~ Lazy Days of Summer

It’s a perfect cloudy day here and you’re probably thinking how can a cloudy day be perfect? There’s a cool breeze coming through the open windows and the patio door. The birds are singing and the mad dog down the street is barking like there’s no tomorrow. (Note, the barking I could do without, but hey, it’s part of the scenery.) It’s threatening to rain but all we’ve had so far are a few hit and miss sprinkles. I’ve got a perfectly brewed cup of Snickerdoodle coffee, my iTunes are feeding my music craving, and Murphy is already dozing at my feet. It’s one of those days that to me, defines the phrase, “lazy days of summer.” And even though it’s one of those rare cool, cloudy days that I love, I still want nothing more than to have my toes buried in the sand on a warm, sun-kissed beach.

I will admit that two weeks into summer vacation, even though my toes aren’t buried in the warm sand somewhere, I’ve definitely been enjoying my lazy days of summer. I’ve been reading like a fiend, and like the nerd I am, I’m keeping a ‘book diary’ of the books I’ve read. I’m on book number 8 right now, and while I’m no literary genius and my choices for summer reading walk a fine line along the border of something that either titillates my body or stimulates my mind, I love to read. I devour books and that is a trait I got from my mom; the love of reading.

Sadly, this is the first summer that I haven’t baked myself while lying next to a crystal clear swimming pool and admittedly, I miss it. Yes, I know that lying in the golden sunshine is not good for our skin unless we slather on the sunblock, but since I was a kid, lying by a pool has been one of my favorite summer things to do. At the end of the summer, my body was a healthy, glowing golden brown and my freckles were out in abundance. I still love to soak up the sunshine while lying by or floating in the pool, but these days, instead of giggling with my friends while trying to get the attention of the cute lifeguard, it’s done with a book and an adult beverage close at hand.

So far this summer, I’ve stuck close to home, traveling only as far as Columbus to visit Lynsay & Cody. Plans to visit my sister have been made and I’ll soon be on the road to Oklahoma. With any luck, before summer vacation comes to a close, KJ and I will find ourselves back in California for a few days.

There is certainly no shortage of things to do this summer ~ the Summer Arts Festival, Santa Lucia festival, the CWS, Papillion Days, Red Sky music festival, baseball at Werner Park, the list goes on and on. I already have plans to do a few of those things, with the College World Series at the top of the list. With the planning of Lynsay’s wedding in full throttle, there are bridal showers to attend, invitations to address and my own dress to shop for.

So far, I’ve had a good start to my lazy days of summer and hey, if you want lessons on how to be lazy, let me know; KJ will tell you that between Murphy and I, you’ll not only learn the art of laziness firsthand, you’ll master it in no time.