Summer Fun
School is over, and summer is here. In an attempt to stop looking back and begin looking toward the summer ahead of me, here are some things that I like about summertime.
I like homegrown vegetables and gardens filled with wildflowers. I arrived home from school to find tomatoes, green beans, cucumbers, and strawberries growing in our small backyard garden. The wildflower garden is bare, but time and patience should remedy that.
I like cookouts with the neighbors. The dads gather by the grill while the moms place carrots, green peppers, watermelon, chips, and dip on the table indoors. We older girls meet at the trampoline and tree fort in the green belt behind the house, laughing together and teasing our little brothers. Soon, the burgers are ready. A dad calls us up, and we all group together as another dad blesses the food. Time stands still as we eat, talk, play, and catch fireflies.
I like coming home to a cool, dark house after a long morning at the swimming pool. The little boys soon fall asleep, the smell of chlorine thick on their brown bodies. We older girls read or study. No summer would be complete without learning something. Whether we choose to study Spanish, linguistics, history, science, or literature or opt for a skill like cooking or a new musical instrument, we must continue gaining knowledge.
I like afternoons at the lake. I hold on to the tube as it speeds across the water. Mr. Gregory, the boat's driver, swerves back and forth, trying to get the tube out of the wake. I feel it tipping. I lean. Oh, oh, I'm not going to make it. The tube flips over. I tumble out. The water rushes past; my breath is knocked out. I don't know what happened. Is this earth, heaven, some land in between the worlds? I feel strange. Is this what death feels like? Then I come to my senses. I'm floating face down in the water. I come up and see Mr. Gregory turning the boat around. When he comes back, I grab the tube and pull myself on, ready for another try.
This year will be different. I'll have both work and school. I'll still have time for summer though. Yes, I'm glad that summertime is here.
I like homegrown vegetables and gardens filled with wildflowers. I arrived home from school to find tomatoes, green beans, cucumbers, and strawberries growing in our small backyard garden. The wildflower garden is bare, but time and patience should remedy that.
I like cookouts with the neighbors. The dads gather by the grill while the moms place carrots, green peppers, watermelon, chips, and dip on the table indoors. We older girls meet at the trampoline and tree fort in the green belt behind the house, laughing together and teasing our little brothers. Soon, the burgers are ready. A dad calls us up, and we all group together as another dad blesses the food. Time stands still as we eat, talk, play, and catch fireflies.
I like coming home to a cool, dark house after a long morning at the swimming pool. The little boys soon fall asleep, the smell of chlorine thick on their brown bodies. We older girls read or study. No summer would be complete without learning something. Whether we choose to study Spanish, linguistics, history, science, or literature or opt for a skill like cooking or a new musical instrument, we must continue gaining knowledge.
I like afternoons at the lake. I hold on to the tube as it speeds across the water. Mr. Gregory, the boat's driver, swerves back and forth, trying to get the tube out of the wake. I feel it tipping. I lean. Oh, oh, I'm not going to make it. The tube flips over. I tumble out. The water rushes past; my breath is knocked out. I don't know what happened. Is this earth, heaven, some land in between the worlds? I feel strange. Is this what death feels like? Then I come to my senses. I'm floating face down in the water. I come up and see Mr. Gregory turning the boat around. When he comes back, I grab the tube and pull myself on, ready for another try.
This year will be different. I'll have both work and school. I'll still have time for summer though. Yes, I'm glad that summertime is here.
posted by Courtney at 4:43 PM
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