On Friday afternoon, I visited the farm stand just outside of town and bought strawberries, picked that morning. I also scored a basket of organic apricots from a town about two hours south of me – maybe not local in the strictest sense of the local foodie movement, but close enough for me. They’re from my state, not South America, and they’re not the big, globular, pale orange mealy fruits you can get at the supermarket year round. They’re little, odd-shaped, as brilliantly colored as a sunset. They’re firm, juicy and taste like summer.
So it seemed fitting to see the trailers for all the upcoming movies when we indulged in our family’s Mother’s Day tradition and went to see The Avengers yesterday. Aliens, spaceships and superheroes scream “Here comes summer!” to me. No wonder I found myself changing tunes when we got home, switching from Coldplay, Coltrane and The Fray to Jack Johnson, Tristan Prettyman, Bob Marley and The Beautiful Girls, seeking the beach in the beat, and letting the sunshine pour into my heart. Getting summery.
I’m almost ready. Vacation plans are set, and the youngest has decided to do the summer musical theater program. I’m trying to hook up the eldest with some volunteer gigs to get him out of the house so he’s not just playing Xbox or doing homework for his 3 AP classes all summer long. I only have another 35K or so to write on the zero draft of the WIP.
I’m looking forward to a lazier schedule, to getting the kid up at 7:30 instead of 6:30, to having from 9-12 to write everyday (a luxury in contrast to last summer, when I had from 5-7 a.m., if I wanted to write at all). I’m looking forward to stays at the beach and trips to museums, to painting in the garden, to noisy, explosion filled blockbusters, afternoon siestas, pleasure reading and evenings on the patio with a glass of sangria.
And I’m really looking forward to the food. Our farmer’s market opens Memorial Day weekend, and I’ll be there. I can’t wait for easy access to an abundance of amazing local organically grown produce. I love centering our meals around the fruits and veggies, not treating them like side dishes or afterthoughts.
How about you? Getting ready for summertime, when the living is easy? Or are you still submerged in busy, blossoming spring?
I am so with you, Lisa. I love the heat and the longer days, not feeling the day is over at 4:30. In fact, today when a cold front blew into NM interrupting the warm spell we’ve been enjoying, I was a little ticked. Thankfully, it will be gone by tomorrow.
Raymond, we’ve had fickle weather lately too, with the howling north winds being the worst offenders. I’m living on allergy meds, alas.
Lisa, can you adopt me fore the summer. Haha. Sounds like a perfect season. Enjoy!
Sure, Sydney, as long as you don’t mind boys, noise and cats. And there is the matter of weeding the veggie garden…
We have, finally, had two days that feel like summer is coming and even those days are cool in the morning. But today? I think I might actually believe we’ll have a summer at all. And so I’ll spend as much of the day as I can outside, walking to work, walking after work, and yes – I, too, brought strawberries – ripe and juicy, though probably from Lisa’s backyard instead of mine. Way too early – and way too cold – for them in our neighborhood yet.
I actually did pick a handful of strawberries from the backyard yesterday…
Here comes the sun
Her comes the sun, and I say
Its all right
Summer is breathing on Seattle once again — 80 degrees today, they say and I’m ready for it!
Wally
Do do do doo. Now you’ve got me singing.
Actually it’s been cold and rainy here.
Not much for the spring (or summer) weather at the moment which is making me cranky! Don’t get me wrong, I love the rain, but I want to wear sandals and skirts and shorts.
My yard is blooming though, and since this is our first spring in the house I’m getting to see all the flowers pop up that the previous owner had planted. Huge stands of Iris, brilliant orange poppies, gigantic flowering bushes I can’t identify, roses, lilacs, mint, catnip…you get the idea.
It’s awesome.