Summer Celebration!

Join me on my writing journey each week as I post to the Tuesday Slice of Life sponsored by Stacey and Ruth from Two Writing Teachers.  

I wake up too early, but since it’s summer I grab Same Sun Here and read until I’m sleepy again.  I sleep until 7:30, a rare occurrence for me even during the summer.  While I make chocolate chip pancakes, my daughter slices peaches and raspberries, a treat for the palate and the eyes.

We head downtown for a parade complete with hometown heroes, a community band, dogs with proud owners, many children, a few politicians, and the best entry of all, local veterans who receive the loudest and longest applause!

We stroll over to the booths where our purchases range from local (floral greeting cards from a local photographer) to worldwide (son-in law’s hat from a Kurdistan artist). I drop into the bank to view the winners of the art contest.  I tend to scan the names before I look at the art because I love to see former students’ work featured in this local show. 

Now we face the toughest decision of the day – what to purchase for lunch from the many choices available.  Daughter and son-in-law settle on gyro sandwiches, I choose steamed veggies with peanut sauce and chicken satay.   We find a shady spot on the grass to enjoy our lunch, watch the babies, and greet former students.   After some discussion we decide on dessert, a strawberry crepe with forks for three.  We head home filled with sweet memories and sunshine. 

I opt for a nap and more reading.  After this luxurious indulgence, I go downstairs and discover my daughter in the middle of purging some of her boxes from the garage. The troll dolls and pogs are bound for the thrift store, while the flip dolls and beanie babies are bundled back into their boxes awaiting the arrival of future grandchildren. 

With the momentum of this purging, we attack the game closet and hubby brings in a huge box of games from the garage with the goal of corralling all the games in one spot.  We make stacks, negotiate with each other, and phone our son in D.C. to solicit his input.  Does he still want Star Wars Monopoly AND Star Wars Trivial Pursuit?  With the games now stashed in the game closet, daughter and son-in-law head off to the thrift store.  It’s never a good idea to leave me with this task since I’ve been known to retrieve items from the giveaway pile.

When they return, we play a quick round of Trivial Pursuit.  They are at a distinct disadvantage since this is our 80’s version of the game.  Maybe it’s time to purchase a more recent version, but for nostalgia's sake we’ll hang onto this version from our early years of married life. 

Then it’s time for a quick dinner on the deck before we head off to the final event of our fun day.  We snag one of the last parking spots and load up with blanket, chair, and a few snacks.  We spread the blanket, set up my chair, and enjoy fresh cherries with dark chocolate, a visit with friends, and a game of Ticket to Ride while we watch the sunset and wait for darkness to fall.  Finally, at 10:13, it’s dark enough for the fireworks to begin.  A perfect way to end a fun summer day!