whatever I have is ok, whatever I'm missing I can squeeze in as the show goes on, and whatever didn't make it - probably I'm the only one who'll know. Somehow it all works itself out. And I'll need a glass of wine in the garden with the kittens playing chase around the posies this evening.

ETA: I am really losing my marbles. Totally forgot the freakin' labels for this deal. Apologies for posting twice. I WILL get the hang of it, I swear, any day now.