“The LORD is responsible for this, and it is amazing for us to see. This is the day the LORD has made. Let’s rejoice and be glad today!”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭118:23-24‬ ‭GW‬‬

#1. Watermelon! OMGosh! When I was pregnant with Daughter #2, I craved watermelon….in January. It’s hard to find good watermelon in the winter but when I did…it was heavenly. I keep looking for the sweetest, juiciest watermelon every year and I have to say, I only get it about two or three times all season. So much of the food I love doesn’t taste like it used to. Partially due to aging taste buds. But I think all this genetic engineering and hybrids have ruined the flavor of so many foods.

#2. Hard rains in the late afternoon leaving the evenings cool and breezy. The added bonus of fog clinging to the hillsides is divine. This was Sunday evening. A perfect ending to Father’s Day…playing in the field with Mr. FixIt’s son and one of his grandchildren.

#3. Camping. I really love being able to just pull up stakes and head for the hills. I’m hoping to get my little ‘67 Franklin fixed up by next summer so those quick getaways are easier.

#4. Visiting my Colorado family. I miss the kids so much. The bigs and the littles. And my brother and friends. It’s hard to be away from them. I’ve never gone this long without seeing them that I can remember. I’ll head west on the Fourth of July!

#5. Floating in the pool. I’ve never had a pool. I’ve had a couple of hot tubs, but that’s totally different. Mr. FixIt has a pool and on days when the heat index has been particularly high, going out there with a cold beverage just after the sun goes over the far ridge is truly divine. We stay out till dark, floating and talking and solving the world’s problems. I will miss this when the snow flies. (The water was 89 degrees. It felt like a bathtub, but it was wet!)

#6. Sitting on the front porch. Mr. FixIt bought me a rocking chair for my birthday. We went back and got a second one so we can set up the front porch now. The porch is covered and there’s nothing like sitting out on a porch while it’s raining in the summertime.

#7. Cookouts. We have only had a couple of cookouts this summer and I am hoping to have more soon. We both love to entertain.

#8. Sleeping with the window open. I sleep with the window open year round, even if it’s just cracked a little bit. I need the air. I love hearing the night sounds…crickets, frogs, the whippoorwill, the occasional fox barking or deer snorting.

#9. The lush, lush green of summer foliage. West Virginia looks like a jungle about now. My grandma used to say every summer at this time…”We are knee deep in June!” And we are. The garden, the flowers, the shade trees, the thick grass…all heavenly to me.

#10. Sun-dried sheets. If you have never had the joy of sleeping on sun-dried sheets, you are honestly missing one of the best things about summer. Nothing smells as good as sheets that have dried in the wind. The summer sun seems to kill any latent bacteria that may be lingering in the fibers and bleaches white sheets till they shine.

The earth holds you close this time of year. The heat, the humidity, the lush green, the smell of freshly cut grass and hay fields, the sweet smell of honeysuckle on a cool evening breeze, the crisp sweetness of summer’s freshest fruit, the feel of clean sheets on dewy skin, the kiss of sun on your face, the splash of freckles across your nose, the wind in your hair driving with the window open, the shock of walking from sweltering heat into air conditioning, the taste of a cold beverage after mowing, the feel of the ground on your bare feet, the sense of adventure when you travel, the crackle of a campfire, the hoot of an owl in the woods nearby. Grief takes all these things away from you. And…one by one…they ease back into your life with an intensity you never noticed before. You never take them for granted again once they return. Summer is truly deep and rich and good. ❤️