Coming attractions.

I just love having awesome things to look forward to. 

And we’ve got a few fun things coming our way!

First, tonight I’ll have my first date with spring roll wrappers as I attempt Shrimp Summer Rolls with a Citrus-Chili Dipping Sauce. It sounds fresh and interesting and scrumptious, but we all know that first dates can get awkward. Stay tuned.

We’re hitting the road again with Betty this week! I’m hoping to tackle a few Life List items on this trip, particularly #9 (trying some new camp food), #13 (get a fly-fishing lesson), and #16 (paddleboarding!). You may remember our first Betty excursion earlier this year. We’re hoping to top it with this trip!

We decided to host a big 4th of July BBQ when we get back from camping! I’ve got a few fun menu ideas in mind, but there will definitely be appearances by our current summertime favorites.

And an exciting thing for me is bound to happen soon… I am two readers away from having 100 followers on my little blog! You’ll recall how excited I got when that number reached 50. Do me a favor and share The Usual Bliss with your friends- because I may or may not already have a celebratory cocktail recipe in mind (complete with bubbles).

And now, a couple of business items… 

I’ve made some progress on a few more items on my Life List!

First, we acquired a countertop compost pail and have started to use it for compost in our garden. (That’s #50.)

We also finally got our Don ZanFagna art framed and hung in our home. (That’s #89.) We are lucky to have a dear friend who has made it her mission to revive interest in this man’s incredible art. We have five pieces in our home and feel warm and fuzzy when we look at them- you can see one gracing our entryway below. Read more.

I have moved on to book #3 in my quest to read 20 new books (#79). It’s called Up (Patricia Ellis Herr) and is about the author and her daughter climbing all of New Hampshire’s 4,000-foot peaks. The kicker? Her daughter is FIVE YEARS OLD. Talk about a motivator!

And speaking of being motivated, I’m proud to say that I’ve kept up with The Honeymoon Hundred! And while my abs no longer scream at me while I do my daily 100 sit-ups, I’m thinking I may need to up the quantity…I just love food too much!

Hmm… I haven’t done my “hundie” for the day yet. I’d better get on it.

Because I’ve got Shrimp Summer Rolls to enjoy tonight.