“The easeful days, the dreamless nights; the homely round of plain delights; the calm unambitioned mind, the simple life of summertime.” — Aster Austin Dobson
Our Kansas summer days have been crowded with the good old reliable joys of watermelon and sunshine, coffee and cardinals, rabbits and petunias. We have used our patio like our Maine screened porch, eating lunch in the shade of the noonday sun and entertaining family and friends at twilight.
We have been blessed with a summer of “no biting bugs.” We have pesky Kansas flies who can be caught by a fly swatter, for they fly in a lazy way on hot days.
We are winding up our glorious days at the neighborhood pool. It will only be open on weekends when school starts, for most of our lifeguards are in high school. We consider them new friends, for they have carefully watched over us all summer long, chatting with us during their short breaks.
We have also met neighbors and their children we never knew before. There is nothing like sharing a pool that brings people together. Some of them have been members of this swim club before we moved into “the ’hood.”
One little toddler became attached to Jim. He would look up to this tall man in awe, never speaking. Jim started calling him his swimming instructor, which evoked smiles from everyone. Now when the toddler walks by, he says, “Hi” to his new buddy.
We have been blessed with pop-in visits from family, with or without their new puppy, Maisy. When she does come along, she never stops moving. Our twins have joined us for swim sessions and our two grands, who are taking online college classes, drop in when they are not hooked to their computers. It has been a summer of family fun.
Jim and I stick to our summer routine of rising early; sometimes he reads the newspapers with his coffee on the patio while I write letters or columns in my office. We call it our morning reverie. Each day brings forth a project, a swim, chatting with neighbors over the fence, watering the flower gardens — then turn around, and the day is gone.
Sundays are in our Countryside Methodist Church. Two new pastors came this summer. The senior pastor is taller than Jim! Dramatic, enthusiastic, and bubbling over with joy. He preaches inspirational sermons, sometimes filled with a bit of laughter. He took his vacation to visit his son in seminary in D.C. and then on to his daughter’s wedding — in Maine. The associate pastor is tiny, still in seminary, but already at ease in the pulpit, sharing her life through her sermons.
Soon the day is over — gone from the sun, from the creek, from the hills, from the sky. All is well as we clink our glasses and say, “Chin chin” for another summer day in Kansas.
Fresh corn salad
6 ears of sweet corn; 1 yellow pepper, chopped; 1 red pepper, chopped; 1 sweet onion, minced; 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped, (optional); 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1/4 cup olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Cut the fresh corn off the cobs and steam for a few minutes in 1/4 cup water. Remove lid and cook, stirring for a couple minutes more. When water has evaporated, mix the corn with all the ingredients and chill.
