I've figured out a way to hang on to a piece of it, even in the dead of winter.
Come on over and I'll share my secret.
Summer is my favorite season, hands down, no competition, I love it.
You will not hear me complaining about hazy, hot and humid conditions or having my kids home from school and underfoot all day.
Nobody goes to camp, there are no lunches to pack, clocks to punch or snow storms to fight.
It's all about fireflies, hot pavement on my bare feet, warm pool water, high tides and starlit nights.
There's nothing better than waking up without the alarm clock yelling at me, having breakfast on the patio with the chipmunks and the frogs, popping outside without a coat and then watching the sun set over the water at almost 9pm.
Summer feeds my soul.
Unfortunately, by the time the season is in its full glory and I get a few minutes to really enjoy it, it's August and the sense that it's all going to end soon is palpable.
I do not like that.
One minute I am staring out at my lush garden, caught up in all the glorious color, color that has taken two months to cultivate, only to realize that it will all be gone soon, the next.
The view outside my kitchen window will fade and I will be staring at browns, grays and, for more months that I can stand, white.
My feet will be cold and I will go back to wearing my jacket (or my bathrobe) all day long. It will be dark when I get up and again by dinnertime.
And hazy, hot and humid will be something I only experience when I am having a flash.
It's not the same. Trust me.
Don't get me wrong, I like fall and I adore the Christmas season, but by January first, I am ready to get right back to July again.
Of course, Mother Nature has other ideas and I am left pining away for summer in my snow boots.
These were the thoughts floating around my head this weekend, while I was swimming in the pool and immediately I thought of Frederick.
I have written about him before.
I am a big fan.
Frederick is the title character in a classic children's book written by Leo Lionni.
While I have always loved the message of the story, I have never really applied the wisdom of the tale to my own life.
I've been more like Frederick's family, running around during the last precious weeks of summer, preparing for autumn. You know the drill, back to school shopping, scheduling.
Planning out my Halloween costume.
I'm kidding about that last one, but they're already in the stores if I wanted to...
Well, this year I have decided to change all that.
I refuse to be melancholy.
Rather than mourn the passing of my favorite season or rush right through it as I ready myself for fall, I have decided to take a page right out of Frederick.
I've been studying every vibrant zinnia bloom, the color of the water in my pool and pond, the feeling of the fine sand between my toes, the smell of the juicy burgers on the grill, the sound of the songbirds as they float overhead and the taste of my sister's fresh, organic tomatoes.
I am consciously reveling in the last bits of the season, methodically collecting the best parts and tucking them away for a cold and rainy day.
Oh, I know the clock is still ticking and there's no stalling Mother Nature ~ that broad's on a mission ~ but, I am going to gather enough summer to keep me warm all winter long.
Fabulous.
Thanks Frederick.
Oh I love Frederick ;) As absolutely scorching hot as it gets during our summer months, I still prefer being hot to being too cold! It's always smart to savor what you love--enjoy!
ReplyDeleteI agree, I prefer hot to cold, too!! :)
DeleteMy sis had a pool when our kids were younger; having a private pool makes all the difference in the world to a hot summer :)
ReplyDeleteIt definitely does, Deb...makes all the difference!!
DeleteThat is exactly how I feel. In Michigan summer is too short and winter waaayyy too long.
ReplyDeleteKindred spirits, Pam!! The weather is exactly the same here...the season is just too short for a summer lover!
Deleteso beautifully written. as always!
ReplyDeleteand this coming from total autumn person.
perhaps it's because summers where i am are continuously in the triple digits.
and they last far into what normally would be fall. last year until the end of November!
if i lived where you do... i think i should love summer too!
Thank you, Tammy! You always leave the loveliest comments. I can only imagine the heat where you live and I am sure that I would feel differently if I was exposed to those temps. The ocean mitigates the heat here, so when it's brutal, it doesn't last long! :)
DeleteOh yes, perfect idea!
ReplyDeleteAugust is my favorite month. I love the Summer of August ... the Harvest of August ...
I do wish we could bottle it up and open it when we get melancholy in February/March
(my bad months)
That sounds like a children's book, too, Carla! You could pop the top off that bottle and summertime would spill out all over the place! If only....
