Summertime Living

 "Rejoice as summer should... chase away sorrows by living." – Melissa Marr

Summer has not always been my favorite season. Some years we were plagued by wildfire smoke making it impossible to go outside. Other years during hot spells we were put on water restrictions and had to try to keep our gardens alive. Some summers there were events that happened that I wanted to forget. Depression would creep up and it was easier to curl up in a cool,dark room and forget the world around me.

This year I am embracing summertime and doing simple things to make the summer memorable. I am fortunate to be retired so time is my friend. I am rejoicing by living. Here is my summertime living list:

Making a root beer float. There isn't an A&W close to me, but one day I saw that root beer at the store and tried to remember the last time I had even drank a float. It was summer in a glass. Cold, sweet, refreshing. 

Picking a bouquet of flowers. I am fortunate to have flowers in my own garden to pick. When I didn't have a garden I would go out in the woods and pick wildflowers, go to a flower stand, or stop at Farmer's Market for fresh flowers. The scent of a bouquet brings summer right into the house.

Enjoying an afternoon naps. When the temperatures hit over a hundred degrees for days on end, I would come inside, darken the bedroom and enjoy a blissful afternoon nap. This gave me the energy to garden later into the evening when the weather cooled a bit.

Discovering outdoor lights. Knowing I would be spending more time outside as the sun went down each day, I decided I wanted to fill the backyard with lights. I love that time when dusk turns to dark and slowly the lights begin to brighten the yard. Some even change colors!

Finding Riley spots. I am always on the hunt for new places to take Riley for his daily run. We have driven up dirt roads, tried to get closer to water, and found cool spots when the temperature was hot. Riley doesn't care if he is in the high school parking lot or in a meadow up past Wardner. He gets to go in the car, jump out and run, run, run. 

Loving Family Dinners.  Our family dinners are still an important part of our week. Recently we have prepared all cold food, sat inside to stay cool, but are still enjoying catching up, sharing stories, and hearing about family plans.

Catching up on reading. Because of other events in my life, reading books has taken a back burner in the last year. Of course I have still read books, but not as many as I am used to reading. It is nice to be back to reading. I have some catching up to do.

Capturing images. The best way for me to remember the simple things I am enjoying this summer is to photograph the moments, the flowers, the sunsets,  Riley, delicious food, and family and friends. 

Tastes Like Summer

 "In defining the “taste of summer,” we use words such as “light,” “refreshing,” “beachy” and “fruity.” The flavor of the season is found in the freshness of patio dining cooled by gentle breezes and warmed by good company. And when you put it all together, the taste of summer is: delicious!"  Wendy Lemlin

This morning I pulled out raspberry jam to spread on my bagel. As soon as I took a bite of the bright red, seedy jam my mind traveled back to Grandma West's house in Orofino. She servedbus fresh raspberries and cream for breakfast in the summer. Now that was a taste of summer. As I savored the sweet jam today I began thinking of other tastes of summer. 

What came to mind first? Hot, fresh corn on the cob with butter melting all over it. What is better?

Maybe the first taste of cold, ripe watermelon after a long winter without it. Nothing like sweet pink juice running down your face on a hot summer afternoon.

When I think summer I also taste popsicles. I always hoped when I reached in the double pop bag there would be root beer or banana left for me to enjoy. When it was hot I would take any flavor, but those two are tastes of summer for me. 

I think I had my first s'more when I was at camp or maybe Rose Lake over the Fourth of July. Who would have thought graham crackers, squares of Hershey bars, and toasted marshmellows would make such a delectable summer dessert? The gooey concoction never tasted as good other times of the year. S'mores tasted like summer.

When we had lemonade at our house in the summer it wasn't Wyler's or the frozen stuff in a can. Mom squeezed the fresh lemons, added the sugar and cold water and served it over ice. Sometimes she added an orange. I don't think we had it often, but when we did it tasted like summer. As far as beverages go Shasta pop, Fizzies, Kool-Aid, Hawaiian Punch, and  A &W rootbeer tasted like summer also.

As an adult the tastes of summer include fresh tomatoes, cucumbers off the vine, huckleberries, fresh mint, and a refeshing gin and tonic. I am still waiting to bite into the first tomato off my vine this year.

What tastes like summer to you?

A Good Mood

 

Don't you always want to be in a good mood? 

Sometimes when it is 105 degrees outside it is hard.

When you are learning to live alone without your dear, sweet husband, it is hard.

When you realize you have used the last ice cube in the whole freezer and you want to make a cold drink, that is really hard.

I thought a lot about good moods and bad moods today.  It was hot, I sat in the dentist chair for two painful  hours, I forgot to turn on the AC while I was gone.  All this could have put me in a bad mood. Instead I made a list of what puts me in a good mood. Here is the list:

Getting personal letters. I love getting a note, a letter, or thank you from friends or family by snail mail. It just lightens the mood of the day.

Getting a refund. Even if it isn't that much, isn't it always fun to go to a business and have them say, "Oh... we have a refund for you? We overcharged you. " Yes!

Riley. That is all I have to say. My dog can bring me out of any mood that isn't positive just by being with me. He makes me smile, he makes me laugh, he makes every day worth living.

Discovering a plant has returned. I love it when I think a plant has died in the garden, then I go out and there between the leaves of some other plants it is back. It is peeking through ready to bloom and brighten my day.

