Summer Lightning and Other Things

          We have had an especially harsh Spring.  The atmosphere was so unstable, it became explosive at times.  Tornado's ravaged parts of Missouri causing loss of life, homes, jobs and any resemblance of a stable life. Joplin was hit the hardest. It is still in the early process of recovery.  Some people will never recover,  Their pain and the horror of the stories they tell, almost too painful to hear, much less have to endure.  When we hear of strong storms and have tornado warnings now, we who love storms, think again, of what could so easily happen anywhere to anyone.  It changed us all somewhat, some more than others.
   
     All morning I have been thinking about the things I love especially about summer.  Since I am not a big fan of hot weather and sweating, there has to be other things that keep my interest in this faze of our life.  I started jotting down things as they came to mind about summer.  They are basically events that will be shared by every one in America, in some way or the other, through out the summer months. It is little things that now catch my eye and my imagination.  The simpler life gets, the happier I am.  This is a new revelation for me.  A new outlook on life that I like.  Simple---very simple.  I doesn't take much to make me happy.

        1.  I love summer lightning.....or" heat lightning" as we call it.  It isn't going to cause a storm.  It is just there and then it is gone. One of the many light shows that summer has for us.  When I was a little girl I wanted a horse, never mind that we lived in the middle of town, I wanted a horse.  I had decided on her name, "Summer Lightning".  She would be fast and full of spirit.  I never got her, but years later when Tommy and I had our own place, we had horses.....Summer Lightning was not one of them.  She was for another place, another time. 

        2.  I love to sit outside at night.....late into the night and watch the stars and just listen to nature's music. To drink coffee and think of years gone by or of the years to come.

       3.   I enjoy the fireflies. Always have, always will. They bring a touch of magic everywhere they go.  Everyone needs a little magic in their lives.....whatever form their magic will take.,

       4.   Like most people I enjoy the water.  Doesn't matter to me if we are swimming or fishing or just looking at water---I enjoy it.  It soothes me, bringing me to a place of inner peace.

      5.    Grilling out with family and friends. People loosen up in summer.  They are more themselves.  For some reason they seem to have less worries.  It could be the beer that accompanies feasts.  Whatever it is, we enjoy the company of  friends and family alike.....with or without the beer.

      6.    All the projects that were planned in the winter months, start to materialize.  Tommy finished buying wood for my art room yesterday.  I hope we get started on it tomorrow.  It will be a wonderful place to sit year round. Lots of light to paint by and to watch the seasons change.  I was telling Tommy the other night that we could drink our morning coffee out there and watch it snow from 3 sides. I lost him when I said, "We would be in our own snow globe"  I know him--he will like it as much as me, I just have to remember he was a Marine and the "snow globe" was pushing his manhood just a tad too much!!!!

     7.    I like knowing that I am going to Florida and see my oldest daughter. This year we will probably go in Sept. or Oct.  There is hot weather and then there is Florida Hot Weather.  We have been there in April, July, and October.  We went twice in April and the weather was perfect.  July however is too hot for me!!  It is almost as hot as Yuma, Arizona----only Yuma did  not have the ocean or gulf.  People need vacations. They need a break from the everyday life to reconnect with their own form of "magic".

     I am excited about this change in the seasons, just like I am each time of year this happens.  It is something new to look forward to experiencing.  I love the four seasons, and as much as I gripe about the weather.  And we all know I do that A LOT!!!

     There are things I love about each season. Things I look forward to occurring.  Tonight it will be another bonfire.  It will be quiet as both Tommy and I get lost in our thoughts and just unwind from the day. For several hours we will stop, look and listen......because tomorrow the world starts again.