Sibling Assignment #167: Images of Summer

I gave the assignment this week. 
"Pick a series of photos from your collection that symbolizes summer to you. Write a reflection on the summer photo choices." I will share the siblings' links when they are posted.

In our adult lives we three siblings have never lived in the same town, or even within a couple hours of each other. Our early adult time was occupied with building, rebuilding, and ending marriages, raising children and pets, continuing with studies, and a focus on the work of our professions. We each had a house to keep up, gardens to grow, and friends to see.  We worked on trying to see each other during a small window of time when we were free in the summer at the same time. Sometimes it helped if there was a special family event like a wedding. It helped also when we weren't all doing extra jobs in the summer like Shakespeare Camp for Bill, the 6th St. Theater for Carol, or the Writing Project at U. of Idaho for me. In recent years we began to plan more intentially to spend time together. We called our time sibling outings. Sometimes we went somewhere together, sometimes we just had lunch and toured a park to take pictures, other times we all gathered at my house or Carol's. They weren't always in the summer either. The summer ones have good memories though.

 I created a collage of photos that shows the love, laughter, and the happiness we feel and were able to demonstrate in these pictures. Often Mom is part of our shenanigans. What I do know is that whenever we are together I can guarantee it will be a blast. We can laugh at just about anything. We can talk about serious things, and make family decisions and suggestions that impact the care of our mother.  We prepare meals together. Our sharp memories bring up stories that keep the laughter going. We love good food, Inland Empire places of interest, good drinks, and time. We appreciate simple beauty and are awestuck often by the beauty of northern Idaho and eastern Washington.  We aren't too fussy. We stayed in  a rustic cabin with no wifi where the Lochsa and the Selway merge and had fun even when we got a bit lost trying to find falls that were a bit dried up. 

In the picture of my sister in the middle at the top she was taking a series of photos on the ferry crossing Kootenay Lake in BC. It is memorable because she is in her zone not realizing I was trapped in the car on the ferry because I couldn't squeeze out of the small space provided. I still laugh when I see that picture. By the way, she got great photos.

We have phrases and words that make us laugh. In the picture with our mother Carol said one of those childhood words that nobody else would see as funny. We did. I couldn't even hold my head up I was laughing so hard. Not fussy... just three people that have made a point to put family first in planning events at least twice a year. Things have shifted now. I am living in the same town as my sister and mother. Brother Bill plans longer trips to spend here with the family. I am sure the sibling outings will continue.

 I have shared the quote below before. It is a favorite one that speaks to the relationship of siblings. 

 "To the outside world, we all grow old. But not to brothers and sisters.
We know each other as we always were. We know each other's hearts. We share private family jokes.
We remember family feuds and secrets, family griefs and joys. We live outside the touch of time." - Clara Ortega