Summer pleasures (with no guilt)

Hi there,
Summer has definitely hit North Carolina! We're suffering through record-breaking highs, the heat has been brutal, and it is so dry. We desperately need rain. However, we've had other summers similar to this, and the rain will come.

Look how brown our grass is! Steve loves his yard, but it would be impossible to keep the lawn watered enough to stay green. Even neighbors with sprinkler systems are letting theirs turn brown because of the high water bills, although no restrictions are in place as of now. Leaves are falling off the trees making it look like autumn.

I was thinking this morning about how much I enjoy summer. It is very quiet on campus, even though there is lots of construction and campers around.

When I'm in summer mode, there are plenty of things that I take off the to-do list. Like vacuuming, cooking, really household projects of any sort. And there are things I add to my weekly grind for sheer enjoyment and to feel like a perpetual teenager.

Sunday morning, June 21

My #1 favorite thing is lying by the swimming pool with an occasional dip to stay cool. Neighborhood pools are extremely common in Charlotte. Ours is just perfect. It is small, impeccably clean, has friendly college-age lifeguards, and if you time it right it is hardly ever busy. Sunday morning I almost had the pool to myself. Two hours of pure bliss. Beverage, snack, Kindle Paperwhite . . . with leather cover in Persimmon.

Other favorite things:

• Streaming Netflix (just started watching Parks and Recreation from the beginning)
• Watching reality TV of all sorts (like you don't do this?!)
• June Weddings Hallmark movies

Frosted Lemonade

• Knitting socks
• Knitting dishcloths
• Reading magazines

• Listening to 70s on 7 on SiriusXM radio while driving Charlotte -- junior high/high school music! Karen Carpenter (I can't think of anyone past or present who has a lovelier voice)! Disco! Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds (1975's Baby Baby Fallin' in Love, first slow dance in 9th grade with my crush, who later became my husband)!
• Dining al fresco (that means outside, not nekked) at our favorite local restaurants
• Flipping channels to find a Red Sox game at Boston's Fenway Park (where we went on vacation last summer)
• Scanning through knitting blogs, following along as Karen knits her daughter's wedding shawl!
• Time with granddog Bear
• Wearing pjs on the deck after dark with a glass of chilled Riesling
• My secret chocolate stash

And my new discovery!!!! Coloring books for adults paired with colored pencils! I just found out about these! It's supposed to be a huge stress reliever. Certain yarn shops are selling them online, but after researching, I can tell you that they are cheaper on amazon.com.

That's everything I can think of at the moment, but I'd love to know what you find especially joyful in the summer.

xoxo Tammy