Summer In Name Only

Summer officially starts Friday June 20th at 4:59pm PDT. T.G.I.S! Some disconnect with the calendar here as we are still having almost wintry weather. I am wearing sweats, sleeping under wool blankets, and kicking on the furnace each morning to take the chill off. It will change. Or it won’t. There was a year back in 1816 that summer never came. Read about it:

http://www.farmersalmanac.com/weather/a/the_year_of_no_summer

Activity-wise, summer starts for me on July 4th as I finish work on July 3rd and am “on vacation” until after Labor Day. That weekend I take off for a visit back to Missouri and I am looking forward to visits with friends, visits to favorite places, and taking some flowers to Forest Hill. I also have some business to take care of so it will be a busy time.

After I return to Portland, I will be busy with my craft and community activities, as well as taking time to just kick back on my front porch (hopefully not all bundled up) reading and sipping my peach iced tea. In August, the kids have rented a house at the coast for my 71st Birthday Celebration. A great weekend with kids, grandkids, dogs, and lots of great food and music. We’ll walk on the beach, play Frisbee, watch the babies eat sand, tell stories about childhood, build a bonfire and roast marshmallows for s’mores, and rejoice in our family.