Today is the first day of summer–the longest day of the year. The sun will rise at 5:21 a.m. and set at 8:39 p.m. making our day 15 hours and 17 minutes long. I enjoy living where we have a change of seasons. I think having the same climate year-round would get boring.
My clothes are dictated by the weather. I use two closets–one is in our bedroom where the things I wear every day hang and the other is upstairs where I store my off-season outfits. I enjoy donning short pants with tee shirts and sandals for these hot days. When fall arrives, I’ll be just as happy tucking them away and bringing out the jeans, sweat shirts and boots.
I’ll cook differently, too. Instead of chili or sweet potatoes with ham casserole, I’ll make a shrimp salad or chicken sandwiches.
While growing up, one of my joys of summer was going barefoot in the grass. Having to walk across our gravel driveway–not so much. I didn’t have a beach to feel the sand between my toes but we had a stream running through our permanent pasture, the milk cows’ grassland that never was plowed up for crops. The creek was a great place to play–catching tadpoles or just wading and feeling the mud squishing underfoot was fun. It wasn’t deep enough for swimming, a skill I never learned.
Once in a while, I still enjoy going barefoot in our yard. I’ve read about “grounding.” The theory behind that says putting our feet on the earth allows us to absorb electrons, which have numerous physical and mental health benefits by keeping us in the moment instead of thinking about the past or future. I keep watch for the dangers such as stepping on sharp objects, pests and hot sidewalks.
How will you enjoy the summer?