Another summer is almost over. Classes begin again next week, and it will be a flurry of lesson plans, grading, and meetings. But until then, I want to focus on the things that make summer summer. Like:
1) Peaches. Pictured above with Greek yogurt, honey, and blueberry granola. Yummy. I love the colors of a peach and this one was especially pretty, all sunset colors - orange and red and yellow and pink.
2) Hanging out at the pool. Our apartment complex has a nice pool that is never crowded when it first opens in the morning. I've enjoyed having friends with kids over to swim - I have never met a kid who didn't think swimming was the acme of human bliss.
3) Fun reading. I haven't had as much of this as I would like, what with the dissertation and all, but there has been some. I had an especially fun evening, curled up with Robin McKinley's Chalice while it stormed distantly outside. For me, reading is always enhanced by atmosphere.
4) Stargazing. I realize that I am not outside enough at night. Like most people, I get home, I flop down, I turn on the TV and forget that there are things like sunsets and stars and moons out there. Jordan and I did turn out for the Pleiades meteor shower the other night. We took the car around to the local landing strip where it was marginally darker than at our apartment. We sat on the trunk, leaning back against the back windshield and watched. We saw one really amazing meteor and then watched as clouds rolled in, with lightning flickering inside them. It was pretty cool.
5) Baseball. I am not a sports fan. But I kind of am. Our church has "Family Fun Night" every third Sunday. We have our business meeting and then do something...fun. This summer, that has meant ice cream and a softball game. It is kind of amazing to watch the grown ups and the little kids all playing on teams together, people on the opposite teams sharing gloves as they switch places from infield to outfield, other members sitting on the sidelines cheering. It is not "church softball" in the sense that it is organized or practiced. It is a pick-up game in a field. It is fun. We also had fun taking our youth group to a minor league game the other night. It was quintessential summer to sit in the stands, hearing the crack of a bat. I can't believe I'm waxing sentimental over a ballgame, but there you go.
6) Watermelon. And blueberries, corn on the cob, tomatoes, squash, lettuce. How can I live the long winter without them? Our church is really amazing. Almost every Sunday, someone brings us a bag of cucumbers or some tomatoes. Usually there is a heap of produce sharing space with bulletins and brochures on the table in the foyer, free to anyone who cares to cart them away. Often there are also farm fresh eggs. I love our little country church!
OK, now some things that I haven't gotten to do this summer:
1) Go to the beach - we did go to England so I am not in any way complaining about not seeing the beach this summer. But it is the summer thing.
2) Go camping. I love camping; and camping in the fall is pretty spectacular too, but that rarely works out. Jordan and I have plenty of camping equipment that we never use, because a camping trip requires planning and somehow we just never plan it. I want to go camping! Camp fires, marshmallows, stars, lanterns, the earthy-nylon smell of a tent; I never sleep better than I do curled in a flannel-lined sleeping bag in chilly mountain night air.
And, some transitional-type things:
1) Back to school shopping. My needs are few at this point: a new legal pad (white instead of yellow, this time) and my new bag, but I enjoyed buying things to donate for our school supplies drive at church. Pencils and notebooks, yay!
2) Knitting. Working with wool in summer seems kind of pointless, but with fall around the corner I'm in the knitting mood again. Right now I am working on a corset-style vest in a beautiful amethyst-colored yarn - pictures to follow, of course!
