September 5, 2021
On July 10th, the title of my post was Every Summer has a Story. As this Summer draws to an end, I would like to invite you to consider the Summer Story you have lived. A review over chunks of time like Summer helps me to applaud all the amazing things happening around me. Everyone’s story is unique to their lives and no less spectacular than another’s. Sometimes our stories can even be best told through the photographs we snap. So, here goes my Summer Story this year…
My palate craved ice-cream from the very beginning of Summer, and I delved into and relished the following flavors at Trader Joe’s: french vanilla, coffee bean blast, vanilla fudge chip, and their mango sorbet was delicious too. I enjoyed taking my grand niece and nephews to the beach and they had a good time frolicking in the water and playing games in the sand. A kiddy size pool came in handy to cool them off; we had temps in the high 90’s often, and adding in the humidity, it felt above 100 degrees Fahrenheit many days. I insisted on not complaining of the heat, as I knew those cooler temperatures would soon enough replace it.
A neighborhood block party on Independence Day gave us a good reason to barbecue chicken and hot dogs with our neighbors and ice cold lemonade was a refreshing drink to wash it all down. We attended a beachside concert and ended up on one of the radio stations’ facebook page, at least one social media place that we know of! With every age group carrying a cell phone these days, I wouldn’t be surprised at how many other personal facebook pages people end up on, LOL!
We spent many early mornings, before the heat became too unbearable, walking in several of our beautiful parks. It was fun watching Mom get on the swing above and become carried away with the back and forth motion that brings excitement and thrills to millions of kids of all ages. Bustey also had many opportunities to explore numerous terrains and never failed to take me off the beaten path to create new experiences for us.
During one of our monthly family Zoom calls, my sister and Mom are pictured in my kitchen making phoulourie, an Indian appetizer, to enjoy during Mom’s sister’s 88th birthday celebration online. And, Mom made it to our nearby water park with my sister and her family in the center pic.
As you probably know, lots of outdoor activities will cause us to need some extra rest; so, Bustey, Mom and I took part in daily nap time. Bustey is seen above cuddling his toes with mine as he sleeps, LOL!! an expression of love for his Mama!
Lastly, I am ending my Summer Story with a few marathons my family took part in this Labor Day weekend. Two members of my family are now marathon runners, one has ran over fourteen, the other on her 2nd! Both will confess to the hard work required to achieve their triumphant success each time.
Of course, once again, thousands of runners from all over the U.S. showed up this weekend. Most culminated their efforts panting and out of breath, with aching and painful legs and feet, a few putting the sports medicine team to work with their injuries, and many limping across the finish line. Some celebrated with their hands held high in victory, shouting, high fiving others, some arm in arm with loved ones or friends made along the way. Many runners were alone or with family and less expressive, but for their internal victories that were palpable as you noticed their demeanors. I’m sure most were overwhelmed with their successes after experiencing numerous obstacles that they overcame. Applause to them all!!!
And applause to the many ‘marathon runners’ who are celebrating victories at the end of this summer, sacrificing a few summer activities to work on their professional goals, and allowing themselves to be mentored to victory. Big Applause to them all too!!!
more to come…
lifewithoutmentors 