Each season I blog about what I love during that time of year. I always feel disingenuous when I proclaim, “I love summer,” because I don’t. Yet, there are things I do like about summer, so here’s my more honest assessment of summer’s blessings.
- Watermelon—red and ripe, juicy and drippy, sweet and refreshing.
- Ice cream cones—I know, there is no off-season for this creamy treat but it’s especially good in summer, particularly from the Belville Creamery in NY state with its picture postcard view. It is worth the trip (and the calories) for a scoop of coconut ice cream with almonds covered in dark chocolate.
- The slower pace that invites us to relax and unwind, to take deep breaths, reset our internal clocks, and appreciate life and living.
- Barbecues—paper plates, cold salads, hot dogs, warm friends, and easy conversation.
- Lightning bugs, flying, flickering, adding sparkle to lazy summer evenings. May we never grow too old to thrill at their display.
- Iced tea, but not just any iced tea, only the family recipe passed down from my mother-in-law. Just enough sugar and lemon, half decaf, steeped to perfection, delicious and refreshing.
- Seasonal flora and fauna—fruits and flowers, birds and butterflies, each with their own unique beauty.
- Summer storms—sometimes sudden, always fascinating, breaking into the monotonous heat with a spectacular show of rumbles and flashes, drenching and replenishing the earth.
Hmm. Maybe I do love summer! What are your summer favorites?
It was you who set all the boundaries of the earth;
you made both summer and winter.
Psalm 74:17
BARBARA HIGBY 