Locating something that was lost. Lately for some reason I have lost many things around my house. I am always immediately in a good mood when I open a drawer, look in a cupboard, or check under a chair and there it is! Found at last.

Learning there is a new book by a favorite author. I love it when I get a notification email or see a post on social media that a favorite author has a new book out. Then there is the decision... do I order it on Kindle, do I get on the list at the library, or do I wait until it comes out in paperbackto purchase it. 

What puts you in a good mood?

Heat Loving Perennials

 For those of you that are new here I am an obsessive flower gardener. I love to buy flowers,  plant flower seeds, arrange flowers into bouquets, and take photos of them. 

Here in northern Idaho it is unusually hot and the air has been dry. This makes it difficult to keep annual flower basket alive and blooming. It is also hard on seedlings that have just come up. After weeding yesterday I discovered I had some big gaps in my flower beds. How did I solve this problem?  I went to one of my favorite nurseries today. I knew the owner had plants on sale. The weather was a bit cooler (at least this morning) so I felt it was safe to plant them. 

Here are some heat loving perennials I purchased and ones I already have:

Rudbeckia: I have had these, but they didn't survive the winter. They are tall, bright, and love the sun.

Yarrow: At my last house my yarrow went crazy. I don't have any here. I couldn't resist the pink one today.

Phlox: I had never seen this shorter version of a phlox. I love the color combination so it was added to my purchases.

These are all heat loving perennials, but they do require lots of watering.

lily

Other perennial plants I already have that love the sunshine:

roses, sedum, lilies, hollyhocks, gaillardia, and russian sage

In the fall when you are making plans for your next year's garden, check out these plants. They add color, texture, and some of them smell very nice. Plus hopefully they come back year after year.

What perennials do you like in your garden?

gaillardia

What Do I Want To Be When I Grow Up?

When I was in school I had teachers pose this question often. As I teacher myself I probably asked the same question to my students. I am almost grown up and my main profession for over thirty years was teaching. 

When I was a child I wanted to be a nurse. I had the book pictured above and Mom would read it me and I would study all the pictures before I could read. I don't know when I decided I didn't want to be a nurse. Maybe someone got sick and I gagged or I saw blood after a household accident and realized I couldn't stomach it. 

By the end of high school I wanted to be a high school teacher. After taking an education class that required working with kindergarten students, I changed my mind. I got a degree in Elementary Education.

Recently someone asked, "If you could have done any other profession, what would it have been?"

Because of my love for books I always wanted to work in a bookstore. Being surrounded by books and people that love books seemed like a dream job. I also dreamed of owning a bookstore. I pictured a cute little shop with a cafe that served coffee drinks, homemade cookies, and other delicious pastries. It would be full of new and used books, comfy chairs, plants, a resident dog or cat, and soft music playing in the background. Now I just visit favorite bookstores, sip coffee and eat a homemade cookie.

My love of books also led me to wanting to be a librarian. I spent many hours in the library growing up and I loved the quiet surroundings, the unlimited amount of books to read, and the kind librarians. I was able to fulfill this dream when I returned to my hometown after retirement. I worked part time in the same library where I enjoyed books in childhood. For personal reasons I had to give the job up, but I sure loved it.

I also wanted to work in a florist shop. I love to grow flowers and arrange them in bouquets.Being surrounded by flowers and bringing joy to customers with my arrangements was another dream job. Along this same vein, I would be in seventh heaven if  I could work in a plant nursery. It would be so fun to help gardeners pick plants and answer gardening questions. 

What I want to be when I grow up?

I want to own a bookstore with a cafe, a corner full of flowers to arrange for customers, a resident dog, a plant nursery out back, and a writing corner for me to get all my thoughts down each day while sipping a latte and eating a homemade cookie. I would beam as each customer would leave with a bag of books, a bouquet of flowers, some plants for their garden, and a pastry for later. Now that is amazing dream! 

If you could choose another profession, what would it be?

This is Alabama Booksmith bookstore in Homeword, Alabama.

A Perfect Day

 Wouldn't it be magically if you could take all the moments of enjoyable days and put them into one perfect day? I would just love it. This would be a perfect day for me in the summer. What would be your perfect day?

Awaken about eight o'clock, let Riley out, then have morning snuggles with him.

Brew a cup of strong dark roast coffee, add a dash of cinnamon vanilla creamer and enjoy it while sitting in my favorite chair.

Catch up on news, social media, emails, and texts.

Watch Riley's daily ritual of waiting for the mail lady and maybe the UPS guy. It is always the same and is hilarious every single day. Riley hasn't figured out Sundays yet. He still waits.

Put on my comfortable gardening clothes, sunscreen, and hat and take a garden tour. Mentally make a list of what chores need to be done today. Water, weed, deadhead.

Pick flowers and arrange a bouquet.

Meet up with the Corner Book Club at The Blackboard Cafe in Wallace and have a great discussion about yet another great book.

Come home and head to the She Shed with Riley to read a book or write while favorite music playing.

Take Riley for his daily run.

Get together with the family and enjoy another weekly Family Dinner.

Come home, make an adult beverage, enjoy time with the cats, and wait for the lights to come on in the backyard. While waiting catch up with a friend on the phone.

Come inside and watch some favorite television shows. On this day it might be "Home Town", " BBQ Brawl", " Pioneer Woman", " Barefoot Contessa", or "Law and Order" reruns.

Go to bed, say my prayers. and count my blessings.

Riley waits.

Now that is a perfect day!