August

Every day in August is a Sunday... maybe you've heard this before, probably from a teacher. Every day in June is like a Friday, every day in July is like a Saturday, and every day in August is like a Sunday. All that anticipation of BTS. My nieces have a rule not to use the "S" word. You know, the one that starts with s,c,h. Shh - don't say it. That time of year when everything ramps up - kids, paperwork, forms, shopping, planning, packing, scheduling, and trying so hard to fit in one more moment of summer and to APPRECIATE it before it's all gone. I don't have any advice. I don't know how to relish the days or to make them last longer. I don't know how to slow things down. I think trying to just makes it worse. I've tried countdowns and picturing today as the last day of summer and none of it works. I asked a teacher friend how many days he had left before returning to school and he said, "Oh, I don't count." So I'm trying that. It's not really working because the looming end is there whether I recognize it or not. But I think what might help a little is to take stock of everything that's happened, not this summer, but maybe this month, or this week. So here's a top five list for this week:

1. Time to pause - I'm savoring my morning rituals with quiet time for coffee and candles because in a few weeks there just won't be any time. My husband and I have been sitting here almost every morning. Sunflowers make it special!

2. House projects - these materials were all down the basement and I finally got everything together to make this new shelf. It feels so good to accomplish something, anything that makes a space feel new again. And it's another checklist item I can cross off!

3. Time outside - Yesterday I asked Annie if she wanted to eat outside and when she said no, I reminded her that winter is long... sorry. She repeated it to me later. So we have to enjoy it, no matter what we are doing: gardening, walking, swimming, hiking, laying on the beach or by the pool, eating al fresco! Just get out there and soak it in. 

4. Friends for lunch - I had friends over for a late summer afternoon and I made cucumber gazpacho. Yummy delicious food, preferably from your garden, helps. (My cukes were from produce junction:( ) Time with friends helps! 

5. Time for fun - Last night my cousin played with his band "Asbury Fever" at a free outdoor concert - a full old-school set list of BRUCE songs and it was wonderful! I danced my heart out! Why isn't Thunder Road on my playlist? And who knew that I know every word to Trapped?!  It's not too late to find free stuff to do.

One more thing I am doing is spending special time with each child before they go back to school. Yesterday, Annie and I drove to do some "Destination Shopping". Did you know this is a thing? My definition is different than the retailers' definition though. We drive somewhere off the beaten path, where there's secondhand shops, good food, and nice scenery. Our drive there is half the fun! We drove out to Devon and Wayne, PA, to visit our tried and true places. We listened to our own old songs in the car and Annie surprised with a few old songs from when she was little, like Martina McBride's This One's For the Girls!  She didn't like it when I started crying though. Today Charlie and I are going to lunch at his favorite BBQ place. I promise not to cry. No pressure, no agenda, just a nice lunch. 

Just writing this is helping me to savor these days. I guess it's like self-care for summer, or Summer-Care. What's on your Top Five this week? What can you put on your weekend list to make it special? Enjoy and take care of your summer!