Here My Summer Begins

Conveniently, the calendar and I agree. The first day of summer felt like the first day of summer. Kept the laptop lid closed and whisked off in the morning to visit friends and meet their grandchild— a year late! How fine it felt to be on my bike, the sun on my face, the wind at my back, my deadlined-work behind me and the summer gloriously ahead. The little tyke was ever bit as adorable as the proud grandparents had been proclaiming and naturally, with a piano in the house, we had to do some singing and dancing. And so we did and joyfully so.

Then off on the bikes to Marin, joining the tourist throngs on the Golden Gate Bridge over to Sausalito. High winds on the bridge and extraordinary that the railing is still about shoulder-high, conjuring fantasies of an untimely wind gust lifting me up and over. Down to Sausalito, where the crowds thickened yet again, the water sparkling, the city off in the distance like the fairy tale castles in the old stories. An outdoor lunch, grilled panini, mozzarella and tomato with an ice coffee chaser and back on the bike for the return trek. Had to smile at the “Bicycles Slow Down” sign right at the base of the enormous hill ascending to the bridge.

Passing through Golden Gate Park, I heard the click of sticks and saw the Morris Dancers in front of the Conservatory of Flowers, heralding in the new season and the longest day of the year. (On Facebook, saw photos of the bonfires in Finland. They do it up big there!). The lawns filled with bathing-suited summer loafers doing just what the season recommends— nothing! Stop at the market on the way home and buy the first nectarines of the season, ripe, juicy and summery delicious.

Now it’s Prairie Home Companion on the radio to accompany the corn on the cob, grilled vegetables and Aidell’s sausage preparation, to be followed by a DVD re-viewing of Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris as an extension of The Paris Wife book I just finished. Yeah!

Theoretically, I could have eight more weeks of days like this. But of course, I don’t. Six of the eight will be filled with teaching Orff courses and happily so. I love every minute of it. Still, there comes a time (somewhere around the 5^th straight week) when I realize that as joyful as it is, I’m still living according to schedule, with some evening class planning and occasional homework to correct. Not precisely the “nothing” of true Summer.

But hey, I’m not complaining. It’s all good and it’s especially good today and I’m grateful for all of it. “Summertime and the livin’ is easy.” Yes, indeed.