DeleteI love your writing, Kim, and I am so on board with you! I was a blogger long ago who rushed the seasons in order to get up the trendy new decor. No more. I savor each season. Thanks you for reminding many of us to savor the best of summer! ;-D
ReplyDeleteJane
Thank you, Jane! You just made my day!! :)
DeleteI love the way you wrote this! We really all should gather up the moments, enjoy them, and make memories. I'll confess...it's so hot I'm ready for a little relief but summer is the best feeling!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Stacey!! I just love the way the earth comes to life during summer. Everything is so vibrant…I think the color is what I miss most in the winter.
DeleteKim, you knew I was a sucker in the making, didn't you!!! Can't resist a children's book and I didn't know about this one. Only cost me 1 cent + shipping. I love buying used from Amazon.You have some beautiful memories to store up, hope you can pull them out when you need them. I forget very easily and I have already made up my annual Halloween poems..Have a wonderful week and Thanks! Seriously,xxoJudy
ReplyDeleteYou my friend are the best shopper ever and I am so glad you are bringing Frederick home with you! Enjoy the story, it really is a sweet one!
DeleteHi Kim,
ReplyDeleteI am such a summer girl too. Love the heat, humidity and long days of summer. The moments in life are so important even the smallest ones. Every day is such a gift and it is fun to have the months of summer to wake up too. Enjoy enjoy the rest of this wonderful season.
Kris
Thank you Kris and thank you for sharing your thoughts...wise words indeed, for any season!! :)
DeleteYou get the
ReplyDeleteGold
for
Loving Hot Steamy Colorful Summertime . . .
Good for you . . .
Great post . . .
Thanks Lynne!! I am trying to savor it all before the trees turn gold!! ;-)
DeleteFor me, summer is when my job kicks into super high gear so I don't have the lazy days of summer to enjoy like you do. Cherish it, my friend - you are truly blessed. Xo
ReplyDeleteI remember working through the summer, it was rough! Once I started teaching and had kids summer regained its magic again. Fall is coming soon. Hold on!! :)
DeleteHi Kim, I am a summer girl too with fall coming in at a close second. We seem to smoothly flow into the transition to fall with a bit of summer warmth staying with us. That's fine with me. The pool is a God sent with our very hot summers. Making summer memories to carry us through the seasons till we meet summer once again. Thanks for sharing your heart! Love this post!
ReplyDeleteFall is my second favorite, too! I love the fireplace and the hot cocoa, but the pool and beach is hard to beat...especially in the intense heat! Enjoy the last drop...
DeleteI love summer. So much, we are going to retire to AZ! But the one caveat is that if I have to move away from the (concept of) the ocean, we had to have our own pool. I needed to be able to look out at blue water. :)
ReplyDeleteI’m with you!! The pool view is my saving grace! Summer is the most wonderful time of the year! :)
Deleteah, summer. First in Georgia, now in Texas. Hot and steamy for certain. But now I have a pool! And several bathing suits. Only I don't use either of them. Shame on me! Thanks for the reminder.
ReplyDeleteFrederick, huh? Don't know him. I shall have to look him up
I have to say that if it weren't for the kids' constant prompts, I would not swim nearly as much.
DeleteI totally agree with you on summer! My favorite season. I'm enjoying every last bit of it while I can. A lot of my flowers are already fading, especially the potted ones and it makes me sad. Doesn't seem like we get to enjoy them long enough.
ReplyDeleteI know, the leaves are starting to fall here a bit and I feel as if my garden has just hit its stride. Too soon to fade, but it’s on its way…boo!!
DeleteKim,
ReplyDeleteI love visiting you lovely blog, you fill my heart. I just adore you! Thank you for sharing because I feel the same way as you do minus the gloom of winter, since I live in FL. : ) By the way the quote you shared is that from a particular book? Do share with me, I would love to read it. Thank you
The post is based on the children's book called Frederick, by Leo Lionni. It's a super sweet story!! And thank you, Vanessa...you are always so kind!!
DeleteFor the last two years I've felt that summer flew by, mainly because of two large projects going on. Even though there's a major project this year I've felt that summer hasn't been fulfilled in me because of the hot weather. I don't have a pool, and worry if I put my feet in the pond I'll execute myself I haven't been outside much....I'm just not a hot weather girl. But with I'll do enjoy my morning walks through my gardens and around the pond...and I will savor what is left because I never want to rush a season since my seasons are shorten at this age. I also don't push fall in august and not sub come to a season before it comes...enjoyed you post..and voted for you, congrats on such a huge honor.
