Summer's done
Generally, Labor Day means summer is over. School starts--though I know it's well underway lots of places already. Temperatures here were cool, then rose, then plunged, but it will be 80 degrees tomorrow. Maybe. It was supposed to be today that might hit 83, but last night was cold, and the warm air slower in its arrival.
I looked at the skirt I took to Utah, and went nope, all done until next year. It's a very definite bright summer gauze, and along with the white flats, can't really fudge into fall. The coral pink print, with a crisp blouse, I might wear if the temperature on Sunday is warm and the sun is out, but not past another week or so. Then it's darker colors. I wore a dark print cotton, the only lightweight dark print I have, to teach today. With black loafers.
One of the local stores has contracts with several area farms and orchards, and every August they get the best melons; and for one week, sometimes two, they sell them cheaper than anyone else. I usually get my favorite, a crenshaw, and cut it up to take to the annual Relief Society barbeque, but I was away this year. When I got back, I went to Top Foods to see if they had any crenshaws left, and there was one. Exactly one. It was ripe, all six pounds of it (they aren't always that big, but sometimes they're bigger, once I bought a nine-pounder and it was fabulous!) and I bought it before anyone else could realize it was going begging. So I had my crenshaw, I had blueberries a few times as the summer went along, and I had peaches to die for from Brigham City. I went back to that store yesterday, and of course all the variety melons of any type are gone.
We had a summer when we were so broke, I couldn't buy any fruit. I didn't get any blueberries at all. Couldn't get the local strawberries that are only available for three weeks, and so intensely flavored. I longed for blueberries, and nectarines, and melons. My dad would buy all kinds of variety melons--I remember one year he set out to try every kind he could find, and take us through the list so we would know what we liked. Casabas are good, but my favorite is the crenshaw. Santa Claus, Juan Canary, at least the ones I've had here didn't excite me. I'm not sure I've seen a Santa Claus melon, actually, now that I think of it, for a long time.
The seasons turn and all these good things will be back, and exciting because you can't have them any old time, they haven't been bred to last and travel and not taste like anything anymore. Now it's pears--Top Foods has a variety (Tosca) I've never heard of advertised this week, I'm going to go try some--and apples, though apples are available all the time. Our tree bears an early variety, and they are done. All, totally, gone. I have to bring an apple dessert, specifically, for a ward dinner on Friday, and I had to go buy apples yesterday; there was just no way to keep the last couple of our own apples waiting long enough.
I don't have kids in school anymore, since the University of Washington is on the quarter system Carole won't start until the 24th, so school doesn't get me so much. (She's not at home anyway.) But the teaching calendar begins again, and the Institute of Religion class I teach for the stake Relief Society started today. My summer 'vacation' included a wonderful chance to see my family in Utah, and welcome a new granddaughter, and the undesired impediments of a new injury and therapy--but the blessing of protection and continuing recovery. It could have been much more serious, and I'm grateful that it wasn't. Opposition in all things, that's our earth-life plan. Can't back out of it now!
So, every thing in its own time and season, and all of it a wonder. In all things I am in the care of my Father in Heaven. I am very blessed.
I looked at the skirt I took to Utah, and went nope, all done until next year. It's a very definite bright summer gauze, and along with the white flats, can't really fudge into fall. The coral pink print, with a crisp blouse, I might wear if the temperature on Sunday is warm and the sun is out, but not past another week or so. Then it's darker colors. I wore a dark print cotton, the only lightweight dark print I have, to teach today. With black loafers.
One of the local stores has contracts with several area farms and orchards, and every August they get the best melons; and for one week, sometimes two, they sell them cheaper than anyone else. I usually get my favorite, a crenshaw, and cut it up to take to the annual Relief Society barbeque, but I was away this year. When I got back, I went to Top Foods to see if they had any crenshaws left, and there was one. Exactly one. It was ripe, all six pounds of it (they aren't always that big, but sometimes they're bigger, once I bought a nine-pounder and it was fabulous!) and I bought it before anyone else could realize it was going begging. So I had my crenshaw, I had blueberries a few times as the summer went along, and I had peaches to die for from Brigham City. I went back to that store yesterday, and of course all the variety melons of any type are gone.
We had a summer when we were so broke, I couldn't buy any fruit. I didn't get any blueberries at all. Couldn't get the local strawberries that are only available for three weeks, and so intensely flavored. I longed for blueberries, and nectarines, and melons. My dad would buy all kinds of variety melons--I remember one year he set out to try every kind he could find, and take us through the list so we would know what we liked. Casabas are good, but my favorite is the crenshaw. Santa Claus, Juan Canary, at least the ones I've had here didn't excite me. I'm not sure I've seen a Santa Claus melon, actually, now that I think of it, for a long time.
The seasons turn and all these good things will be back, and exciting because you can't have them any old time, they haven't been bred to last and travel and not taste like anything anymore. Now it's pears--Top Foods has a variety (Tosca) I've never heard of advertised this week, I'm going to go try some--and apples, though apples are available all the time. Our tree bears an early variety, and they are done. All, totally, gone. I have to bring an apple dessert, specifically, for a ward dinner on Friday, and I had to go buy apples yesterday; there was just no way to keep the last couple of our own apples waiting long enough.
I don't have kids in school anymore, since the University of Washington is on the quarter system Carole won't start until the 24th, so school doesn't get me so much. (She's not at home anyway.) But the teaching calendar begins again, and the Institute of Religion class I teach for the stake Relief Society started today. My summer 'vacation' included a wonderful chance to see my family in Utah, and welcome a new granddaughter, and the undesired impediments of a new injury and therapy--but the blessing of protection and continuing recovery. It could have been much more serious, and I'm grateful that it wasn't. Opposition in all things, that's our earth-life plan. Can't back out of it now!
So, every thing in its own time and season, and all of it a wonder. In all things I am in the care of my Father in Heaven. I am very blessed.
Do you have room to plant a pear tree? (Let me know if you need a partridge to go with it, but it's a tad early for that--maybe I can find some old David Cassidy album online...)
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