Sunshine DAaAaAy!

This is what it's been looking like outside my front porch for the last 40 days and 40 nights (or roundabouts)--

I love the rain.  That picture is beautiful to me.  As long as I have one of these days (or 10) in the mix--

Stoller Vineyard

Rain is good for cleaning, watching ten episodes of Fat Albert with the kids and napping. Rain does a few other good things.  Truly--I love opening the windows when it's raining and letting my senses take over.  I love to hear it, smell it and watch it. I love that I don't have to water my flowers and how very lush it makes Oregon.  BUT, for the good of everyone around me, this girl needs some sun too. 

After a month, plus, plus, plus of the wet stuff, I get to the point where I can talk myself into less cleaning, less Fat Albert and more naps. You'd think I'd be all cheery and beautiful with all that extra sleep.  Nope.  Think the opposite.  That's me. It's amazing what ONE day of sun can do for my soul.  It can make me feel new. 

I started debating my justified crabby attitude with a couple people who were giving me the, "You live in Oregon" excuse and making me feel all wimpy,  because I need some sun.  I threw out stuff like, "It's June IN OREGON, too!"  And "Do you even realize how many pairs of flip flops I own?" And  bringing in the big guns in like, "My kids need to be outside now, every time...do you realize the percentage of obese children in America?"  Like kids can't play in the rain or something.  I know, I know...none of that worked for me.  It still made me all complain-ey and wimpy.  I hate that.  So I just broke it down like this--my name is "SUNshine".  Period.

I also broke down and bought plane tickets for my girls and I to go someplace where there is sun.  A lot of it.  Yes, I will even pay for sun.

So when you have a day like the picture above in Oregon (notice the tire swing hanging in the tree?), YOU USE IT.  You find something to do outdoors.  You work in the yard, you bike ride, you walk the dog, you go to the coast, you go to the river, you camp, you hike, you sit.  in a chair.  in your backyard.  You get yourself out there.

 I was lucky, lucky, lucky enough this past Saturday (when the sun finally came out), to be outside all day and go wine tasting with a good friend. We threw on our sundresses and drove up to Dundee. She packed a cooler of water, cheese, olive tapenade, bread, strawberries, almonds and chocolate, so we didn't have to stop and leave the sun by going indoors to eat.  We didn't want to waste one drop of sun and blue sky. We got our first sunburns of the year and love that we got our first sunburns of the year.  I probably said, "I'm so happy," about 100 times that day. 

When Sunday came, and it was pouring again, I was okay with it.  I opened the windows, kissed my children, made them cake, cleaned a toilet put on Fat Albert and napped. 

 

Domaine Serene Vineyard

 Domaine Drouhin Vineyard

Domaine Serene Vineyard

Very good friend and Domaine Serene Vineyard

Chehalem Vineyard

Stoller Vineyard