ReplyDeleteI used to rush season, Cathy and like you, I am trying to savor them all now, no matter what they bring. I do like summer best though, I think it’s the call of the beach. My town just comes alive during those months, everyone is more social. Thank you for your vote, I am truly honored by every single one!! :) I hope you’re having a great weekend and your reno is moving along!
DeleteOh, Kim, how different we are! But I will take a page from your gathering summer and this winter try to gather all it's glories to make them last through these months that are at the bottom of the chart of my favorites.
ReplyDeleteOne thing we do have in common, I hated for school to begin again too. Having the kids home in the summer was the best part of it. I know those days are long gone, but I remember how lovely it was.
Pack up some of that snow when it comes and send it to me!
Dewena, I would love to send you some snow. :) We always have plenty of it! Last winter was ok, but the several before dumped so much snow here that by February, it was up to my car windows at the stop sign…and it stayed that way until May. I told my kids I felt claustrophobic just looking out the windows! I should probably vacation somewhere warm in winter, huh?
DeleteDewena, I'm with you - summer is not my favorite. Fall and winter have that honor. But then, I'm in South Georgia, so fall and winter aren't anywhere near as bad as Kim's New England - or Alaska where I grew up.
DeleteHey Kim, I still have a lovely guest suite! Come one down when you get tired of the snow!
As for sending snow... I went to Alaska one year, barely spring in the middle of May. Someone jokingly asked me to bring back some snow. And I did!
An empty water bottle filled with snow, of course, melted by the time it made it back to SC (This was before 9-11 by only a few months, so I could bring back a full water bottle.) My Vitamix made "snow" from the snow-water I froze in ice cube trays. Several layers of aluminum foil kept the snowball packed and frozen until I could deliver it. The friend got a kick out of it!
Snow shipped to a friend. See? It can be done!
Shipping snow!! What a lovely idea. Now if we could the same with some sunshine, that would be amazing!!
DeleteI am a winter girl! I think I have a hard time with Arkansas summers because I grew up in WV where we rarely even needed ac & the summer nights were glorious. Here I am constantly fighting mosquitoes & ticks & humidity.....I long for deep snow, crisp air & gorgeous winter sunrises over our lake.
ReplyDeleteBut, I too have learned to cherish each season. Summer is cherished from the inside by my AC cranked really low while I drink hot tea!
Haha! I cherish some of summer from inside the way you describe...the nights mostly! I can even confess to whipping myself up a hot chocolate and curling up under a blanket when it's 95 outside. I do love the change of season too, and the first snowfall (especially if it's around the holidays) is magical, but summer still reigns supreme for me! :)
DeleteIt's true Kim, we should never ever rush time and I found myself doing that very thing this Summer.
ReplyDeleteThe humidity has been over the top and sort of got on my nerves. I have chastised myself for wishing Summer away.
Lovely post.
Jemma
Don’t be so hard on yourself. I wish winter away, it’s easy for me to say that I am in the moment in summer, let’s see if you hear that same tune from me in January!! :) haha!!
DeleteLike you, I love summer - windows open to the sun (I don't even mind the flies), hot sand beneath my feet and warm ocean water. Fortunately, our summer is just kicking in. Some of our best days are late October.
ReplyDeleteI think it's the salt water, Carol. It casts a spell!!! ;)
DeleteKim, I love summer also, (although not so much the Texas heat) and I am kind of sad to see it go this year. I feel like it didn't last long enough. Loved this post! Take care, Maria
ReplyDeleteI am sure it's hot in Texas, Maria! I can't even imagine!!
DeleteYour pictures are beautiful! I especially love the boat and the zinnias with the butterfly!! I do hate to see summer end, although I must admit I am ready for a little less humidity!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lynn!! I love that boat. It was a great low tide, hand in hand walk the day my husband and I stumbled upon it. So pretty!!
DeleteI get all that you are saying because I once had a pool and small children at home to just laze about the yard and pool and nothing in particular to do. We took vacations to the 1,000 Islands and Keuka Lake and I love being on or in the water. Unfortunately my husband and son don't so those days are gone. I still enjoy the summer but I have been complaining a lot about the heat and humidity!
