It is interesting, as a child, school starting meant summer ending. School beginning meant the end of unstructured time. My brother and I were latch-key kids, so in summer, we didn't go to camp or anything, but we did have hours to wander, pick blackberries, read, play games, and even go to the pool(when we moved in 5th grade)... Even still, I always loved the return to school, because I liked the learning, reading, art classes and friends.
Over 20 years later(and many years where summer often meant working a lot before school started) I have returned to an awareness of summer, and summer's ending. Now that we spend so much of our summer outside, eating, sitting with friends, etc. I am being dragged to the 'end of summer' quite unwillingly. Add to that my pregnancy, and that my most comfortable time of day is spent in the pool(talk about a return to how your body normally feels, not heavy) and I am even more wistful.
Saturday we had a lebanese potluck at our group of tables, there was a band playing and lots of good conversation to be had. Later: a fire on one part of the grounds and the movie "spirited away" on the other side. The moon rose over the area where the fire was, and it was quite magical.
Mr. S and I try to enter fall saying we'll be outside as much, but usually manage only 1 night every 2 weeks to have people over and go outside and watch the bats fly and the moon rise. Alas.
My students seem unphased by my impending due date(thank you swine flu hoopla for that). I did buy my first delicata squash yesterday, and squash soup and other savory lovelies are sounding more and more wonderful as the week continues with cooler weather and rain. The baby continues to move so much that I don't worry about doing a nightly 'kick count.' I'll be 32 weeks on Sunday, and that is 8 months, which is a bit unfathomable.
What does summer's end mean for you?
Big girl bed - interim report update
10 years ago
