New week. New month.
(Okay. So not really. Not this month.)
It’s NOT the first Monday in July. It’s a Friday. But who cares! It’s (still) early in the month, and it’s (still) time for me to . . .
Earlier this week, I read a very clever piece by . . . well. I’m really sorry, but I can’t remember who wrote it, and I haven’t been able to find it again. But it was very clever! And it likened the month of June . . . to being a young adult in your 20s or 30s. Y’know . . . when life is just stretched out forever in front of you. And anything is still possible.
Except . . . Now it’s July.
And if we extend the metaphor, it means summer is now . . . a 40-something, soon to be a 50-something. And you know what that means, don’t you? Yeah. Life is getting more obviously . . . transient. The summer-clock is running down, and we can see that now.
Time for a mid-life crisis!
Some of those endless possibilities of summer in early June that we dreamed about? Too late! We missed the chance. But . . . there’s still plenty of time to make things happen. Maybe you planned to start a new garden bed. (But didn’t.) Maybe you wanted to take a fun vacation. (But never got around to making plans.) Maybe you wanted new patio furniture. (But hemmed and hawed about it for long enough that you just never actually bought it.)
Well, my friends. I’m here to tell you . . . there are still plenty of things you can do this summer! We might be in summer’s “middle age” right now, but – just like in our lives – we can’t let that stop us. So . . .
- pick up that epic novel and start reading!
- go ahead and re-organize your stash closet!
- refresh your garden bed (or your containers)!
- go to a ball game!
- visit the farmer’s market!
- invite your friends over for a drink on your patio!
Whatever you thought you might like to do in those early days of summer?
Do it! You have time.
Summer is still here. You might as well make the most of it.
(Even if it IS in the throes of middle age!) (And hot. I know.)
It’s July.
Don’t let it pass you by!
Start Your Engines!
YES! And I would add a few things… try a new summery cocktail, try a new summer salad, sip your coffee on the porch while it is still cool out! (And my new fun thing… get a bag of unsalted, in-the-shell peanuts and toss a handful out for the blue jays… they are hilarious to watch!)
The towels flung over the deck look so refreshing to me – and remind me of summers in Vermont! I’ll be freshening up a few things as I look forward to a few guests in a week or so. Can’t wait. And morning coffee on the patio is wonderful. enjoy!!
We will be digging up the front garden bed. Life and time has not been kind to that portion of our yard. Time for a refresh.
Heat and humidity have sapped my will to do almost anything, so just this morning I was thinking about some possibilities. I may start Transit of Venus (again; I’m determined), I might look for a good “cold” novel (exploring the polar regions or something set in the depth of winter), and I will definitely make some peppermint iced tea. I might even go to the creek and sit in The Deep Hole. Not very exciting, I know, but still better than sitting here complaining about the heat!
Around here summer is just showing up and since I no longer live by the school year calendar, there is still time. I am happy that we didn’t have many plans for this summer because my little foot mishap would have meant cancellations. I am looking at my WIPs with new enthusiasm – the summer I finish all the knitting might be the title of my story.
We’re enjoying a little relief from the heat (at the moment) and skies are clear! I feel a little anxious when I think about how fleeting summertime is… but take a deep breath and hold out hope for a wonderful, long & drawn out autumn.
Excellent advice! It’s the beginning of July and there’s still plenty of time to make the best of summer. (I start feeling summer slipping away in August.) We had friends over for drinks/snacks on the deck last night. And we’re going camping which (finally) means swimming. AND, when I finish my current book, I’m going to read one of the Outlander books, something I promised myself I would do this summer.
I organized my library and even joined the stripy sock club again. We have been tending our big garden and now wait for the garlic harvest. Since summer got off to a slow start July 4th was a true starting point. This is my happiest time of year (yes, I know I’m different). 😀
Thank you for the encouragement! One thing I really want to do this summer is reorganize the built-in bookshelves in my family room. There’s a lot of junk on them in addition to books, so we need to do a good clean-out to get started and then sort through all the books. I want to get rid of anything I don’t feel I need and put books by the same author together. And I need to create a dedicated poetry section! I was starting to feel like I was running out of summer, but you’re right that there’s still plenty of time left.
Amen! We are heading out for a few days road trip to Minnesota so I will be absent from blogs for awhile. A new novel sounds like an excellent idea.
I have three different people I would like to visit sometime before the snow flies. Happily, they all live in northern MN, just in widely different locales. All are well north of 70, so I am aware that time is ticking away.
Sure…I have lots of fun plans for the rest of summer. But no matter what, from July 4th on, it will always be all down hill for summer in my mind. Just one of those things for me. So I tend to celebrate May as the first month of summer. Whether it wants to cooperate or not.
That picture could be a real-life postcard!
I am reading Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros and loving it! One part of me loves reading YA and Adult fantasy – give me dragons, magic, and a love story with the right quirks and I’ll give it a try.
We are deep in the dog days in the south so my plantings are what they are until fall. I have three weeks left of summer term and then fall classes start on August 16 so my summer is flying by. Its been good so far and the rest of July is looking positive as well.