These arrived a night ago on my lawn. The first winks of change. I confess, it brought up sorrow. Though I adore the colors of autumn leaves, and love autumn itself, I am not ready. In my world, I am only half way through summer. Yet, just like the first snow flakes, these buddies are messengers of things to come. Before it fully changes, let's dive into summer memories.
Grab a Pen
And a piece of paper, or open your laptop, where ever you write best. Close your eyes and go back to a favorite summer memory. Was it camping? Was water involved, like the beach or a lake? Was there a theme park or National Park? Who all was there? Was it in the backyard? What did you do?
Now start writing. Let it roll off in any order. Don't force it into any specificity. Just take what comes in full joy. If you can remember how it felt, tasted, or smelled write it down. Be jubilant. Name the colors, the sun, the shadows, whatever fits the bill.
My Own Quick Ones
#1 Holidays in the Hood.
My neighbor Julie and I were just discussing how fortunate our neighborhood was. We were dead ended on two sides. The only people up and down the street were the members of our six houses. Out of that perfection came years of neighbor play times. Including spontaneous Fourth of July bike and scooter parades, created, and carried out by the kids in the hood. What were your best street memories.
#2 - In Your Own Backyard
Though our summers were often filled with glamping trips (before it was trendy), visits to extended families, and required beach trips, we also hung out home, playing until the sun went down, which is 10 pm, here in the north country. The hottest ticket item for our kids, friends, and neighbor kids was the trampoline. We did have a sandbox and a swing set. Both were taken over by wasps. The supreme addition of a flowing sprinkler under the trampoline, made it the go to place for playing, popsicles, and hang time.
Sadly, the twenty-five-year-old, top backyard accessory said it final adieu this summer. We mourned it properly.
If you're looking for a prompt, what were your summer backyard memories?
Bask in your summer memory joy.
See you soon,
Carrie
Hi, Carrie,
Let me share with you my Autumn leaf story.... Years ago when I first became a colored pencil artist, some of my most favorite subjects were leaves: dried, brightly colored, insect chomped, each one unique and wonderful in its own right. Such fun to draw, to master its idiosyncrasy, to get to know it, and come to love it. Each leaf became a wonderful lesson, not only about itself but myself as well.
Prior to my studies of leaves, I bemoaned each and every new wrinkle that sprouted on my now no longer youthful face. Epiphany came: if I loved the most wrinkled and saw beauty in that leaf, why not extend the same courtesy to myself. A…