Things I'll Miss About Summer

I think last week’s cooler weather went to my head a little bit.  I say this because I had a “Things I Love About Fall” blog ready to post.  I had been compiling ideas for days and just when I had the list complete, the temps hit 90 again.  Blame it on me.  I jinxed fall!  I started feeling badly for summer all the sudden and decided to give it a fair shake.  Without further ado, I present to you: “Things I’ll Miss About Summer.”

1. Eating outside.  Since we fixed up the backyard, it has been a nice getaway from the kitchen table.  Dinners out there seem more special and are more slowly consumed. 

2. Lemonade stands. I can’t help but wonder what the children who run them are raising the money for.  A new toy?  To help a friend?  A rainy day fund?  Retirement?  Ahhh, the possibilities are endless.

3. Summer dresses.  Comfort + girliness + tie-around-the-neck strings dangling down my back = summer weekend wardrobe.

4. Sun-kissed skin.  Sun-burned skin?  No.  A little touch of pink-turned-bronze on my cheeks and shoulders?  Oh yes.

5. Fireflies.  Do fireflies not automatically make you feel like a kid again?  Just the word "firefly" evokes thoughts of magic and fairy tales.  Is that just me? 

6. Easy grilled dinners.  Well, easy for me, because I’m not the one manning the grill.

7. Summer thunderstorms.  These have been sparse as of late, but the beginning of the summer was filled with them!  I find it awfully relaxing to be snuggled under a blanket with the sound of rain and the distant rumble of thunder.  It's the weather Sunday afternoon naps are made of!

8. The long, lingering daylight hours.  I just feel like I have more energy and get so much more done!

9. Farmer’s markets at their most glorious.  Oh, Heavens!  This is probably the thing I’ll miss most.  There’s a farmer’s market directly outside the front doors of my office every Friday in the summer.  The strawberries, corn on the cob, peaches, tomatoes, cantaloupe, watermelon and blackberries - oh my!  I feel very “down home” at the weekly farmer’s market, where I look for the fruit that has been freshly picked and still has a little dirt on it.  I also feel very Betty Crocker when I bake goodies with the things I buy.  I love it!

10. A fresh pedicure tucked into fancy sandals.  I’ve recently begun to enjoy this luxury.  I feel better about myself when I have cute toes.  Shallow?  Maybe.

11. Swimming.  It’s pretty fun to be able to jump into a friend’s pool or even a pond or lake on a scorching hot summer day.  It just takes me about 15 minutes to warm up to the idea of nibbling fish in a pond.

12. Fruit fresh and vegetables from the vine.  I can’t wait to have my own garden for precisely this reason!  For now, I just mooch off my family.

13. Ice cream.  This item will also be appearing in my “What I Love About Fall”, “What I Love About Winter”, and “What I Love About Spring” entries as well.

14. Concerts.  Outdoor concerts in the summer are so much fun!  They make me feel like I’m in college again.  And I like that feeling!

15. Easy backyard entertaining.  On a breezy, summer day, sitting on the patio in a fold-out chair with a nice, cold frosty one is an easy way to be with friends.

16. Yard games.  Cornhole, croquet and boche ball.  Summer’s just not summer without ‘em.

17. Going to a baseball game.  It’s the all-American thing to do!  Beer and peanuts are optional, but definitely round out the experience.  Side note:  GO REDS!!

18. Fresh herbs growing in the windowsill.  Fresh herbs really brighten summer dishes, both in terms of taste and color.

19. Mini golf.  What’s not to love?  Besides losing, of course, which I almost always do…

20. County and state fairs.  As a former member of 4-H, I tend to enjoy projects submitted by 4-Hers more than the fried food.  But, don’t get me wrong.  The fried food is also a perk!  I will definitely dominate an elephant ear or two!

21. The smell of a freshly mowed lawn.

22. The smoky smell of neighbors barbecuing something delicious in the evenings. It always makes me wish we would’ve grilled something that night.

I have a hunch that this list would be different if I were writing it in the spring, anticipating summer.  Now that it's the beginning of September, though, I'm ready for fall!

What about you? What do you love about summer?