Thursday, July 7, 2011

top ten summertime favorites

The 4th of July festivities this past weekend spurred all sorts of random nostalgic thoughts. It started with the party we attended on Sunday. Kids were running around with water guns and using the slip-and-slide. Then we went across the street to the middle school's field and did old school games. There were the sack and wheelbarrow races, the water balloon and egg tosses. The only thing missing was the grease pole. These were activities I did as a kid at my own small town 4th of July celebrations.

On the 4th we went to the center of town for the parade. Hubs and the middle boy played in the All Orinda Pick-Up Band and the little one marched with the cub scouts in full uniform. The teenager and I sat and smiled and cheered on the sidelines as the floats passed by. It all struck me as so similar to my own youth even though I live so close to the big city.

Growing up in a small town meant summers were simple and slow. I hated it then but it feels appealing now. Here are my top ten favorites on summertime and what it means to me.

1.) Letting them sleep
2.) Backpacking with the boy scouts
3.) Quiet mornings smelling the fresh cut grass and listening to the birds chirp and gentle breeze float through the trees
4.) Lazy days, lazy schedules
5.) Ice cold Bud Light and freshly shaken cosmos with my girlfriends on the patio
6.) Smoked ribs, potato salad, fresh cut fruit
7.) Garden tomatoes and caprese salad
8.) Hot days and cold, foggy nights
9.) Little brown bodies with sun-bleached hair
10.) Painted toes with the sandals to show them off

What are your favorites of summer?
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