Hello readers! It certainly feels like summer around here. Whenever anyone would ask me as a kid what my favorite season was, my answer, without hesitation, was summer. It wasn’t because it meant a break from school (I actually liked school, surprise surprise). It was because everything was ripe for adventure. Even as a kid, I knew when temperatures rise–weather, tempers, passions–that’s when things happen.
For my sister and me, those adventures usually consisted of running through a sprinkler, chasing an ice cream truck, or paddling down the Amazon River (a.k.a. pushing each other in a wagon around in circles in our basement–the person in front steered). It looked something like this:
Boating down the Amazon River. (Posted by RayEindhoven)
But as adults, it seems like we get less opportunities to be so carefree and celebrate the heat. We can’t exactly kick off our high heels and bolt out of our offices in pursuit of frozen desserts. Running through sprinklers on the way to work might result in a soggy, unprofessional day, with things we don’t have to worry about as kids.
In “Seinfeld,” Elaine inadvertently gets sprayed by a sidewalk hose and gets the wrong kind of attention.
Another thing we have to worry about as adults is our hair–or we’re supposed to, anyway. For ladies with thick, frizzy hair, like me, it’s almost pointless to style your hair in the summer. Just twenty minutes outside in humid air inspires great creativity by your locks, and they usually each have their own idea of how to behave.
Selfies in the summer = sunny frizz
But if hair can have creativity, so can we. It almost seems like the older we get, the less “license” we have to carefree summer days. What would be an exciting announcement as a child: “It’s hot outside!!!” has turned into complaints of “It’s hot outside.” I caught myself being guilty of this, especially on the day of the unfortunate selfie above, and I had to remind myself to enjoy the heat while it lasts. There’s no other season when everything is so alive; wildlife sounds are around-the-clock, from morning larks to moonlight crickets. All the flowers are in bloom, bursting forth with every color imaginable, better than a painting. Last summer, we had a terrible drought, but this year, it seems like all the plants are making up for lost time, partying twice as hard. Lots of our trees and flowers are already on their second bloom, which is unusual but certainly a lovely surprise.
One of the most recent fun thing I got to do outside was to have lunch with my dad when he visited me at work. I think this is one of the best parts of his being retired. 🙂
Other really fun outdoors-eating opportunities were the barbecue my mom did for Independence Day and a picnic at the Morton Arboretum when we saw the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Tchaikovsky concert. We used to eat outside all the time as kids, and but I usually forget how much fun it is till there’s an occasion for it. It’s wonderful to experience nature all around you like that–definitely more interesting than TV!
Another annual hallmark of summer for me is the Anderson’s Bookshop Sidewalk Sale. It’s one of my very favorite times of the year! I think they do a fantastic job of selecting excellent books for their shelves. I really appreciate how they give their customers a chance to purchase some copies that might have gotten slightly bent on the shelves, rather than throwing them away. Since it fell on a day where I had to work, I made sure to bring extra-comfy shoes with me in the car because I knew I’d be perusing for hours! Here is my Tweet of the event, in case you didn’t see it earlier on my sidebar. You can follow me on Twitter by clicking the widget on the right. If you don’t have a Twitter account, you can still get my Tweets texted to you by texting this message (inside the quotation marks) to 40404: “Follow @Amanda_K_Fowler”. I post to my Twitter and Facebook Page more often than my blog, for the simple fact that those mediums are more conducive to quick pictures and updates than the lengthy posts typical of a blog. You can also follow my Facebook Page on the right sidebar widget or by clicking here.
Tweet: My wallet is lighter, but I’m many #books richer & a whole lot happier after my FAVORITE event all year! @AndersonsBkshp sidewalk sale
I realized that summer is still my favorite month, and I’ve resolved to be more open to being inspired by it. I actually wrote two haiku earlier this week about summer, and I’d like to share them. Which do you like better–or do you think they belong together?
Damp air clings to all;
Full blossoms turn to the sun.
Feel: the breath of life.
All is gold and haze:
Light stretches on forever.
Earth is loud with life.
Haiku aren’t really supposed to use much punctuation, but it’s really hard for me to leave it out. 😉 Haiku is a poetry form that originated in Japan, and it is famous for short, poignant illustration of a moment, especially in nature. The Americanized breakdown of the lines is the standard 5-7-5 syllables rule for the lines, but the origin is more complex. This website does a good job of instruction and explanation.
