Summer Time and The Giving Is Easy

Giving is easyBetween a week of brainstorming, a busy family weekend with two of our four children and their children, and a tummy bug of some sort, I think a nap has to have higher priority today than my blog. By next week I expect to be back in full swing

Meantime, today–as I write this–it’s the first day of summer. Let’s hear it for sunshine, surf and sand. When I think of summer I invariably remember an afternoon at the beach when I was eight, followed by a chocolate dipped soft serve cone, and the glorious sweetness after swimming and splashing in salt water all afternoon.

Do you have a summer memory to share? A simple one that means summer to you? As a thank you for entertaining me while I recover and sharing your stories, I’ll let random.org choose one winner who will receive an autographed novel. Everyone who comments on THIS post between now and next Wednesday will be eligible. I’ll announce the lucky winner then.

Summer time and the giving is easy. Remember. One winner. Randomly chosen from everyone who comments on this post.

Looking forward to reading your summer memories. Let’s all make many more good ones in 2016.

15 Comments

  1. Penny A L Prichard on June 21, 2016 at 10:51 pm

    When I was growing up my grandparents owned a cottage in Ocean City New Jersey. Loved going there. My favorite beach story, though, took place on Figure Eight Island in North Carolina. When we were in mid 40’s my best friend and I were walking down the beach. We saw a big banner which read, Happy 90th Gramps. We decided to walk up and add our good wishes to those of the family. We were welcomed and introduced to Gramps. His query? Are you the balloon girls? He was so disappointed.

  2. Nancy Lepri on June 21, 2016 at 11:02 pm

    I remember as a child living outside of Boston, we went to visit my mom’s cousin on Cape Cod. We were only there for the day, which happened to be overcast and gloomy. That wasn’t going to deter us from going to the beach though, and when we got there, we were the only ones there. It started raining, but the water was warm and calm, warm weather never being the case on Cape Cod. We had so much fun that I think that was the one time I enjoyed the ocean the most.

  3. Laurie Tabor on June 21, 2016 at 11:08 pm

    Every summer,my dad would take us to North Carolina to ride motorcycles. We had dirt bikes we would ride through apple orchards & forests & street bikes for the Blue Ridge Parkway. We would stay in our RV on the property of a friend. On the way home we would either go white water rafting or do Six Flags. I used to love those trips!

  4. Kathryn Trask on June 22, 2016 at 12:12 am

    It was our longest day yesterday Emilie, however not the coldest. I don’t even have any heating going!
    Summer I remember loving to go to the beach, and also remember being at the beach at early dawn to watch my Dad go floundering and then we would go home and have yummy flounder for breakfast.
    When swimming there I remember going out deeper than my parents were comfortable with but those lazy days of summer. A lot to be said for them.
    Oh and one more, when grown up I was up at a east coast beach with family holidaying. I was on one of those small sized boards and I remember just swooshing in so fast on it. Totally gorgeous.
    Not entering your giveaway because too far away, but just wanted to comment! Hope you are totally well and back to yourself very soon.

  5. Kathy Marx on June 22, 2016 at 6:55 am

    First of all, hope you are feeling better soon. Yuck! No fun! And summer is supposed to be fun, right? Secondly, here goes with the first memory that flashed in my brain – warm pavement, riding our bikes in the suburban neighborhood where I grew up, in the twilight of hot summer evenings, a pack of young kids, yelling and laughing, living in the moment, thinking this would never end.

  6. Jean DeFrances on June 22, 2016 at 7:40 am

    I remember the evenings when it didn’t get dark until later. The neighborhood kids would gather in our backyard, lie on our backs in the grass, and my Dad would tell stories and then point out constellations as the stars came out.

  7. Lori R on June 22, 2016 at 8:13 am

    I remember catching fireflies at night with my sister. We would put them in a jar and have them light up our bedroom. We would let them go the next day. Magical carefree summer days and nights.

  8. JayneKasten on June 22, 2016 at 9:16 am

    S for sweet popsicles on the porch while
    Understanding friends who play board games are great!
    Momma’s tray of cold water and wet washcloths to
    Mop our brows as we
    Eagerly play yet another game of monopoly !
    Reading lots of books —
    memories of my youthful summers!

    • Marsha Markham on June 23, 2016 at 6:11 pm

      great post, Jayne…very creative 🙂

    • Marsha Markham on June 23, 2016 at 6:16 pm

      great post, Jayne…very creative 🙂 So many things run through my head when I think of summer and I’ve always noticed how different the various parts of summer feel. In the early weeks of it, it seems like it will last forever…what a luxury. Schedules aren’t so tight, meals are more casual and everyone is just relaxed and looking for time off. A few weeks later, when it’s hotter, we (at least I) feel the energy sucked out of me, then I’m really lazy! The days seem to race by as the sales for back to school start, the gardens begin to look a little droopy and so do the trees. I’m a little sad during those weeks, but then the excitement of fall creeps in so that’s a good thing too. I actually do think the seasons are a great creation, although winter could lend some of it’s time to the other times of year. 🙂

  9. Kim on June 22, 2016 at 9:23 am

    When I was little, we didn’t have air conditioning, so we played outside all summer long regardless of the weather. My fondest memories are my mother giving my sister and I old bedspreads, which we then clothespinned to the fence and to make a tent or a whole row of tents down the fence line. Mom supplied Kool-aid and graham crackers and even let us spend the night “camping” outside once.

  10. Melissa on June 22, 2016 at 6:32 pm

    Summer days on the beach at Fenwick Island then evenings playing family games and going for ice cream.

  11. JeanAnn Lemon on June 23, 2016 at 5:17 am

    A Pure summer memory for me is waiting for dusk and then full night to see the Lightning bugs move up from the ground.

  12. Martha O'Quinn on June 23, 2016 at 8:17 am

    Good morning Emilie. I hope this day finds you feeling much better. I have “When we Were Sisters” in hand but need to finish a book for book club in the morning before diving into your book. Cannot wait. Be well.

  13. Debbie Haupt on June 25, 2016 at 11:16 am

    Aw Emilie, feel better soon. My favorite summer memory was the first vacation with my daughter when she was a little girl. Her awe and wonder at all the new sites was unforgettable and I still visit the photo album when I get nostalgic especially now that we’re planning her destination wedding for next summer! Happy Summer to you!

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