Friday, June 21, 2013

Ode to Summer

Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer's day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time. –John Lubbock

Yesterday was the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year, my favorite day of the year, I think. And today is the first day of summer. While spring-time is my favorite season with its promise of good things to come, summer is the fulfillment of that promise. How I love cool summer mornings, with the expectation of adventures to be had and a temperature so delicious you could almost scoop it up and eat it. I relish the freedom from sweaters and boots and gloves and woolly hats, even though the trade-off is heat so sweltering that it almost melts you into a puddle. I love eating fresh-picked watermelon and corn from the farmer's stand and cooking with sun-ripened tomatoes and zucchini. And I savor every single minute of extra daylight summer affords.

As a kid, summer meant sleeping in, later bedtimes, trips to the library, going to the drive-in movies, sleeping out in the back yard and hours playing with friends. The days were filled with imagination-fueled adventures in tree-shaded backyards, board games in the refuge of cool basements, running through the sprinklers, neighborhood games like Kick-the-Can and Ghosts in the Graveyard and enjoying life at its best. As an adult, summer is spent in the pursuit of maintaining some semblance of a schedule, trips to the library, swimming with the kids, family reunions, board games in the refuge of the air-conditioned kitchen and enjoying life at its best.

Welcome summer! I'm so glad you're here!

5 comments:

Ivory Spring said...

Happy Summer to you!

Thanks for entering my giveaway. Love all your quilting goals.

Paulette said...

I so agree with you on summer. I really should make a point to celebrate the longest day of the year because it's my favorite too. I did take an extended walk last night relishing the long daylight. I just love this time of year. Have a great summer with all you have planned (and what you don't plan too)!

Shay said...

Enjoy your Summer- all the things you love about it are exactly what I recall and love about it too.

When I say Enjoy Summer - I still want it back in a few months OK? Dont think you'll be hogging it indefinitely. Im freezing down here ...

Anonymous said...

Oh,Yes, Friday was a very good day. Tempertures were warm but not melting. The sun was shining on the brightly painted and highly Polished Vintage cars at the West Haven city Founders day activities and Car show. Across the park,the crowd was wildly cheering the young man on as he had just hit a home run over the fence. It was a wonderful day for the start of Summer.

Lane said...

Even a few days after summer started, your excitement to welcome it is infectious. Except for the hot part. Lane