Summer

I have always known the importance of seasons. How can you appreciate the beauty and tranquility of a still summer day when you haven't endured the brittleness of winter? Yesterday, I sat on the beach and read Jen Lancaster's newest memoir, Bright Lights, Big Ass. This woman has a great voice for humor and the ability to find her own take on every detail of ordinary life. I drank a strawberry smoothie and just appreciated the stillness of the moment and the solidity of my space. I watched the children jumping in and out of the pool; dripping, tanned and energetic, as every child seems to share this same presence, especially in summer. This fluidity reminded me of my own childhood summer days. When I saw an old friend across the pool, I found myself giddy to talk to her. M and I had spent countless summer days diving beneath this very pool and riding the surf in the ocean. Our hair always tangled and salty and stiff from the torment. How wonderful it was to sit with her and feel as though we were right back where we left off? We could have been eight years old again, the conversations are different but the feelings and the emotions are the same. Her mother stopped by and I felt I should be asking for permission for a sleepover. I love how time changes everything and nothing. And here I am, 28 years old, jumping in the pool with a best friend.

Last night I took my dog, Gracie, for a walk. My new goal is to train her, to at least teach her to sit and stay. The air was marvellous and their was a slight breeze that cooled down the heat of the day. I thought about how wonderful it must be to have a screened in porch. If I had one, I would sit out there every night. I would drag a television, a table, my books out into my tiny outdoor world and I would live in it from the first warm night until the first winter chill. How wonderful it must be to experience the natural world without the peskiness of mosquitos and other bugs.

I think I need another sweet drink, a good book and some more time to experience this beautiful summer weather.