Earlier this week it only made it to the mid 60’s with a cold wind…ugh… a reminder of where we live. Yesterday it warmed up and it is suppose to reach 80 today. Yay! The next few days are suppose to be the same. I think summer is here to stay.
Summer hadn’t made up it’s mind of whether it was going to come or stay…having to put our heat on in June is disappointing…experiencing a nice warm day and getting to wear shorts and tank tops to having to wear jeans and sweatshirts the next is discouraging, not just to me but my little people, who have come to love wearing their summer clothes…for little lady, this means sun dresses…for little man, shorts and sleeveless shirts(for some reason he thinks these are so cool). From the time they get up, to the time they go to bed, they want to be outside. I don’t blame them, I do to.
I love summer time. I love going barefoot. I love feeling the warm sand on my toes. I love the feel of the grass on my feet. I love the feeling of the warm summer sun on my skin. I love just sitting outside and taking it all in. I love summer walks through the neighborhood and through the town. I love seeing all the out of town/state vacationers enjoying themselves in our community and lakes. I love playing in the lakes and building sand castles. I love watching all the people have such a good time.
I love summer time. I love hearing the noise of children’s laughter and their voices shouting with excitement as they play outside. I love being outside after being in our house cooped up for so many months. It feels like we are free. It feels like the world has come alive as people come out of their homes and spend time outside…walking, riding bikes, and working in their gardens and on their lawns…playing yard games and ball games…watching little one‘s learn how to ride bike…barbequing and picnics outside…camp fires at night and just sitting outside and hearing music and laughter in the night. I love hearing the sound of a bat hitting the ball and the cheering of the ball game at the park across our street.
I love summer time. I love how filthy dirty my little people are at the end of each day because they played their hearts out and had, in their words, the “bestest day ever“. I love that their imaginations have come so alive that every moment of the day is spent in some adventure. I love that I haven’t lost mine, so that I can take part of the fun. I love watching them eat ice cream cones and pop cycles with such enjoyment, on the front steps and seeing their dirty faces afterwards. I love kissing their sticky sweet cheeks and taking in the smell of their day. I love that they pick me dandelions’ and pretty rocks. I love that they are fascinated with ants and lady bugs and that they can be entertained by watching frogs hop across our lawn.
I love summer time. I love the smell of the fresh cut hay and grass…and lilac’s and other blooming flowers. I love the smell of the breeze off the lake, mixed with the smell of sunscreen. I love the smell of food cooking on the grills…love the smell after it rains. I love the fresh smell of the cool breeze in the mornings. I love the smell of the camp fires at night.
I love summer time. I love waking up to the birds singing...watching our garden grow and eating it's produce...I love that it's green outside and not white or brown. I love watching the squirrels and bunnies at play in my yard. I love seeing the herds of cattle grazing in the pastures, that line my drive to work every day. I love the new baby calves, pigs and lambs which remind me of new life. I love seeing the growing fields, which is a sign that we have had enough rain and sunshine for things to grow. I love seeing the farmers on their tractors and other machinery, toiling in labor and knowing that they are making their living doing something they love and has very likely been in their family for generations. I love that I understand how much work it takes to do what they do every day because
I have lived that life.
I love summer time. I love our small town parades that are made up mainly of tractors, horses, clowns, elderly men driving 4 wheelers, fire trucks, the local school marching band and waving princesses and that they throw so much candy that you need a grocery bag to haul it home. I love the friendliness of all the people…of seeing people you didn’t see all winter.
I love summer time. I love all the foods of summer. Fresh salads made with fresh veggies, potato salad, watermelon, fresh raspberries, strawberries and blue berries and rhubarb…and of course ice cream and pop cycles. I love the fresh fish my husband has caught for us to eat. I love that we cook a lot of our food on the grill…whether it be burgers, hot dogs, brats, chicken, fish or vegetables. I love that my little people can eat most of their meals outside, which leaves the mess on the ground for our little animal friends to eat up.
I love summer time. I love all the fun summer time drinks, like lemonade, ice tea, margarita’s and ice cold Corona with lime. One of my families favorite things to drink is a rhubarb slush that I make. It is very easy to make. In fact, I will share the recipe with you.
Rhubarb Slush
2 Quarts Rhubarb
Water, enough to cover the rhubarb
Cook until tender, cool, then blend in blender to smooth.
Pour back into pan and add:
2 ½ Cups Sugar
3 oz. box of red jello
½ Cup Lemon Juice
2 Quarts Rhubarb
Water, enough to cover the rhubarb
Cook until tender, cool, then blend in blender to smooth.
Pour back into pan and add:
2 ½ Cups Sugar
3 oz. box of red jello
½ Cup Lemon Juice
Cook until mixed well. Pour into plastic container, such as an ice cream pail. Put in freezer and then keep stirring as it freezes to make it into a slush. This take quite awhile so I usually try to do this early in the day and keep stirring through out the day. Serve in a glass with some 7 up or sprite poured over it. Delicious. I have served this to people that claimed to hate rhubarb and they loved it.
