Summer Days Driftin' Away

Ah Summer. The scent of coconut suntan lotion fills the ocean breeze, the sun glistens as the waves come rolling onto shore, and I am FINALLY getting some much needed rest and relaxation!

It feels great to give my brain a little time off for good behavior. I'm in my second week of a three week vacation from school and the only thing school-related that I think about are my awesome friends and partners in battle. Aside from that, I am in total vacay mode. I'm spending a lot of my time at the beach, evening out my farmer's tan and catching up on some reading. I love going in the mornings. It's so

peaceful and there aren't too many people so it's like I have the beach all to myself. Of course, I'm not talking about South Beach. I usually go to Crandon Park in Key Biscayne which is one bridge-crossing south of South Beach. It's less touristy and more naturey which I like. In the mornings especially you can catch some cool-looking iguanas, turkey vultures, and lots of bird life around the park.

I've also been tending to my garden which right now is not at it's best I will admit. I lost the green pepper (capsicum) plant to some kind of fungal disease. RIP. Next time I'll plant my own seeds instead of buying a plant already grown at Home Depot. My okra plants are

coming along nicely. Just transplanted them to a larger container (I turned a plastic storage bin into a plant container by poking a few draining holes at the bottom - easy peasy). My basil are finally stable. The leaves aren't growing as large indoors, but the flavor is still as strong as ever. Sadly, I think my tomato plant is headed for blossom drop. I was in denial at first, but my dad made a good point the other day when he said that he's seen tomato plants a lot smaller than mine sprouting tomatoes by now, so chances were that mine weren't gonna be giving diddly squat. Thanks dad! :P He did have a point though. I might have to accept that it's not going to happen this first time around. :(

I've also got some good recipes lined up that I'll be trying out during the next week or two. I'm going to try my hands at some asian cooking if I can find all the ingredients. I'm also going to try some middle eastern cuisine. About time too! I've been ignoring my Lebanese side for too long.

Hope everyone's enjoying their summer whether you're lounging by the pool or having amazing adventures in new places. Enjoy it!!