hello August

On this the first day of what is officially the last month of summer living, I promise to make the most of all thirty-one days. After a week plus of sickness and sloth, I had an epiphany...not otherworldly or uncommon, but striking all the same: summer is ebbing. Soon I will miss the long, hot days and the full, messy house.

Last night Ted was looking for a swim buddy or a tennis partner. Lily said not today and Mike said another night so I offered to hit some balls with him. Sure it was soon to be dusk and, of course, I had no plan for dinner, but I knew this was more important. We weren't out for long, but I'm glad we did it and I think we had some competitive volleys.

Since our match was cut short, we decided to take a walk. The whole fam joined and it was so nice to walk and talk while the fireflies buzzed about. Lils and I finished a game of Egyptian Rat Screw and we scrounged up fixings for late night sammies. I was the last one up. I soaked in the silence and the gratitude of a darn good night.

Tonight is movie night. It's Lily's birthday week so it's her choice. We're going to see a new thriller. It's her genre, and also one we all enjoy. We'll probably have popcorn for dinner and maybe the ice cream cake I made last Saturday for dessert. It's my new thing.

So in 7 days my daughter turns 19 and before month's end I'll be 54. We have a week planned in the Northwoods before we move the kids back to Madison at the end of August. It's going to be a full month. A good full month.