I LOVE SUMMER
I love summer!
This phrase comes from my lips at least once a week. There are people in my life who have heard it so much that they just ignore me now. That’s okay. I will continue to say it. It doesn’t matter how hot it is, or how humid, I still love it. Summer is the best part of the year. I guess that’s why I enjoy Florida so much. Ahhhhh….. the smells and feel of a hot, humid Florida night!!! But that’s another story for another time.
From as far back as I can remember, summertime was the best! My memory holds visions of pop up thunderstorms that left the concrete steaming, walking to the neighborhood pool every day and the smell of Coppertone tanning lotion. Or running across the hot pavement trying not to burn the bottom of my feet. And of course the ice cream truck was always heard from blocks away! Ha, I remember being very young and trying to hand the ice cream man a handful of grass as payment for an orange push up. I was devastated when he told me he couldn’t take grass as payment.
I LOVE SUMMER. But I have to learn to NOT overdo it on some of the hottest days of the year.
There was a hot steamy Sunday when I went a little overboard. We did a morning hike in the park. As we were walking the normal path, Roger noticed a trail that went into the woods. We decided to explore the trails after our strenuous walk on the hills. It was beautiful being in the woods with the creek running past us. But the trail was slightly rigorous. We managed to finish the walk, do our stretches and get back home without passing out from exhaustion.
Slightly overdoing it!
When we got home, before I could get in the front door, I noticed weeds and grass taking over my garden area in the front yard. I stopped to pick some of them. They were spreading everywhere and I was not able to pull them all. It was that weird “Monkey grass” and the more I pulled, the more there was to pull. So I grabbed the garbage can and a shovel and proceeded to shovel it all out of my garden. It was approximately 100 degree heat index this particular day. But once I get started with a task, I don’t stop – despite Roger’s warnings to please go inside and get some water.
At some point during this digging I began to feel slightly dizzy but kept plugging away at my digging. The ground began to spin, everything was going dark and I started sinking to the ground. Somehow I managed to crawl up to the front porch and fling myself onto the cold concrete.
Why am I so stubborn, always doing this two or three times this summer. My thoughts are that that I am loving the hot weather and need to take advantage of the nice days in order to get work done. Warning signs are ignored and I tell myself that I will only pick one or two more weeds.
Garbage Can Dilemma – or “I Can Still Laugh at Myself”!
One day after work I quickly changed my clothes and ran out front to finish up the area that caused me to almost pass out a few days before. I dug a little bit and was starting to overdo it again so I decided to be smart and stop. I don’t know if you guys have those large waste containers with the enormous lid but if you do, DON’T EVER TRY TO PUSH IT FORWARD WITHOUT CLOSING THE LID. That lid is enormous and can trip someone trying to push it the incorrect way. Ask me, I know!
I was already overheated again and was rushing to get the job done so I could go inside. Pushing the container across my grass I neglected to close the lid. Within seconds, before I knew what was happening to me, the lid tripped me, and in what seemed like slow motion, my entire body fell head first into the container! At least the garbage container had fallen over and was laying on it’s side as I made my descent into it.
I was laughing uncontrollably and praying that no neighbors saw what happened to me. Then I gained as much strength and courage as I could and I crawled backwards out of the can trying to ACT like I had been pushing the yard waste into it… on purpose. My neighbor waved to me from across the street. I think from his vantage point it looked as if I had been bending over to push items into the can! Thank God!
Summer is still my favorite!
Despite my overdoing it this summer, I find myself mourning the end of summer. The air is beginning to change, the kids are back in school, pools are closed until next year and there is a sadness for those of us who love the heat and the green earth and the flowers and pools. I will enjoy the fall and will hate the winter and just count the days until summer begins again.
And I will try really hard not to overdue it next year!
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