"It is very beautiful here, if one only has an open and simple eye, without any beams in it. But if one has that, it is beautiful everywhere." ~ Vincent Van Gogh
I turned the calendar to August this morning, as I'm sure many of you did. Although summer officially ends in late September, our household still revolves around the school year and so summer ends unofficially a few days after Labor Day when school begins. This gives us one more month of summer... one more month to squeeze in all of those things we wanted to do this summer but haven't yet. My children have long lists of places they want to go and things they want to do, and I'd rather spend a summer without plans. I'd rather linger in the garden, go to the beach when perfect beach weather arrives on soft blue skies, and eat meals that aren't thought out, but just picked fresh and eaten. I try to compromise between their wish for adventure and activity, and mine for serenity and languor.
I did, sort of idly, hope to clean the basement thoroughly. I wondered if I would find time to reorganize the laundry room this summer. I toyed with the idea of repainting a couple of rooms in the house. But, instead, I have chauffeured my family to festivals and water parks, taken a sick kitty (better now!) to the vet, said goodbye to my Turkish daughter, and sewn several medieval style dresses for my oldest daughter (not necessarily in that order.) If you read this blog very often, you know that I have somehow managed to spend time in the garden, taken photographs (my current form of creative expression), and found serenity in the quiet spaces between the frequent demands of modern family life.
However you fill your summer hours, I wish you joy!
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photo by Aisling, August 1, 2008 - Along our roadside
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8 comments:
You make me smile this early morning. I have been in the garden since 6:00 am. Another hot day ahead. I watered, pulled weeds and deadheaded plants.
Now cleanup time, breakfast and off to the grocery. Still very busy with my life now that my children are involved with their families. For some reason I thought this stage of life would be different. But I am at peace.
Ernestine, You're up and started early! We have a parade this morning and fireworks in the evening, and a few midway rides in between I guess.
I'm glad you're still busy. What would we do with ourselves if there weren't weeds to pull and flowers to deadhead? I'm glad you are feeling peaceful.
Thank you for the note!
I have just been thinking that, with yesterday's trip to the beach and today's community festival, we have had a great summer filled with almost everything I wanted to do. (My two-year-old doesn't make plans yet.) I am looking forward to a fun-filled August, with our state fair, more sweet corn, cousin time, and perhaps more trips to the beach to "tiptoe in the water," as said two-year-old interprets "dip your toes."
dear aisling, I went out and strolled around my gardens today and am sharing my pictures on my blog for Sunday Stroll! I am so excited to be able to join all of you lovely gardeners again, sharing what we love.
xoxo linda
Topaz, Your August plans sounds wonderful. We have some "cousin time" planned too. And sweet corn! I'm really looking forward to local, just-picked, sweet corn. I'll get it from a neighboring farmer, as we did not grow any.
I love your two year old's phrase, "tiptoe in the water." Very sweet!
Thanks for visiting. :)
Linda, I'm off to add you to my Sunday Stroll post and go check out your stroll! :)
I was really happy to see the pic of the Monarch butterfly!, I let the milkweed that comes up in my flower patch grow like regular flowers, another weed, just so they will have a place to eat on their long journeys. Last year I saw many, maybe a hundred, this year only one or two. Hopefully next year when they bloom I can take pictures to show you.. Love, Mossrose
Mossrose, I let my milkweed grow too. I forgot all about it. We leave wild edges on our property, and there is milk weed there already with seed pods forming. In my gardens, only a handful of milkweed came up this year, and most of it is still too small to flower.
Nice to meet you! I'll go see if you have a profile and a blog. If not, I hope to see you here in my comments again some time. :)
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