I have delusions about summer -- much like my delusions
about the Christmas Season. Every year,
I approach “the lazy days of summer” with visions of myself knitting for hours
– on the deck in the afternoon (what the heck, even in the forenoon) and while
watching movies or Mariners’ games in the evening. I imagine I will wake up in the morning
bright with creative energy and that the simpler summer days will leave my mind
free and clear for designing and writing.
Quiet days – with fewer commitments.
Long warm days with nothing to do but knit or read….
How I justify these delusions year after year, I have no idea. Never has any summer in my adult life been anything like that. Maybe a slow afternoon now and then, but never the stretch of beautiful empty days that I imagine.
Our summers are another kind of beautiful – the active,
slightly sun-burned kind with killer games of badminton and parades through the
zoo. Weddings and trips to fetch kids
from college and a nice long stretch at the beach come August. Barbeques and board games --- and endless
loads of laundry, loads of groceries, loads of dishes.
The college kids are home – and 2 of Sasha’s friends are visiting for a couple of weeks (add sightseeing to the list). It is street fair and farmers’ market season (add Geoff’s street performances to the list). George and I have 5 trips planned over June and July (add packing and driving and unpacking to the list). Sarah and I had a knitting class session fall into our laps (add teaching on Thursday nights to the list). And on top of all this are the exquisite baby grand-daughter and the delightful 2-year-old grandson (add snuggling, diaper-changing, stroller pushing, book reading and re-reading…to the list).
And while I optimistically haul my knitting bags with me wherever I go, I only manage to knit a few rows here, a few rows there. I am feeling a bit grumbly about it, I confess –especially as I feel obliged to work on the pieces that have some sort of deadline rather than on the pieces I am doing “for fun” (like the Gull Pi Shawl and Hansi Singh’s amigurumi owl). Isn’t summer supposed to be fun? Isn’t some sort of vacation in order?
A sensible person would…okay, I am so far off the “sensible” page that there is no point in finishing that sentence. A wise person (sensible or not) would embrace the blessing of summer --- and try to sneak in some fun knitting. I think I will try to be wise (and a little bit sneaky).
Comments