Summertime

I've always found summer to be an interesting season, in that people will say, "How is your summer going?" or, when it's over, "How was your summer?"

People don't ask that when it's fall, spring or winter. Has anyone ever asked you how your winter is going? I doubt it.

I guess it's because, traditionally, summer is the season of kicking back a bit and because even if we no longer have children in school, or even if we don't have children at all, we were all once in school and our minds were trained on an academic calendar, which has stayed with us.

We tend to think of summer as June, July and August, when technically it's June 21st until September 22nd. Again, it's that academic calendar mindset.

Summer is not a favorite season of mine. I detest hot weather and when I think back on my life, many of the tougher periods I went through took place during summer months. I'm not superstitious, but I can't shake that association.

But, as it is with anything, I try to find things that are positive, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, and baseball.

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It's been a good summer for Wife and me. We spent a good bit of May recuperating from our trip in April, but also helping Younger Son coordinate his move from northern Indiana to Birmingham, Alabama. As I wrote in a previous post, I drove a truck to South Bend in early June, with Wife going in her car. Younger Son and I got everything packed and I drove it back here and deposited his belongings in our garage for several weeks.

He started his new job June 24th, but stayed with a friend for three weeks until his apartment was ready in mid-July. He coordinated all the moving, but asked if I would be willing to once again drive a truck containing his stuff, this time to his place in Birmingham. He paid for the truck rental and for packers to load it, and I was happy to do the driving (I'm getting confident in my truck driving, by the way).

He is now all settled in and doing splendidly.

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We have some good friends who have a beautiful lake house in north Alabama, and we've been fortunate enough to be with them there a couple of times this summer, including the most recent visit with our supper club. I'm not a big water guy, but I enjoy time at the dock or sitting up on their deck overlooking the lake with a book, or the occasional boat ride.

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We celebrated the second birthday of my grandson who lives in Huntsville (GS1) in early July. Can't believe that little guy is two years old and let me tell you, he's the light of our life, comparable only to his first cousin who lives in Atlanta (GS2), whose light shines equally bright, and whose second birthday we will celebrate in early October.

And the fun continues. Daughter and SIL are expecting Baby #2, a girl, in late October/early November.

Blessings abound.

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Nothing is more fun than getting the two grands together. It's non-stop action.

Last year I bought a wagon with seats that face each other. Both guys enjoy the wagon rides, but no more than GrandBob.

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We spent July 4th in Little Rock with Wife's parents and her sister and brother-in-law who now live there. Older Son and family, and Younger Son, were with us there on the 4th, which was on a Thursday, and left on Saturday. I came home that Sunday, after which Daughter and her family joined Wife there for a couple of days. Although, as I said, it's a blast having the two little guys together, staggering their visits worked better in this situation.

Wife's parents are 90 and 91, respectively, and don't travel anymore, but they love it when family comes to them.

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Wife and I celebrated 35 years of marriage August 11th. We rarely "celebrate" in the true sense of the word, but this year we were honored to have the entire family present as their gift to us, and Daughter and SIL prepared an outstanding lunch. A celebration indeed.

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Although Wife is now retired, I've told her I don't know when she had time to work. She's staying plenty busy, keeping the road hot as she travels to Atlanta, Huntsville, Birmingham or Little Rock. When she's home she has book club or bridge, and she's recently started Mah-jongg lessons at our library. She's beginning to tackle some projects like cleaning out the laundry room and closets. I continue to support anything that reduces volume around here.

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So life has been good this summer. I hope it's been the same for you.