Summer fades

In point of fact, summer ended a few weeks ago. My birthday is perched upon the autumnal equinox, and so I have an annual opportunity to bid farewell to the summer season. I do not wish to. I have dipped into a glum phase, and that is not part of my preferred persona. I am fighting it, but who doesn't unfold to possibilities in the summer months? Who does not feel the constriction of joy as days shorten and the nights chill?

The completion of the White Sox season has put the lid on the pot- the pot that formerly held fresh sweet corn. Now we move on to the hearty fare of winter: the football buffets of mini franks in barbeque sauce, chili, pot roast. My garden, with its pink geraniums, has faded, and mocks me with its inherent clash with any mum. I have a bumper crop of gardening failures: I added bleach to my little fountain in such copious quantities that I killed my "Janet and Pat" garden. I only had two moonflowers. (Big failure) My border garden of ageratum and dusty miller looks ridiculous and spikey. I cannot bring myself to show you! My morning glories took the entire summer to develop; they are a purple-blue delight. On the exciting side, some hydrangea I transplanted last year flowered for the first time in a decade. Ironically, this choked and eclipsed my coneflowers, which had cheerily bloomed for me without any effort for years. My back yard is undisciplined and out of control, kind of like Summer Janet. Next year I will do better. Maybe I will even sit in my "Janet's folly" gazebo, once again relegated to use as a storage shack for patio cushions. Probably not.

I am not ungrateful for the 3 months of release. I am mad that I did not make more of this gift. I should have frolicked in the pool, plopped in a chair with a book, invited friends over to do nothing but eat and drink. I should never have postponed a chance to sneak over to Lake Michigan and watch the dogs roll in the sand. I should have let Mabel swim in the pool more. I should have walked the dogs until we were all thin. I should have eaten more peanut hot fudge sundaes to regain the weight I lost walking dogs. Summer evaporates when I'm not looking!

There was bliss for me during the summer. We visited California before Pat and Rachel relocated home. We saw fireworks and baseball games at the Cell. We celebrated Dad's birthday in Detroit, and crossed the Atlantic for my first European adventure, Steve Dahl style. I had my California newlyweds back in the Midwest, biding time in the basement until they found a home. We had epic pizza at Stop 50 in Indiana, and steak on the grill at home. We drove the back roads to New Buffalo. I read 8 of the 100 books awaiting my attention. If intentions equaled action, I would have a bigger list. The blessing is that there are so many joys to carryover to next summer, God willing.

This week, I found myself counting the months until the Sox open the 2009 season, because although spring has barely sprung at that moment, baseball launches my summer persona. That is when I make my summer "to do" list. 6 months. I can make it.

In the meantime, I formalize my basic intentions for next year here, so I can refer back to them.
I intend to:
Stay in the Midwest- Chicago gets only 5 months to be outside. Travel September 15-April 15 only.
Lose weight so summer clothes do not mock me
Tame the gardens
Screen the dog run with fencing
Go to Millennium Park for a concert
Swim in Lake Michigan
Eat a peck of fresh fruit
Learn to entertain with less fuss, more grace
Ditch Chicago for New Buffalo more often

Now, on to Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. My witch collection is on display already. I will postpone the candy purchase until I can count on not devouring it pre-holiday. I will post pictures of my wretched excess of decorations in a few days. With Steve home by noon, it is harder to embellish surreptitiously. He is not really on board the Halloween Express, though I believe he would perk up if I would dress up as a slutty nurse or some such thing. Not a chance. I bought a skeleton apron, which certainly is a costume as I never cook.

I DO love my holidays.
I hate winter.

Once the festive season has passed, I will try to wriggle my way out of town.
Dad is in Florida.
Sun is in Florida.
I will be there, ramping up for opening day.
6 months.
It is just around the corner!