Felice Shapiro
As the cool nights drift through our windows, we are not saddened. We are actually pleased we are still in summer mode this late into the season.
We’ve figured out how to find humor in this crazy world… we control so little, we have learned to find the gems in our days. We seek out the moments that bring us smiles. We readily say yes as our door stays open embracing spontaneity and all its unexpected gifts. Friends are moving on with next season’s plans but we are staying put…not ready to say goodbye to summer hanging onto the sweet friends who linger a little longer.
Summer and carefree are synonymous when drama stays at bay. Invitations are texted and sent hours before for a spontaneous beach dinner, or a quick cocktail. We are not offended, we are appreciative and try to show up as much as possible. Too much Chardonnay and cheese has stretched the elastic of our bathing suits but who cares — we’ve given up our coverups.
We wear chipped nail polish to dinners, we have succumbed to the battle of the frizzy hair, our white pants have last week’s BBQ stains on the thighs… but we wear them anyway.
The priority is showing up, no matter how imperfectly groomed. Summer in late bloom is about keeping the door open as long as possible and embracing whatever comes in.
We invite people over knowing we haven’t prepared a thing…we can make a meal out of cheese and crackers as long as there is Rose. No one appears to be judging.
This past Sunday morning was a perfect example of summer’s effect. If we had “really” known our riding group of 16 would actually come over for breakfast, more than 48 hours ahead… I for one may have stayed home to greet the cyclists with toasty bagels and an apron and let Bill ride with the pack.
But this was not the case (and I have no idea where the apron is anyway).
I wanted to ride too and not be stuck in the kitchen on a Sunday morning and my husband agreed. No reason to stress, we’d figure it out. We weren’t concerned about being totally prepared as our riders’ expectations for quick service would surely be low after a summer of jammed coffee shops on Martha’s Vineyard. A 15-minute wait for coffee and a scone was what they’d come to expect.
The best we could do as it was after 10 pm was to pick up some groceries. So, on our way home from a wedding, just after we received the green light from the gang… we headed out to The Stop & Shop to buy coffee cakes, bagels and fruit.
In full summer mode, I was feeling no urgency to push through the late night queue at the store. As we waited I eyed a “breaking news” headline from the Globe….”Dying Queen Quits.” (Referring to Queen Elizabeth).
“OMG, can a Queen quit?” I asked the cashier.
“This means, Camilla will be Queen!” I was sad, thinking about Diana as my husband handed the clerk his credit card.
“You’re not buying that trashy tabloid are you?” Bill looked at me in disappointment.
“Absolutely, this is fantastic…you’ve got to see the headline on the inside spread…it’s priceless.”
He would have none of it, he was already signing for the groceries.
“I have no cash, honey, please….. I love this headline; it will go perfectly with the fruit salad and bagels. It’s just too good to pass up and there’s only one paper left.”
Bill, ever loving, ever compliant and always seemingly amused by my antics, reached into his pocket to pay the $4.99 for my precious little rag of a newspaper.
As he drove home, I read him the brilliant inside headline…
“EVIL CHARLES WINS GAME Of THRONES.” All caps – all screaming caps!
“OMG, Bill, isn’t that genius. Tomorrow night is the Finale of Game of Thrones, and the timing of this couldn’t be better.”
Breakfast could wait til tomorrow – we would deal with it then..after all it’s summer.
We both had a good laugh, unpacked the groceries and headed up to bed. Bill immediately went into a full snore as I tucked into some good tabloid trash about the royal family.
Who says summer is over!