Summer Summer

Welcome Summer!

Welcome Summer,
You are hot!
Some of us like that a lot,
Some prefer dear Autumn's ways,
With cooler air and shorter days,
But Summer now that you are here,
You'll go too fast is what I fear,
I love your sunny, longer days,
And in the twilight how fireflies play,
I will enjoy the parts I like,
But Humidity can take a hike!
———————————————
Hello Summer!

Hello Summer, goodbye Spring!
Spring was such a wild thing,
We had snow, then hot, then cold,
Those quick changes sure got old,
Summer is what most folks like,
Swimming, cookouts, riding bikes,
To those of you who must complain,
October will come ‘round again.
————————————————-
It is now officially Summer, yesterday was the summer solstice and from here on out the days will get shorter, a minute or two at a time. So take advantage of it and enjoy not wearing a coat every time you go out and relaxing outside while you can! Since I don’t work in the summer, (one of the perks of working in a school), it always seems to fly by. I start with all these ideas for what I want to do during the break, and just like the weekend, I never seem to do everything I plan!  Nope, the sun and warmth draw me outside and I cannot resist a lazy hour or two with a book and an iced drink in the shade, or a trip to the park for a relaxing walk.  Don’t even get me started about looking at the sky! Whether I’m stepping out on the deck to see the rising sun peek through the leafy trees in the coolness of dawn, contemplating white puffy clouds meandering across a brilliant blue sky, or enjoying the show as the setting sun colors the sky and up lights the trees as it descends into the horizon, I just can’t get enough of it!  The pleasant rustling of leaves and tinkling of wind chimes in a warm Summer breeze just can’t be beat for destressing.   Some people love Summer for all the outdoor activities they can do. Whatever it is you enjoy in the summertime, I hope you can fit it all in before the days get short and cold winds replace gentle breezes.

Childhood Picnics

We are finally having warm, summery weather! I’m so happy that I can sit outside in the evening and watch the changing light as the sun slips behind the trees, and listen to the birds settling in for the night. I find it relaxing after a full day of daily life, and it gives me a chance to let my mind wander. The other evening it wandered through some childhood memories of picnics.

The long summer break from school was one of my favorite times of year. I had the freedom to play outside, read, draw, chase butterflies, or do pretty much whatever I wanted. One of my favorite things to do, when I was maybe eight or nine, was have a picnic lunch. My mom would give me a cheese sandwich on a paper plate and iced tea or lemonade in a plastic cup with a lid. I’d take a blanket and head outside to either the little hill at the back of our yard, or a shady spot under the large Rose of Sharon in the side yard. There I’d sit on my blanket, eat lunch and just enjoy being outside. Other times my mom made a jug of lemonade and some sandwiches and took my brothers and I for a walk in the woods at the top of our street. We’d walk (or run) along the path through the forest exploring things as we went. When we got to a boulder we named “diamond rock”, we stopped and had our picnic lunch. We’d laugh and talk, and tell Mom about discoveries we made along the way and in our wanderigs off the path. Those woods are no longer there, as at some point they were turned into a housing development.

I’m glad I have those memories to reflect on when I have a chance to let my mind wander. There are many paths to go down in our minds, I hope you have some pleasant ones to visit when you have time for reflection. I hope, also, that you have time to regularly do so!