Four things: Summer Edition

Tomorrow is summer!  Sure – it has pretty much felt like summer for weeks now.  School is out and temperatures are high:)  But the calendar makes it official tomorrow.  Woo hoo!  Just for fun, here are two “little lists” pertaining to summer.  At least, summer for me!

Four must-haves for summer:

1 – Shade!  Ha – not exactly what most want from summer days.  I don’t mind the heat and can even tolerate the humidity but I avoid direct sun rays.  Like a boss.  I burn in literal seconds because I am pasty white.  And I am pasty white because I don’t do sun.  It’s a hamster wheel but I’m okay with it.  I learned years ago that sunburns are dumb.  After cancer and with so many sun cancer victims in my family – I have no desire for soaking up rays.

2 – Self-tanner.  Pretty self-explanatory.  See #1:)

3 – Sunglasses.  Not only does my skin not enjoy the sun, neither do my eyes.  I know that blue eyes are, supposedly, light sensitive but I think mine are extra sensitive.  Apparently, there is a word for that – photophobia.  Sounds more like someone who runs from the camera.  But, that’s me as well so it’s all good.  I do have to have sunglasses, though.  All day.  Every day.

4 – Ice tea.  I do like water.  But I love ice tea:)  I don’t drink it nearly as often in the cooler months but, in the summer, ice tea is purely delightful!!

Four (loosely-held) goals for summer:

1 – New recipes.  As a vegetarian, summer is my favorite time for eating with the season.  The summer vegetables are my favorite.  Minus the tomatoes – death to tomatoes.  But I tend to get into a rut with my favorite (easy) go-to dishes.  I am going to try a few new recipes each month.  Not only new dishes but some new-to-me ingredients as well.

2 – Finish one house project.  Spring lures me outside a lot but with the temperatures hotter, I can work on some room projects that have been needing attention.  Primarily, our guest room which has essentially become a “junk room” or an extra super-sized walk-in storage closet.  Pitiful.  If I put that goal here in words, hopefully, I will be accountable to get it done.

3 – Vacation.  We don’t often vacation in the summer.  We always wait until September.  Lower prices… fewer crowds…cooler days.  All of it makes for a great vacation.  But we are wanting to try something a little different and are hoping to go away in July.  Somewhere we have never been.  Just because.

4 – Scripture reading – and maybe some scripture writing as well.  During the summer, I am not involved in either group Bible studies or my own Bible studies.  I am intentionally trying to focus my devotion time, this summer, strictly on reading the scriptures.  Larger passages and more of them.  I am not using any guides, reading schedules per se (although I am trying to be organized and purposefully) and I am not spending a lot of time “digging deeper” but using the extra time to simply read more.  I have also been intrigued, a bit, with the idea of writing scripture.  I may try it.  For some reason, the concept intimidates me rather than excites me.  The fact that I cannot draw a straight line with a ruler might play into that but I will see.

What are your goals for summer?  Anything specific for these months of humidity and sunshine?  I’d love it if you would share.  Enjoy that extra long day tomorrow!!