I have made this with some variations. I have added some fresh or frozen strawberries with the rhubarb. I also will make a pail with some vodka added to it but I also have found that you can add the vodka when you serve it too.
I love summer time. What I love the most is that most of my children and grandchildren will be home for visit's this month. I can hardly wait. I can't wait to savor each and every moment of my time with them.
I love summer time. Do you? What do you like about summer where you live?
20 comments:
I love summer too!
As for the rhubarb slush - oh, my! I do believe I'll make this in my ice cream maker and see how it comes out.
That is the most perfect description ever. I love it too!
Ooh. I want your summer. Mine still involves too much office.
I wouldn't mind summer as much if it stayed out of the mid to high 90's and the heat index wasn't in the 100's! But honestly, I do love it mostly because of the smells you mentioned. Of course, I haven't smelled real lilacs in so long, not since I left Ohio! Maybe the south just doesn't have them or something. Very disappointing. But I do love the smell of fresh cut grass and hay!
Rhubarb grew in our yard when I was growing up and we always ate it with sugar. Way after I grew up and left I heard parts of it are poisonous. Not sure if that's true, but WE never died from it!
Such a great post and description of YOUR summer. Summer for us is almost year round...it is so darn hot out that you can't hang outside too long without hitting the pool or hose!!!
But I do love the lazy days of the kids not being in school...sleeping in, staying up super late...icecream!
I hope your little ones have the "bestest" summer ever.
Enjoy all your visitors!
Ahh summer. So glad you can share all of your likes for the season.
Your rhubarb slush sounds great. I am posting tomorrow about refreshing drinks, can I link to your post?
Lori, it all sounds so carefree and relaxing as I read your description of your summer surroundings. And fun too! It reminded me of being a kid. Waking up early, heading outdoors for the day. Swimming and playing ball in the daytime and playing hide and seek at night. Vacationing on the beaches of Maine. Ah! Summer memories. You can't beat them.
I know this isn't supposed to make you cry.. but I did. I cried. Mom this post reminds me of our perfect blissful summers as kids. No responsibilities, no bills, no kids, no work.. no nothing. Just going to the lake with a cooler and spending all day in the water. Rideing our bikes to the cheese house for candy and ice cream. Playing "kick the bucket" in the back yard.. Enjoying your slushie (which to this day is still my favorite thing about summer!) with seven up! Summer loves... just everything about it! I miss minnesota right now, I miss being a kid right now.. and most of all I miss you! :( I cant wait to see you in a few weeks and soak up some of that Minnesota goodness! MMM! Here I come! :) Love you!
Summer in Australia is sometimes relentless. I don't prefer it now that I am older. As a child, I certainly LOVED it. I am going to try your slushie Recipe, it sounds heavenly.xx♥
I love the sound of little squeals as kids run through sprinklers on a hot day.
Hi, just stopped by from Suburb Sanity-- Saw your user name and had to check you out :-) We love so many of the same things!!!! Nice to meet you. i'll be back again soon.
Enjoy the long weeeknd!
Enjoy the time with your family.
I love summer (now that I teach) because I can get into a routine that is natural for me. I eat, I walk, I read, I write, I talk. It is as life should be lived without all the pressures that come with making a living.
Great post! You are a very good writer by the way!
Wow! Wow! Wow!
My love for summer is rejuvenated!
Thank you friend!
Lots of love your way!
Looking at summer thru your eyes! What's not to love? Your rhubarb slush sounds delightful!
We have had cooler weather too -and I wanted the warmer weather to stay put! GMR loves the cooler weather, but since are summer seems so short sometimes, I cherish every bit of it!
I love summertime too. Guess that is part of how I ended up in Hawaii. although the weather is always summerlike here, there are so many other things that make summer special. (Like the sound of children playing outside)
Loved this post.
BTW I have something for you over at my blog.
I'm actually a winter person but only because our winter's aren't that harsh but our summers are brutally hot. Having said that, what I do like best about summer is the kids being out of school and life being just a little less hectic.
the rhubarb slush sounds very interesting since I've never had rhubarb anything. Maybe this summer will be the year I can stop saying that. HUGS
I love summer for all those things you mentioned, but I also love the spring and fall because I have f'ing heat intolerance, which means I don't get to enjoy the summers like I used to. It was a terrific walk down memory lane though!
Summer is splendid. I love the sun! And the blue skies. And swimming every day. And schedules that don't have to be schedules at all : ) I love having Naji or Sabria stay with us for a while! I love not having school since it is a thorn in his side. I love picnics. And family and vacation and the beach. I love almost everything about it. Such a magically wonderful time!
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