Summer 2012 - USA

Today is my the last day of my wonderful summer filled with friends, family and fun, oh, and shopping, touring, tennis and relaxation.  And of course this all revolved about eating and drinking!!!!

First, 10 days in South Carolina with my parents.  Spent some time with my 88 year young grandmother and spent some time with my uncle Gary.  Most of my days were spent shopping at the outlets, playing Scrabble with my mom and going through slides from my childhood with my Dad.

Next stop, up to my sister's cottage just outside of Middlebury, Vermont.  Here my niece and nephew and I spent the beautiful days swimming in the lake.  Playing on the rafts, swimming to the raft with the slide on it, kayaking and sailing and of course playing lots of games (Spot It!)

ACS reunion

Back down to the ole stomping grounds of the Washington, DC area.  It's bittersweet that my good friend Kate (whom I met in Athens, Greece) has just moved there with her husband.  Fortunately we were able to spend a lot of time together.  We were joined by 4 other friends whom we all met in Athens while teaching at the American Community Schools of Athens, for  a 3 day reunion of chatting, touring, reminiscing and tons of laughter!!!  We were also able to meet up with 2 "family" friends whose kids went to ACS - the Kutsons and the Camachos! 

"Greece" reunion

I had my second "annual" Stone Ridge get together with my friends from my teaching years at Stone Ridge.  Thank you Margo for hosting - and thank you everyone for gathering, gossiping and sharing stories.

The following week, of my two week DC adventure, was spent with former St. Francis Episcopal Day School colleagues (Kirsten and Christine), more Stone Ridge pals, a Colby-Sawyer College friend JT and another Athens friend Flynn. 

Finally, I flew up to Manchester, NH where I was picked up by my folks and we drove further up to Kennebunkport, Maine to the cottage we have rented for the past 12 years and the community we have been going to for 32 years - Goose Rocks Beach!

annual lobster races -with Heidi and Austin

These two weeks mostly revolve around going to the beach, going to the beach and going to the beach.  Occasionally going to the port for some shopping or eating out, having lobster and more Scrabble games with my Mom.  I happily threw in a small road trip to my alma mater  Colby-Sawyer College in New London, NH to have a great visit with a college friend Sara and a visit with my favourite professor Janet Bliss. 

The annual "lifers" dinner happened last night.  This is a dinner which the 3 families who have been coming to GRB for over 32 years get together and have dinner all together.  Cocktails, appetizers and kids dinner at the Oughtreds and adult dinner at our place this year.  We were missing 3 adults - Brock, Barb and Sally - though Billie and Tori M. were able to join us - thus making 14 adults and all 8 kids were present!  It was a perfect day at the beach and a perfect dinner gathering.

Game Score - 10 Jill and 5 Mom

And so this is the end of my summer in the USA.  Not the end of summer, as I live in endless Singaporean summer, but the end of my summer vacation.