It's official, we are now in Summer. The word, Summer, invokes so many feelings and expectations. Summers as a child were magical. Days and days of sunshine and playing outside. Festivals and fairs and Fun! Lots of work too, but outdoor work. Weeding the garden, picking vegetables, helping mom bottle the harvest. Lots of bean snapping and pea podding and corn shucking, with a little Ice Cream Machine cranking thrown in for good measure.
Summers as a youth meant a job to earn some money. I had a wide variety of summer jobs, most of them fun! I worked a lot in fast food jobs, some babysitting and house cleaning. It wasn't until I finished High School that I got a Real summer job. The kind that wouldn't let you off to vacation with your family. I remember the shock of that. Missing a family vacation because I needed to work to save money for college. About that time, I became a little resentful of summer responsibility.
Now, Summer is just another passage of time, but with heat! I don't have children, so I'm not concerned with what to do with them, or planning a family vacation. In fact, I RARELY travel during the summer. It's too hot, and too crowded. I'll do my vacationing in the Spring and the Fall, thank you very much.
My favorite part of summer these days is the Fireworks. I'll go out of my way to see fireworks. I also enjoy parades, barbecue, and concerts outside under the stars. My garden gives me a lot of pleasure. I love a good thunderstorm. Sandalls make summer enjoyable, as do the light, easy clothes. Cold beer after a long hot day! I guess I like Summer more than I'd realized.
