Summer Fun

I can't believe that the summer "season" is nearly half over already - how on earth did THAT happen?!?  Time does seem to move faster in the summer, probably because even though it's warmer and we may be moving slower (certainly true for me), a lot of us have super busy weekends and activities during the week that keep us plugging along.

So far this year I've been to Sheboygan twice to see the exhibits at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center.  All summer long they're focusing on humor in art - it's FABULOUS!  If you're in my neck of the woods (Mid-Eastern Wisconsin) I highly recommend a trip.  And I'm not just saying that because two of my pieces were in an exhibit there.  :D

In early June, I went to one of my favorite places  - Persimmons, a workshop studio/store in Manitowoc, was hosting a "Night O' Fun" with artist/author Rice Freeman-Zachary.  If you don't know who this cool lady is, check out her blog - she is a HOOT!  On top of meeting Rice and having her autograph my copy of "Living the Creative Life", it was great to hang out with Kim Geiser, the owner of the shop, and some of my friends that I've met through her.  It was just one of those great art experiences and a super fun evening!

I also went to an INCREDIBLE estate sale about a month ago - I mean really, that sale may have been the best I've ever seen.  There is another one next week, put on by the same company.  I'm planning on going to that one, too (you can read about the June sale on my other blog, Ephemeraology).  The amount of stuff that was for sale - it was an entire lifetime's worth of collections, even old newspapers from the 30s and 40s.  And it was right on Lake Michigan, which gave the sale a very summery feel.

It seems like this has been quite the summer for theater, too!  Last weekend, Brian and I and my nieces Natalie and Mia (who are 11 and 13) went to see "As you Like it" at the American Players Theatre (see the photo, above).  If you're not familiar with this particular theater, it's in Spring Green, WI (also famous for Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin house and The House on the Rock) and it's outside, which only adds to its magical quality.  The troupe mainly performs Shakespeare, Shaw, O'Neil and other classic plays, but they just opened an indoor theater where other, more "experimental" plays are held.  This is my seventh year attending - we always do one play with my sister and her family, and one play with myself, my mom and my sister.  And we have AMAZING seats - fifth row.  Awesome.
We also always attend the Fond du Lac Community Theatre musical, which used to be held in February (and I sometimes performed in) but they changed it to a summertime event.  This year the offering was "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat", and it was fantastic.  (Yes, I'm biased, but it really was wonderful).

Next up - a trip to Michigan in two weeks with my mom.  It's not for the most fun reason (her dad died last November but they waited to hold the memorial service until everyone could make it) but we'll make it fun.  It's in lower Michigan, on the western side of the state.  We're driving, and it's been a LOONG time since we've done such a long drive - I'm really looking forward to it!  After all, what's summer without a road trip?  :D

I am a "fall girl" at heart - I can't wait until the temps fall into the 50s or so.  But this summer has been wonderful so far and if the second half is as good as the first, I don't think I'll want it to end.