….That you’ll wish you did next January
It’s hard to believe on these warm summer days when twilight stretches to nine o’clock and later, but Autumn is already on the way. Just walk into a store and look at the Back to School displays if you have any doubts. The days will get shorter, and the nights will get cold. And these beautiful summer days will be a memory. Why not make sure they’re good memories? Here, in no particular order, are ten ways to celebrate summer.
1. Watch fireworks display..
Yes, the 4th of July has passed, and I hope you saw some fireworks then, but if you didn’t, look around. Somewhere there are fireworks exploding against the sky.
2. Go to a baseball game.
Maybe you have a major league team in your town. Perhaps a minor league team plays where you live. Or maybe you can go to the local sports park and watch a little league game. But go and cheer the home team. And take some peanuts and cracker jacks.
3. Make some ice cream.
Whether you use a hand crank, electric crank, or table top model—nothing tastes like homemade ice cream.
4. Go to the Fair.
Yes, they’re crowded and noisy and even a bit (ahem) smelly in places. But remember how excited you got as a kid when you went to the fair? All that good stuff is still there. And you’ll have fun. Oh, and if you’re county or state fair isn’t in July, that’s okay. Just go when it comes.
5. Pack a picnic.
You can make something as easy as a bunch of peanut butter sandwiches, or something as elaborate as anything Martha Stewart might come up with, but there is something about going to a beautiful place with family or friends and eating outdoors.
6. Stop at a roadside farm stand.
Summer’s bounty is lush and fleeting. Fill up while you can.
7. Attend an outdoor play or concert.
It could be Shakespeare in the park or a rock concert at an amphitheater, but sitting under the stars watching and listening is a summertime treasure. This is a great one to combine with suggestion number 5.
8. Turn out the lights and watch a thunderstorm.
Of course this only works if you live someplace where there are thunderstorms. I don’t any more, but the pyrotechnic display is a magnificent reminder of the power of God.
9. Get up very early, grab a cup of coffee, and go outside to listen to the birds’ morning chorus.
Okay, I know that if you are a night person this is not going to happen. Ever. But if you, like me, love the early morning, give this a try. See if you don’t find yourself humming “Morning Has Broken” all day long.
10. Go swimming.
When I was a kid, this was a no-brainer. Summer was for swimming, period. But then, after I grew up, there was the changing, and the changing back and the doing of hair and the fixing of makeup. And swimming went by the wayside. And in the winter I pass the closed pool and wonder why I never went in. This summer, I’m going in!
So there are my ten things to do in July—or August, and maybe even early September. Summer will still speed by way too fast, but when winter inevitably sets in, I’ll have summer to smile about.
What can you add to my list? I’d love to hear your plans.
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