Well I got through June. Whew!
Looking out my window now it’s a promising summer morning, but that’s all new. Up until a day or two ago it was cool and wet. My youngest and I were lucky enough to run away to a friend’s beach house for a night and the second day it poured! No summer rain feeling to that drippy spell. But it was lovely. We and our friends were all tired and a little burnt out from the fun but busy school year. We spent a day puttering, painting watercolour and hanging pictures. I tried to get some better pictures of the amazing arbutus tree there. (See http://jennifertanart.com/2012/07/06/summer-palette-beach-edition/ for a bit more on that saga.) I sketched a bit and the girls sat on the floor in slippers and sweaters and made friendship bracelets. A mix of summer activity in winter wear. But there were signs that it wasn’t in fact November. Check out the bright blue nails. And those are my pink toes! A sure sign of summer when the toes go hot pink. I was hopeful. Full of hope. It was mellow and cosy and just what was needed, and I got home that night feeling relaxed in a way I haven’t felt for months. A delicious way to start summer.
Youngest one played a bit with this picture on my phone while we drove to the ferry. Sent it out to the world from her seat beside me. My grandparents wouldn’t know what to make of that! I can barely grasp it myself. My grandparents were in my mind a lot as I was travelling through the area where they built a summer cottage. It was funny looking out at the exact same view that I would have looked at when I was five. Hard not to get a little sappy with my daughter beside me, and thinking of all the times, both wonderful and hard, that life has shown me since then.
And now I’m back and re-energized and working hard, playing catch up in painting canvases. And someone has flipped the switch (they probably had to stumble around in the rain looking for it) and summer has arrived. Yes!