Sum-Sum-Summertime Hodgepodge

Welcome to this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge. Grab your shades and your pool noodle and jump on in! Be sure to add your link at the end of my post, and don't forget to leave a comment for your neighbors there. Here we go-

1. Summer's here!  In the northern hemisphere anyway. If you're in the southern hemisphere substitute winter for the word summer. What do you love most about summer? What's your biggest summer pet peeve? 

What do I love most about summer? 

Evening daylight that stretches past 8 PM, then turns a golden hue which somehow makes you feel like anything is possible. 

My biggest pet peeve? 

I dislike being hit in the face with 100% humidity when I open the door at 6 AM. I like cooler (or at least reasonable) temps in the morning and want the day to warm up gradually. That doesn't usually happen in in the summers here.  

2. What song always reminds you of summer? 

I have a whole summer playlist of favorites but beach music tops the list. If I hear beach music I think summer and one of my favorites is Summertime's Calling Me by The Catalinas. We all love that song in our house. 

There's a lot of country music on my summer playlist. Kenny Chesney's Anything But Mine is probably my favorite song of his and definitely a summer favorite. 

3. What's something you remember about your childhood summers? Do you think kids today get to enjoy summer the way you did as a child? Elaborate. 

There were all the simple pleasures of childhood like riding our bikes to the swim club, big games of neighborhood hide and seek, chasing fireflies in our backyard, homemade ice cream, family picnics with family friends, Barbies with my sister under the big tree out back, etc. 

Mostly though, when I think of childhood summers, I remember less the specific moments and more the feeling of freedom that surrounded them. The idea that there was nowhere I needed to be, and the way time felt so spacious and carefree. That carefree feeling is linked to childhood in my mind, and somehow I think we as children sensed it and so we savored it all the more. 

That's me in the yellow top and the blue keds with my two best friends coloring on our porch on a sunny summer day. I can feel the freedom from here. 

Do kids get to enjoy summer the way I did as a child? 

I think so, if parents help make it so. I see my grandchildren enjoying a carefree summer in much the same way I did. They spend their days outside, swimming, playing games in their backyard, riding bikes, staying up a little later than normal and enjoying family time and time with their friends. They're not carrying adult sized problems and worrying about much more than being a kid. 

4. We celebrate Fathers Day on June 21st. Do you favor your dad in looks or temperament? Tell us something about your dad. Or your husband as a dad. Or a son/son-in-law as a dad. Or your grandpa. 

My sisters and I were always told we favored my dad in looks, while my brother looked more like our mom.  I think we're all four a combination of both parents. 

If I had to describe my dad in a single word it would be solid.  He was a hard worker, a man of deep faith, someone who lived with integrity. While he wasn't a big talker we all knew we were loved and we could count on him. 

I think I wanted that same quality in a husband and I have it. My hubs is solid. And so are my sons-in-law. They're all excellent providers, strong in the ways that count, faithful, and they love their families well. 

My hubs is not a man of few words though lol. I'm glad. 

5. Let's wrap up with a summer this or that-

• flip flops or sandals~sandals
• beach or pool~beach
• watermelon or peaches~watermelon
• shorts or sundress~shorts
• iced coffee or ice cold lemonade~lemonade
• amusement park or water park~water park for sure...this is the only question I didn't want to answer with 'both' 

6. Insert your own random thought here.  

This post is a lot of words and almost no pictures. Grands are in the house this week and I'm enjoying having our tiny cousin crew all together.