Summer Ten

Summertime presents us with things to do or enjoy that are particular to the season.  I tend to appreciate the snow much more than the heat of summer myself.  But I do have a few things I like to enjoy that are only available during the warm season.  So without further adieu…….

My Summer Ten Favorites 

 10.  Drive In Movies  or Movies on the Lawn (Dr M got me hooked when I

        was four years old.)

  

   9.  Swimming  (At the beach makes it even better!)

  

   8.  Frozen Margaritas and Sister’s Spicy Black Bean Salsa (It just doesn’t

        taste right in the Winter.)

  

   7.  Going Barefoot  (In St. Augustine Grass is the best!   

        Ing (my pedicurist) has a come-to-Jesus with me every time I see

        her.  Well!  : /)

  

   6.  Serenading the Cows (MooOOOoooo!)  Well, this is an all-time

        favorite.  Y’all know that!  : D

  

   5.  Cooking Out on the Grill…Yum!  (I love to put apple wood in my grill

        for that  little somethin' extra, too!)

    4.  Picking Blueberries (….and fresh

         fruits and veggies from the garden)

  

   3.  Fireflies or Lightning Bugs (Another

         joy from my childhood I’m thankful

         to give to my own kids.)

  

   2.  Sleeping in (No school bus pickup 

        at 6:25am! YiPpEe!!!)

        

         And the #1 Summer Ten Favorite is…         

       

AIR CONDITIONING!!!  (Well!  It’s the South, people!  It’s HOT!!!)

So, do you love or hate summertime?  What are your favorite things about the season?   

The Perfect Summertime Saturday Morning

Saturdays in June are a special time for my family because it’s blueberry season.  And there’s nothing more satisfying than fresh blueberries, right?  Think of all you can do with them!  You can make Blueberry Muffins, Blueberry pancakes, Blueberry Jelly, Blueberry Syrup, etc., etc., etc.  And of course, there’s nothing else like a big bowl of fresh blueberries hanging out in the kitchen where little hands and big hands alike can grab ’n go!

So Saturday mornings we head to the blueberry farm.  They give us each a bucket and point us in the direction of the rows where berries can be found.  And off we go!  Much to my delight, the sounds of giggles take flight and happiness engulfs us, every one.  The hunt for berries usually turns into a hunt for each other because we lose ourselves in the process.   And before you know it we’ve collected as many berries as we can carry!  

We pay the farmers and often get entangled in gardening conversations with them before we’re on our way back home.  And don’t you know, the minute we reach home, somebody’s pulling out a mixing bowl for whatever our fancy is for the morning…… because we’re hungry!   And that, my friends, is the perfect Saturday morning at the Flynn Household!

What do you like to do with your family on Saturday mornings when school is out and summer has begun?  Do you have favorite summertime family traditions? 

Dog Days of Summer

Wikipedia defines Dog Days as coming from the "Latin,  diēs caniculārēs. They are the hottest, most sultry days of summer. In the northern hemisphere, they usually fall between early July and early September. Dog Days can also define a time period or event that is very hot or stagnant, or marked by dull lack of progress. The name comes from the ancient belief that Sirius, also called the Dog Star, in close proximity to the sun was responsible for the hot weather."

 Dog Days was also a part of the Christian calendar and was included in both the lexicon of the King James version of the Bible. as well as several editions of the the Anglican Book of Common  Prayer.  I never thought about the church recognizing something that I always thought of as just an informal, almost slang term for the worst of summer. In fact, I guess I erroneously thought  of the phrase as a Southern one.  We have all those other dog phrases such as "that dog won't hunt" for something unbelievable and "going to see a man about a dog", which means you have something to do that you're not going to talk about.

Back to the Wikipedia definition--I especially liked the part about  Dog Days being "stagnant, or marked by dull lack of progress."  That is how I feel during this hottest of weather.  I dread going outside and it seems much more difficult to accomplish anything even inside where I can use air conditioning to recreate conditions on the South Pole.




Maybe heart shaped watermelon would help but my question to you  is...

How do you deal with the Dog Days of summer?