This has been the busiest summer I can remember, a whirligig of days and hours that’s had me racing to keep up. But now the whirligig is spinning to a close, and I see that despite all the commotion, it’s been a beautiful season.
Here are some writing things I’m thankful for:
The page proofs for Chantress are done! (I always lose my mind over page proofs, and it’s good to have it back.)
The cover is beautiful and I’ll get to reveal it soon!
But as I sit here tonight, watching the summer night draw in, it’s the non-writing things from this summer that have the closest hold on my heart:
A joyful family wedding with music that still sings in my head
Seeing my whole family for the first time in over 2 1/2 years
Sweetpea learning to swim
Quiet nights stargazing in the backyard, marveling at the Milky Way
The hedgehog who snuffles through our garden on occasional evening wanderings
Dear friends who came thousands of miles to see us
The roses that have bloomed all summer long
What stands out about your summer? I’d love to hear.
Alchemy Pie 
What a beautiful list! I’d like to see a hedgehog someday just snuffling along. 🙂
The best part of my summer was having my brother and family visit — first time in 7 years :). Nice to spend time with my niece, especially, who uncannily is like me in so many ways. She’s 13 and we even have the same size feet.
Getting to renew bonds with family means a lot, doesn’t it? And it’s lovely that you share so much with your niece. I hope she has your taste in cupcakes, too!
Oh, of course roses and stars, but that hedgehog — how cool. Glad you had all these great moments while tending to Chantress, and hope fall gives you more star time.
I’m pretty sure I snatched the last rugosa rose a few days ago to keep at my elbow, but perhaps I’ll be surprised. It’s goldenrod and asters here now; beautiful, the the end of summer, though I love fall, feels bittersweet. I put on sandals that had sand in them the other day to keep its spirit with me.
I agree – stars and roses ought to be an “of course”! But we only planted the roses this summer, and this is the first summer here where we’ve gone ahead and put out the picnic blanket at night and just laid full out star-gazing. (I heard snuffling when we were out there, and suspect it was the hedgehog again.)
And oh, goldenrod and asters! We aren’t that far along here, but the Japanese anemones are up, and the echinacea, too, and the days are growing cooler. I’m still in sandals, but not for much longer.
A snuffling hedgehog?! You scored on that one!!!
Seriously, what a lovely list of happiness for you and your family, Amy. I’d have to say one stand-out in my summer was seeing three coyotes as I ran the trails one early morning. I’ve seen one here or there over the years but three at once (and quite close) was like the jack pot of happiness.
I’d say three coyotes are definitely a jackpot! What a morning that must have been. (Though it’s probably just as well the coyotes weren’t anywhere near our hedgehog…)
Good things:
– Seeing a gibbous moon floating on pink clouds at sunset (as seen in the icon) at the end of July.
– A surprise quick visit from a favourite California cousin in June.
Mixed thing:
– M losing, then refinding, his wedding ring, after we had already ordered a new one.
Oh, those are beautiful things!
But ouch on the ring. I guess you at least have replacement ready if you ever need one!
I love your heart-held list, Amy, the large moments and the small. Friends, family, roses, music, and a wandering hedgehog! How wonderful.
Somewhere in my memory from way far back, there is a picture of a poem about a child who goes out into the night to feed the hedgehog a bowl of milk, but can’t tell which end is which. So he brings out two bowls of milk, and by morning they’re both gone!
And congratulations on finishing the proofs! I can’t wait to see the cover…and read it, of course. 🙂
Thanks so much for sharing some of your own summer highlights in words and photos, Lorraine! And what a great poem. I think Sweetpea would have very much liked to have given milk to our hedgehog. He seemed more interested in snuffling out the nooks and crannies of the garden, though.
lovely!
Yes, hedgehogs are so literary! But sweetpea learning to swim–I remember a summer like that one. Very special. And I’m so glad you had wonderful family times.
Re: lovely!
Her pride and her happiness and her courage were a wonder to see, Kit And the first time she swam across all by herself — oh, my! Such good mornings. I’m glad you have good swimming memories, too.