As Summer Does

Around here summer means movies and food experiments, and we kicked off our first full week of vacation by walking down to meet Josh for the new Star Wars film and then grabbing some ramen afterwards. The experimentation came in the form of the assortment of mug cake mixes we impulsively purchased on a quick stop at the grocery store after dinner. It was an iconic evening made even more so by all the fireflies blinking our way home. 

Portmanteau

I was feeling a bit restless this afternoon. "Let's do something!" I said, but I wasn't sure what that might be. After a while we decided to go over to National Harbor and walk around the shops and waterfront. And so we did.

When we first arrived it was sprinkling, so we strolled through the atrium of the Gaylord resort. When the rain blew over, we stepped out past the pool and down to the riverwalk. It was fun to people-watch as we went. Passing a small group of tourists leaning into an unusual-looking plant I overheard one of them say, "It smells pugnant! Just pugnant! Strong and stinky!"

I laughed at how appropriate his error was; it sounded like the plant's odor was repugnantly pungent.

Urban Hike

When it came time to take that cute little Beckett back from his puppysitting we decided to walk. His house is probably a mile as the crow flies, but with a wooded park and two school campuses between us, the crow's flight plan was not a possibility. So, we zigzagged on streets and paths and sidewalks and up and down hills and even cut across a few fields to find the most direct route to that distant neighborhood, braving mosquitoes and a dead rat or two. It wasn't quite as beautiful as the hikes we usually take, but it was good to be outside and going somewhere.

Nothin's Worrying Me

And on the second day of summer...

it rained!
and rained
and rained
and rained
and rained.

But who cares?

Potential Energy

Cumin,
flax,
milkweed,
radish,
watermelon,
poppies,
peppers,
pumpkin,
johnny jump-ups,
summer snow,
sunflowers,
wheat grass,
and
wildflowers:

on the first day of summer
anything seems possible,
and so I planted
some seeds.

Hey, Hey, Hey, Good-bye

In general, I'm not a hugger, but there were a lot of big good-byes at the end of this school year, and so I opened my arms wide to every one of them, leaned in, and held on to all we had been through together for just a few seconds longer.

Working at the same job in the same place with many of the same folks for 25 years made it seem that all of that would last forever, but the last few days have reminded me that it won't. One day, in the not too distant future, all the fun and laughter and accomplishment and frustration and irritation and failure will be in the past.

Actually, it's in the past now, and there is only so much more to look forward to. Maybe it's just summer vacation talking, but I think I'm going to be a little more appreciative from now on, and I might even give a few more hugs.

Warning: Golden Years Ahead

It's happening.

After finishing my 25th year of teaching,
people I started with
are starting to...

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