Okay, so far we have four great posts to get the beach ball rolling, but we also have two weeks to go before I announce the first winner of a signed copy of Bound to Please. If you haven’t already, take two ticks and post your response to:
What do you like best about summer?
Could be a childhood memory, could be a random (or not so random) musing about summer in general. It’s your call.
Hope
The best part of summer is being in the water: swimming pool, lake, river, ocean — doesn’t matter. Summer is the best time to make a big splash!
(Oh, and then there is ice cream …)
Summertime,as a child, meant an extended visit with
my grandparents, WWII sweethearts. In the incredibly scenic, wild mountains of rural Western Noth Carolina, we would explore every trail off of the Blue Ridge Parkway for endless miles. My grandmother would weave tales of her life as she carefully packed the perfect picnic lunch of fresh ripe peaches, honey sandwiches with butter and honeycomb, and smoked ham on homemade biscuits. We would find a fresh stream to drink from. Searching for gold nuggets in ice- cold waterfalls,peeling shiny mica from boulders,and laying on beds of moss daily infused my otherwise normal life with an element of magic and mystery. As a family of deer would bound in front of us, Nana would recount the time she was thirteen and met my grandfather as he walked to work each day past her cabin. They were married when she was seventeen, and then the war took my grandfather away for years. My father was born after his return, the appropriate nine months later! I learned to grow a garden, compost everything into something else, avoid the bears by hiding scraps, and catch rabbits for dinner. I feel the blanket of these rich memories surround me when I see the fireflies pulse and daylilies bloom each summer.
Summer is cold beer in the backyard while the children play in the plastic pool. Nothing better than sittingon the lawn chair fishing out grass with a pool net.
Summer is dragging beach chairs, towles, bags, and water bottles to the beach in 90 degree heat looking for a spot ont he overcrowded Jones Beach. Sitting in the sun, watching the kids run in and out of the surf, chomping on a bag of salty chips with flecks of sand in it. Sneaking peeks at the cute life gaurds in their red short and tanned oil skin.
Summer is laughing with friends over Mojitos while dear ole’ hubby bbq’s up some steak and chicken legs, which he always forgeting to buy a spare propane tank and watch the flames go out midway through cooking the meat. Priceless.
All too short long lazy days that comes and goes with the fireflies and the sound of cicads.
Mirinda, what an absolutely beautiful post. Such lovely memories to carry with you and btw, you’re a beautiful writer as well as artist.
Sasha, I love Jones Beach and yes, I loves me some mojitos, too. 😉 Had my first one in South Beach, Miami about four years ago, and that was it for me. Something about that fresh mint…They only taste right once the heat index reaches a certain level, though. I can’t drink them in the winter. I’m weird that way.
I love going to the Drive-In during the summer. Two movies and only $7 per car! They also have delicious popcorn. 🙂
I haven’t been to a drive-in movie since I was kid wearing pajamas with footies. But how great are they!?! I’d love to do that again.
I love the way the flowers bloom and how it smells hot yet sweet when its sunny childrens laughter when out side watchin them chase lightening bugs
my favorite memories were the cook outs and the pool parties durring the summer
Cool, Beverly. You just reminded me how much I used to love the lilac bush in my parents’ front yard. That scent was just incredible.
I like wearing tank tops and not being cold.
I have a lot of wonderful fond memories of past summers (as a child and an adult). As a child, we spent summers with grandparents doing lots of fun things. We took trips throughout the United States and Canada (including once in Alaska). We have gone camping, fishing, swimming, boat riding, trecking, siteseeing, and walked together hand-in-hand on beaches. We loved/love to visit or entertain family and friends, bar-b-que, watch our 3 dogs play together and with us, and curl up together on a hot summer night with drinks and snacks, watching movies and old DVDs.
Megan, here here to not being cold. I can’t believe it’s mid-June and I still need a jacket at night.
Cathy, what cool grandparents you had. Some of my fondest summertime memories are of staying over at my grandmother’s house–berry picking, brushing her (generally appreciative) cats, playing checkers and bingo, eating all the bad-for-you processed snacks I could stuff in, getting cleaned up after supper and sitting on lawn chairs waiting for the sun to set…
i always loved the smell of blooms from lilac bushes mixed with the scents of lilies and roses
i remember berry picking to as a kid ate more berries then we put in the baskets lol
Not me, Beverly. I was all about the Cool Whip topping that went on the berries more so than the berries per se.
Did I mention I was a chubby child… 😉
Right now I love the summer, it’s finally warm (+23C) and sunny and I love to sit in our garden, wathing all the beautiful flowers and listening to the kids on the beach nearby. I think they are swimming, although the water is still very cold!
oh i loved the cool whip topping for what we did actually get home lol i was a chubby child too
I like going back to Michigan to see my friends and enjoy weather that’s cooler than Florida.
elainec
Hi Hope!
I’m part of the Sony E-reader test drive for the SmartBitches, and had to spend $25 in Harlequin e-books (I have never read a Harlequin before). Bound to Please was one I chose to buy, and I’m currently in the middle of it (must say, I am enjoying it quite a bit!). That’s how I ended up here at your site…
Anyways…one of the best things about summer is relaxing on my patio, with a good book and a nice glass of wine.
Bonjourno, Mama Nice,
I’m so glad BOUND TO PLEASE could be part of your Sony e-reader test drive for the SB’s. Please tell me it kicks Kindle’s…arse. Pretty please…Ever since Amazon introduced its infamous little blue box, I’ve had a penchant for cheering on the competition.
Ditto on the vino. I brought four excellent reds back from my Sonoma jaunt. They’re **so** good. Opened a bottle last night from Jacuzzi Winery and had it out of one of my new Pottery Barn stemless wine glasses. The bowl of the glass is actually big enough to do that cool swirling thing, allowing me to release flavors and aromas and yes, aggressions! 😉 Bliss!
Hmmm, I love summer because for the past few years, since moving to a new house in the country, we’ve watched a groundhog grow from a baby to a silver haired groundhog. I’ve named him/her and I’ve taken about 100 pictures of him/her. (S)he’s use to us and our dogs, but thank goodness is still wild enough to be a groundhog. We just watch ’em from the windows while (s)he eats, eats, eats oh and eats grapes. We know it’s the same groundhog because of a unique marking on his/her fur that has been passed down, though not strongly, through its offspring. I guess it’s a family past time now.
That’s so cool, Cathy. I didn’t know groundhogs at grapes.
Any inside scoop on our upcoming weather?
I’d love to win “Bound to Please”. My summer reading has been great so far and this book would continue the trend. I’ve loved most books I’ve read.
Have a great summer.
elainec
Elaine, what a sweetie you are. And I’m glad your summer picks have so far satisfied. That’s so great. 🙂