Summer’s Simple Pleasures

I love lazy, hazy August.  I love how everything (and everyone) seems to lighten up a bit.  No holidays…no extra commitments.  There’s actually time left over to stop and take in the misty heat, sniff the vibrant garden blossoms and hear the cicadas singing…To eat barbeque on plastic plates and sip lemonade (or sangrias) with good company late on a Tuesday night.  I haven’t spent much time on the computer lately, but I don’t miss facebook or the blogosphere in the least.  I’m even turning my cell phone off more.  The modern world will always be there, but in NY State, these blissful August days are fleeting.

I’m being reminded more than ever lately that the most joy can be found in the simplest of acts.  The other night, on a whim, we had a “camp out” in our backyard, complete with flames crackling our metal fire pit, s’mores and singing.  We’re not huge campers, but it was a beautiful night and no one wanted to go inside just yet.  Who knew it’d be so much fun to scrounge for wood, eat burnt marshmallows, and teach the kids old Girl Scout songs from eons ago?  We lit tiki torches as the stars lit the black sky like a planetarium show.  We took turns finding constellations (real and made-up). 

Hubby and I noticed the fire still burning full force after we put the kids to bed, so we grabbed a bottle of wine, turned on Diana Krall and stayed outside until the last ember faded.  It was nice not having to talk over the TV or obnoxious ring of the phone for once.

In a few weeks it will be back to business as usual.  The kids will be back in school, once again I’ll take on the duty of carpooler-in-chief and our nights will be filled with homework followed by earlier bedtime routines.  But until that happens, you’ll find me snoozing in a hammock somewhere, taking one more dip in the lake, eating that last s’more, and relishing in summer’s simple pleasures.