Last night we celebrated summer solstice with a true summery evening. The sun was out and it was actually warm. Some of my horty girlfriends joined us for a bbq in the garden followed by a cozy after-dark fire on the patio. It isn’t camping, but it sure is fun.

My friend Catherine brought fresh strawberries and delicious oatmeal and ginger cookies for dessert. Since we decided to do a fire, I pulled out the marshmallows, graham crackers and chocolate bars. (My friend Kristen laughed when I came out with a “s’more kit”. It was obvious we’d done this before.)

A few of us roasted marshmallows. Others did the whole s’more thing. I usually forego the whole S’more thing, but I eye’d the oatmeal cookies and decided to try 1/2 a cookie with a roasted marshmallow. I was always a sucker for those oatmeal cookie sandwiches with “cream filling”. OMG! It was delicious…so much so that I made another. I think I’ve found something better than S’mores, tho I’m sure some of you would argue otherwise.

Truly, it contributed to the “Happiest Day of the Year“. I’m not sure how my formula numbers really work out, but I spent about 16 hours outside in nature, I socialized all day (time with my dog driving counts, right?), I definitely thought of childhood summers as scents of summer hit me left & right all day long, it was 80+ yesterday in a summer with abnormally cool temps, and I spent time joking that I’m living in the future a bit anticipating a week off in July and the various camping trips we have planned this year. I guess that all adds up to a pretty happy day!

How was yours?