Summer

It's officially summertime.  We took our annual trip to Oregon (note: not vacation!) and little j began camp this week.  Big J leaves for India on Friday.  I teach summer class in about 3 weeks.  It's hot and humid.

I have a feeling that summer will go by too fast.  I long for days that we relax in the hammocks reading books, or leisurely weed the garden, or go to movies in the heat of the afternoon.  But it seems we are all busy and time away from work is filled with more business.

little j is starting to get to the point where she would prefer to be with friends.  I am driving Big J to the airport in Richmond on Friday and we thought little j would go and then she and I could have an afternoon of fun in a different city; but today she informed me that she would rather go to camp, ride horses, and be with friends.

One thing I am missing is a yearly camping trip to a special place we love.  Growing up our family went to a cabin that sat on the edge of a meadow.  It was surrounded by trees and there was a creek suitable for wading.  My cousin and I would spend hours playing, coming back to camp only for meals and the occasional snack.  We had intricate games, an argument here and there, and always a lot of giggling and whispering.  At night we sang songs and roasted marshmallows.  We would spend two weeks at a time at the cabin, showering with water warmed in a bucket over an open fire, catching bugs, squealing at snakes, flying kites.  Sadly, our cabin is no longer ours.  But I long to have a place such as that for little j.  Those are some of the best memories of my childhood.

The major bright spot this summer will come in a few short weeks with a new puppy.  The litter we will pick from was born on May 31 and we will meet the puppies and make our choice on June 30.  We can hardly wait.  The puppy will come home with us sometime near the end of July (right in the middle of my 3 weeks of teaching!).

Although I long for little j to have memorable summers like I had, I suppose she will have them in her own way -- certainly 6 weeks of horse camp will provide lasting friendships and memories.  Our family getaways, whether to Oregon or to DC for the 4th of July, are always eventful.  Perhaps the best memories come from simply being around those you love.