Tea parties, dinner with the ladies, reading books, going for long walks. These are some of the summer activities that have been keeping me busy lately. Busy in the good sense of busy. A lazy busyness really. Although having people over means taking lots of time and energy to prepare the house and garden, and cooking lots of food to be ready when the guests arrive, I have enjoyed hosting and having time to connect with old and new friends.

Painting. Well...I'm not sure if this classifies as something lazy and enjoyable but there is a certain and specific sense of accomplishment when the job gets done. I'm only part way through the initial stages of getting the basement room ready for my teenage daughter. [She's mature enough now to need her own quiet space for studying.] Today I gathered supplies, puttied the holes and scuffs, and painted all the trim, the window ledge and the doors. The fresh white paint makes the room feel clean and new. I'm hoping to get most of the painting done by Friday so we can move in her furniture, clothes and knick-knacks before she comes home on Saturday night.  I'm looking forward to seeing the finished result when I make her bed with a new set of sheets and a colorful quilt, and hang some pictures on the wall. So fun!

My kids haven't quite figured out the joy of freedom in the summer time. They're old enough now to be able to ride down to the corner store on their bikes, or make their own plans with friends. Still...often I find them lounging in front of the TV, or hunched over the computer. A sin, on a beautiful sunny day! 

As we ate a quick, yet tasty, dinner on the deck, I was encouraging them to think outside their usual realm and choose simple activities to make their summer more exciting. Sometimes they wait until the big offers come along instead of learning to enjoy a stroll to the gas station for a slushie, or an afternoon trip to the library. Summer pursuits should be about the simple pleasures that are wrapped up in the freedom being schedule-free.