While we’re talking about summer fun, I’d like to make a mention on safety for our pets. It’s pretty easy for us as humans to find ways to find ways to keep cool and have fun in the sun. For our furry friends, it’s less easy, and I think it’s important for us to remember to help them when possible. My parents just came up with this contraption for Oreo, when he’s out on his play area.
Oreo drinking water from his new water bottle stand.
He seems to love it! He does drink a lot more when it’s hot outside. He’s so polite that he won’t “wheek” or make any sound when he’s thirsty; he simply stands on the edge of his play area and looks at the water bottle until it’s convenient enough for you to notice him. As I’m sure you can imagine, this is adorable, but we wanted to make sure he could access water whenever he needs, even if we’re busy enough that we don’t notice him for a little bit. This contraption is inexpensive and really safe: two milk crates fastened by wire ties, with the water bottle’s spring wire-tied around the grate. This is the water bottle we use. We love it, because it’s glass, so we don’t have to worry about toxins from plastic, and it’s really easy to clean with hot water and dish soap. It’s really important for guinea pigs to be in temperatures in the range of 68-77° F; it’s very easy for them to get heat stroke, because they don’t sweat or pant. Other ways to keep them cool are to put a plate or tile in the fridge or freezer overnight and then put it in the guinea’s living/play area. The guinea then can lie down on top of it to cool off. Another idea is to wrap a frozen water bottle in a towel and put it in the living/play area for piggies to snuggle up against. I know these ideas also work for rabbits and chinchillas. Luckily, our guineas have never had trouble from the heat, but since it’s such a serious problem that can happen very quickly, I like to share tips with people when I can.
I’d also like to share a bit of news from the Book World. Remember my post about #bookgate? Far from calming down, the controversy is still heated–to the point that Library Director Deb Lissak will be leaving the library, a mutual decision between her and the Board of Directors. The library has promised to be more candid about its weeding process. While open meetings have been held, patrons’ feelings are mixed about the future of the library. Updated stats show that nearly 10,000 nonfiction books were removed before the weeding was stopped, approximating 32% of the affected sections before the weeding was stopped. Luckily, at least 259 boxes are going to be returned by Better World Books, but the fate of books sent to other places is still unknown. The News-Gazette posted a good update on July 12, if you’d like to read about it.
Echoing Urbana, the Highland Park, MI Renaissance High School has a bookgate of its own going on. Residents of the area found much of the 10,000-piece collection of books, films, and other materials from the African American History section of the school library in school dumpsters. Some of the materials were rare and irreplaceable, and luckily, residents, including historian Paul Lee, were able to rescue about 1000 of the books. Donald Weatherspoon, the city’s Emergency Manager, has said the purge was a mistake, but that the school could not afford to house such a large collection. Andre Davis, vice president and secretary of that school board, has since stepped down from the post in protest, announcing his disagreement with Weatherspoon’s management. The salvaged materials are going to be donated to museums and libraries. Please read Detroit Free Press’s article for more information.
Another big announcement came earlier this week when Random House and Penguin Publishers merged. The “Big 6” is now the “Big 5.” Feelings are mixed on this one, too. As a reader, I’m not sure if we’ll be impacted very much. The two different publishing companies seemed to publish very different content, and as long as they can still maintain that array, I think readers will be happy. There are lots of predictions all over the web about whether or not this is a doomsday for modern literature, but honestly, I think it’s much too early to know. Plus, you know me; I like to think “jelly-side-up.” 😉 I think there’s a good chance things will be much the same as usual. To read about the merger, I recommend Publishers Weekly’s article.
Another bookish announcement is more personal. I have been selected by Novel Publicity & Co. to participate in some blog tours for different books. This means I will be posting my honest reviews of those books right here, on my blog. They’ll be on the home page, but you’ll also be able to access them under the “Reviews: Books” pull-down on my top menu. I’ll still be posting about my own life and writing, too; you just might start seeing some more posts. The two books I have on my plate at the moment are from the fantasy genre, with a possible third that is also fantasy.
I hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend, as well as the rest of your summer! Remember to go enjoy the heat, whether that involves a Good Humor bar, smelling flowers, or avoiding hoses. 😉
Please enjoy this series of excerpts from the deep, dark dystopia, There Comes a Prophet, by David Litwack. Then read on to learn how you can win huge prizes as part of this blog tour, including a Kindle Fire, $650 in Amazon gift cards, and 5 autographed copies of each book.
Jelly-Side Up 