Guest Blogger: Breenuh from Scattered Thoughts by Breenuh

Breenuh has been busy with graduation just like me! Lucky for me, she found time to squeeze this guest blog post into her busy schedule. In another universe, if we had gone to the same school, I'm pretty sure we would have been friends. I always find something interesting on her blog like a delicious recipe, cool challenge, or list (if you couldn't tell by this series, I am a fan of lists). After reading this post, I sure do want to try a Pimm's and Lemonade.

Hello, I’m Breenuh from [scattered thoughts by breenuh], and I’m so honored to be guest posting for Marisa, after all of her hard work on her thesis. I can’t wait until we can see her project!

Spring has sprung here in California, and I’m excited to start seeing hints of summer. Here are a few of my favorite things that summer brings:

[Summery drinks]

I love the refreshing feeling a cool drink brings in the summer. Some of my favorite sunny day drinks include: cucumber water, iced tea, rose wine, hard cider, and sangria. I make iced tea with 4 bags of black tea and two of blueberry or other fruity herbal tea – it’s the perfect blend! Pictured above is England’s favorite summer drink, called a “Pimm’s and Lemonade”. Pimm’s is a gin-based liqueur flavored with fruit and spices, and ‘lemonade’ is actually lemon soda (similar to lemon-lime sodas, like 7up). This drink includes ice, Pimm’s, lemonade, and yummy flavor-enhancers, in this case mint, cucumber, strawberries and orange slices. It’s such a great mix of light and sweet that you may not remember it has alcohol until you’ve drunk a pitcher full! 

 

[Farmers markets]

While here in Sacramento we have a few year-round farmers markets, the majority get started in May. Who doesn’t love hand-picking local produce, tasting local honey, and eating a roll of handmade bread? The best part is buying a random fruit or veggie that you’ve never heard of before and finding recipes to experiment with. /image 

[Bike rides]

There is nothing better than riding to a nearby coffee shop or farmers market with the wind in your hair. I would so much rather cycle somewhere than coop myself up in a car, and summer weather is the perfect time! /image

[Picnics/Reading in the park]

One place I like to cycle to is the park. I’ll bring a blanket, a book, and some nibbles and just waste my day away in the shade. My boyfriend and I love doing this together, and now that he’s in England and I’m in the US, I miss our picnics the most. When I lived in the UK, I could bring a cold cider, too, which was amazing. I can’t wait to start spending my free days lounging on the cool grass with a good read… Ahhh.

[Day trips to the beach]

If I ever decide to move somewhere that is more than a three-hour drive from the beach, please get me psychiatrically evaluated immediately. The sand (or pebbles), the waves, and the sun have the ability to take away any and all stress that I may have. I love just deciding one day that I need a trip to the beach – and then doing it. In fact, I may just hit the sand that sometime soon… Pictured above is a pebble beach in Portsmouth, a town in southern England. The boyfriend and I stopped here on the way to a friend’s wedding last summer.

Thanks for reading, and thanks, Marisa, for inviting me on your blog! Now I can’t wait for summer!

<3