Hot.

July in Tennessee. Yep, it's definitely hot. I know it's hot pretty much everywhere right now and even our friends Up Nawth are feeling the pain too.

But I still love summer, and I'll tell you why.

It's not dark when I get up in the morning. (By the way, I am gainfully employed again, so I'm back to getting up at 5:30.) It's not dark when I drive home in the evening. I get to wear sandals and paint my toenails outrageous colors. Truthfully, I paint them outrageous colors all year, but they only show in the summer. Ice cream. I love ice cream all year but it seems especially sweet and cold in the summertime. Blueberries. Raspberries. Figs. Corn on the cob. Home grown tomaters. Shandy. Sundresses. Cooking out on the patio. Going over to the Wave Pool for a swim early in the day before it gets too crowded.

Air conditioning in the car. This is especially important since I don't have any in the house except the window unit in the bedroom. (It's an old house. Proves people really did live without AC, and not all that long ago, either.)  Wearing my hair up, although that gets tedious after awhile, because really, how many ways can you do an updo without professional assistance?

PALETAS. Mexican popsicles made from real fruit puree and sugar with none of that corn syrup nonsense. They are delicious. Which reminds me, I haven't had one yet this summer.

But here's probably the best thing of all. Last night we had a few friends over for a small shindig out in the yard, and four little girls ran around catching fireflies in a jar while we grownups quaffed cold beverages and played some oldey-timey music, all without pocket-sized electronical gadgets. I'm grateful that some things never change.

Till next time, stay cool.