Summer, I DO LOVE THEE

Summer. 

Porch-reading, good drink drinking, sunsets and sunrises and everything in between it. Baby toes and baby coos and "Lo-lo, touch sky!" and "Lo-lo, read me"; "Lo-lo, you sing it!" and "Lo-lo, fall down--one time?" and so so many "more-agains?" that you think your heart might burst. Quiet offices and produce giftings and lots and lots of peaches.  Flexible schedules, spontaneous runnings up the hill for dinners with the dear ones. Taking care of things, getting ready. Walks and big talks and going ever deeper with the One-who-Loves-me. Birds and bugs and bear-sightings (infuriatingly still not in YOUR yard), but mysterious pond-filter eatings and a sad little culprit to make life far more interesting. 

Remembering it has been full and so good and yet still going, even though it's nearing time for next and everything in me is bemoaning, "but it's almost over!".

We are the Longtimers

We took a road trip,

 and all we did was eat and sit and talk and play

but gosh was it just lovely.

Chicago, I Have Loved Thee: Day 5

Sunday: Awaken, with a whole morning until you have to climb in a cab. Head to the River. Find breakfast on your way. Find it to be ho-hum, but peaceful there on the street; eat a lot, anyway. Keep walking. Stumble on a hotel where you have stayed, once a while ago now. Have some memories. Find the River and cross it; sit by it a while. Weave your way back through city streets until you find the lake again. Get a little bit wet. Stop for a refreshing drink, just around the corner. Return to the hotel, pack up, head to the airport, and be terribly terribly grateful for it all. (Chicago I have LOVED thee; this I say with truth.)

Chicago, I Have Loved Thee: Day 4

Saturday: Go to the meetings, asking the Lord that they end by 2. Do not be surprised at all when they are all up in the weeds at 1:30 but by the stroke of 2 someone cries adjourn! Be too happy for words. Walk along the Lakeshore Trail but north this time, see the lots of people at the beach (but forget to take a picture). Walk through the wildflower paths until you reach the zoo. Buy an ice cream cone and feel as carefree as a child, until the zoo depresses all the joy right out of you. Do the loop and come back to the camels, because they seem to be oblivious. Walk toward home, quite a lot bit more, until you need 12 gallons of water to restore you. Find a restaurant that seems willing to help. Sit there, for a while. Read and eat and drink and be at rest. Walk home in the night sky and hand a man your leftovers, so that you both can have a hand-over-heart moment. Go to sleep, and dream.