With the unofficial end of summer this weekend (Labor Day), now seems like a good time to reflect on the last couple of months. This summer had some definite lowlights for me, which makes it even more important for me to focus on what made me smile or gave me some joy.
So here goes, the highlights of my summer:
I'm a visual person, so making areas look attractive makes me happy.
- refreshing the front porch, including cleaning the flooring, adding 2 new chairs, spray painting the wall troughs and welcome sign, filling hanging baskets with begonias, spray painting 2 pots a bright green and planting with colorful coleus, and adding a new doormat. The front porch has become a favorite morning hangout.
- making the chair bench and setting it on the front patio (adjacent to the front porch). I sometimes stop at the front window to look at that pleasant little spot.
- spray painting a wood chair purple to set next to potted lavender.
Spending time with my family brings me joy.
- the whole 4th of July holiday, including a cookout with our son and daughter-in-law and watching fireworks afterwards, plus decorating for the 4th and buying some "flag" napkins at Dollar Tree.
- picking cherries with my daughters and husband. We had a lot of cherries this year. I'll be baking cherry pies well into winter.
- all of the Friday movie and pizza nights we had. One favorite was Swiss Family Robinson. We all enjoyed watching that one.
- making root beer floats and peanut buster parfaits with my family.
Observing nature makes me smile.
- watching the hummingbirds visit the nasturtium blossoms right outside my window.
- enjoying the copious begonia blossoms. I planted begonias in a few places this summer, as they seem to do well in my yard. I still have the plant from summer 2021. I keep it in the garage over winter then bring it out each spring. It keeps blooming for me. I'm hoping my new begonias will do as well overwintering in the garage.
- the bunny population has been thinned in my neighborhood (owls, hawks, coyotes?), so the few bunny sightings I had were sweet moments watching a bunny nibble the grass.
And of course, food made me happy this summer.
- blueberries
- raspberries
- strawberries
- salads
- our own cabbage
- a good steak dinner at home one evening
- barbecue chicken
- homemade burgers
- rosemary and garlic potatoes
- cherry and blackberry pies
- blueberry muffins
- our apples
- s'mores
So, for summer with its share of lowlights, I can also recognize that there were more than a handful of wonderful summer moments.
How about you? What have been the highlights of your summer?
My highlight is a new grandson! Second, is traveling more frequently to see grandson! Third, see our other two children get to me their nephew and fall in love with him! One daughter has yet to meet him but will in 2 weeks. We walk daily though both our sets of feet have issues so we're very careful. Watching 2 elderly parents each with their own issues (dementia for one and the other a careless, old guy) Nothing else stands out as a highlight.
ReplyDeleteAlice
Hi Alice,
DeleteYour comment made me smile. A new grandson would definitely be a highlight that would be difficult to top.
How wonderful, Alice!
DeleteThis was a summer marked by a grandson's graduation and start in college and a granddaughter who moved to Texas and returned back two months later. Also dog sitting 3 dogs for 17 days in July. Thinking about and worrying about our family members never stop. It fills our life, and there is almost no time for us, or at least competing interest. I'm not complaining but it is emotionally exhausting sometimes especially for an OCD introvert as myself. Maybe I can reclaim a bit of my self back in the fall.
ReplyDeleteAside from worrying, I love spending time in our backyard. I am not a visual person, so I don't decorate at all, but I like feeling the energy of the sky, the sloping mountainside adjacent to our property, and our two worksheds angled so I cannot see our house or the neighbors, absolute serene privacy physically, mentally and spiritually Just my quiet spot to meditate, be grateful, and reset my inner soul.
Have a wonderful, good day,
Laura
Hi Laura,'
DeleteYour quiet spot in the garden sounds lovely. I would be spending every spare moment out there if I had that. Enjoy! And yes, I hope that you feel like fall is a restorative time for you.
This may sound odd, but the highlight of my summer was that my divorce was finalized and the related financial matters were decided. I am thankful for my marriage and all the good times, but the last few years were very difficult. I have done my grieving, and I am now excited to move on and start a new chapter.
ReplyDeleteOtherwise, I got to spend time with a friend of mine who was here from overseas. I don't see her very often, and it was good to catch up.
I also took some online classes (by Zoom) on a subject that interested me. It was good to learn new things and make some connections with others in the class.
My sister and nephew came up for a family wedding in July. It was wonderful to spend time with them and the rest of the family.
Now I'm ready for fall!
Hi Tina,
DeleteI can imagine this has been a difficult and stressful last couple fo years. I'm glad for you that you can now move forward. I'm also glad you had some other highlights to mark this summer, especially some time with a friend from overseas and family at a wedding.
We moved my daughter in to her college dorm today. She graduated in May so it's been a very busy life season. I'm sure I'll miss her, but watching her spread her wings is really rewarding.
ReplyDeleteThe biggest highlight was our vacation to Michigan's upper peninsula. My son worked up there this summer, so we planned a vacation up there and were able to include him in part of it. We were able to camp and do outdoorsy exploring as a family which is my happy place.
Hi Kris,
DeleteI understand your mixed emotions about your daughter moving into her dorm room today. I wish her success in whatever field she chooses to study. I hope you have some special times planned for yourself and your husband for this fall.
Your vacation to the UP sounds great, especially that your son could be there for part of it.
Kris, this is one of highest enrollment years in history. I hope they have enough dorms for everyone! I know all the dorms and the campus because our family has spent so many years there. It's a truly beautiful campus. I hope your daughter has a wonderful education there!
DeleteAlice
Thanks, Lili and Alice. Alice, BTW--Kalsbeek. I didn't hear about any dorm shortages. I am very impressed with their dorm furniture, which all works together so you can configure it any way you please. She and her roommate opted for a low loft. They did an L configuration and her desk area is in the corner of the L. She loves enclosed spaces so it works for her. I'd get claustrophobic, but to each their own. :)
DeleteMy husband and I are planning a trip to the western upper peninsula of Michigan in a month. I feel like I've mentioned this before so forgive me if I'm repeating myself. We'll stop by on our return trip and visit my son. We haven't had a trip by ourselves since my son was born (except for a couple of overnight trips) so I'm excited about a trip with just the 2 of us. I found, when my son moved out, that it was helpful to have something to look forward to and to put the focus on moving forward instead of clinging to the past. Not that there's anything wrong with mourning what was, but I think there's room for both.
I'm not sure that I can even remember what I did this summer, but here are a couple of highlights. My father-in-law had successful heart surgery this month, and I hosted a successful family reunion with my sisters. That meant that all of my sisters and I were together for a few days - always a treat.
ReplyDeleteHi Live and Learn,
DeleteThanks be to God for your father-in-law's successful heart surgery. I hope he continues to make good progress in his recovery.
Your family reunion sounds like so much fun!