ReplyDeleteThe pool is my favorite, AnnMarie. Had to talk my husband into that one. Funny, now he's in it the most!! Teenagers don't always want to get their hair and make up wet!! ;-)
DeleteHello Kim, I sounds like you had a great summer. Summer is also my favorite season and I love gardening, the beach and of course visiting my moms pool. I too enjoy spring which is a very short window and fall. I am not looking forward to cold weather and will just enjoy summer weather until the end of September. :)
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the weekend.
Julie
I'll hold onto the summer weather with you, Julie and we can recall these days together when it snows!! ;)
DeleteI like summer too, but here in (very hot and humid) Texas, we all look forward to Fall. Just being able to go outside again (without sweating) is an amazing feeling. Fall is when we can get back outdoors, use our grill, relax on the patio and even go on walks. In the summer time, it's too hot to be outside from about 11 AM to 7PM. Our "outside" months are October through April. Kind of backwards from the rest of the country, huh? Oh, and I'll take some of your snow if that's possible. We'd love to see some flurries in the winter. :)
ReplyDeleteLisa, I would gladly trade you some flurries (heck, I'll send you an actual snowstorm!!) for the opportunity to go outside in January or February...or April for that matter. Two years ago, there were still feet of snow here until early May...shudder!! ;) If it weren't for my beloved beach, I would move!!
DeleteI'm with you Kim, every step of the way. I'm holding on to summer for dear life! (Gorgeous pics).
ReplyDeletexxx
Thanks, Doreen. I have blinders on and fingers in my ears every time someone mentions the word fall! My kids love that when we’re in public! ;)
DeleteI like your thoughts on Summer Kim. Here in the Deep South where I live, I can't wait for it to be gone. Winter is my favorite time of year. Isn't it funny how we all have different thoughts about the seasons? I don't blame you though. I can see why you love it. Your pictures are beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThanks Florence! I agree, I think seasonal love is dependent on location!! :) Enjoy your fall and winter!!
DeleteThis is such a lovely post, Kim, and very thought-provoking. I guess we are polar-opposites as far as seasons go. Fortunately for us in AZ, our summer is relatively short-lived, and our Fall, Winter & Spring provide us with the wonderful weather that sustains us (sorta) through our brutal Summer. We have a saying here, "If you can't handle the Summer, you don't deserve our Winter." That's kind of pointing the finger at our many "Winter Visitors" or "Snow Birds." If I've learned anything over this past year, it is to cherish and savor what is right now. It's good to be reminded of that now and then, so thank you for providing such a lovely reminder.
ReplyDeleteHappy Weekend!
Hugs,
Carol
That's a funny saying, Carol...and I agree, savor what it now! Great advice for any season!! :)
DeleteHi Kim,
ReplyDeleteI don't know who Frederick is but he sure sounds familiar, for his philosophy is fool-proof, whatever the season. As you write, every season stands out for its special qualities, and we should appreciate those while they are, well, 'in season'! Pics of our favourite season are also perfect company when it has passed, and yours are lovely!
Poppy
Thanks Poppy and yes, being present in the seasons I am not so fond of is not easy for me, but Frederick's wisdom is driving me to try harder! He's a smart little mouse! ;)
DeleteThat's a lovely beach and what a spectacular sunset. I will miss summer too. For me it's a bit of utopia or heaven whichever you prefer.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Ronda. The beach really is my favorite place to be, especially in summer. I hope you are soaking in the last bits of the season!
DeleteI felt just like you do when we lived in Illinois. I tried to soak it all in over our 4 short months of summer but winter always came way too fast, and it was always brutal. Hoping it will be a bit different in NC. We'll soon see but, in the meantime, I'll relish the sunny days of summer (just in case).
ReplyDeleteSummer is my all time favorite. I wish it lasted longer!
DeleteWhat a beautiful part of the world you live in!! Your garden is just beautiful and how lucky that the water is just right there!! Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteI love the beach, Sam, and I never take it for granted. Thanks for the visit!
DeleteBeautiful post and I especially love all your gorgeous photos from you garden!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Janine! I don't have a green thumb but perennials don't take much work...thankfully!
Delete