Summer Blooms

As the temperature climbs outside, so it seems does the energy level of my little ones. Our summer break is near the end, with school starting up again a week from Monday. These last days of summer have been busy, packed half full of fun and the other half mere survival. We jump from pool to beach to any place with cool-running air conditioning. The girls cycle randomly from lazy, too-hot-to-move slumps, to crazy, solar-powered outbursts. It's erratic and exhilarating and exhausting. And I've finally hit that point I do every August, the very pit of summer in Florida, where I am done.

Since I have to keep going anyway, I've been putting my attention on all the "seeds" we planted this summer, literally and figuratively, that have started to sprout or bloom.

• The sunflowers we planted in June are blooming.
• My pantry is stocked with fresh preserves, canned tomatoes & sauce; my freezer is full of fresh corn from the cob, sundried tomatoes, blueberries & strawberries.
• I've been inspired to write again and have an article scheduled to be published this Fall.
• The tadpoles in our pond are growing, changing, becoming something new... just like my little girls, with one exercising new reading & swimming skills, and one almost completely potty trained.

As these sun-soaked days of summer start to wind up, I can feel my mind starting to shift toward fall. I'm thinking about baking bread and candlemaking. Bike rides and journaling. Handmade gifts and organizational systems. I can sense the winds of change on the horizon... and right now, any wind would suit me just fine!