Why I love Summer!

I was born and raised in New England, where we are "lucky" enough to experience four seasons. I love Fall because I love the way the trees turn colors, you get a beautiful view just driving to work every day for a few weeks! I love burning leaves and wood, I love the kids starting a whole new year of school, I love the crispness in the air. I love Thanksgiving, pumpkin pie, Halloween - there is really nothing like Fall in New England.

But I hate winter - there, I said it. I'm a bad New Englander. But I'll never leave, ask my husband. He tries to convince me to move away every now and then. He romances me with talk of warmer climates year-round, no need for snow tires or winter coats. But I am a huge baby and I could never leave my family - I gots roots, damn it! And they are staying put. But I hate winter - did I say that already? Oh sure, you got Christmas and New Year's Eve - the only FUN parts about this wretched season! And OK, the first snowfall is gorgeous, blanketing everything in a shimmering layer of glittery white powder. But it's a tease, I tell you. Within 2 days, that lovely white powder turns into blackish/brownish ICKINESS - and it covers the streets, the sidewalks, the freaking TREES!!! Then there's driving in it - you got 2 types of New England winter drivers: the ones who think they are invincible and just because they have lived in New England their whole lives, snow and ice don't affect them. They act as if there is no snow or ice on the ground. Scary. The others are the ones who act as if they have NEVER driven on snow or ice in their lives! Also scary and very irritating - especially when the roads are dry and the first flakes are falling and you're driving to work at 7:30 a.m. and the moron in front of you is going 15 mph and keeps slamming on their brakes!

PHEW - I got myself all worked up there for a minute, having winter flashbacks! OK - so as you can see, I am NOT a fan of winter. I mean, LOOK at it, look at those ugly bare branches sticking accusatorily towards the sky!?! YUCK!

Spring - ah, Spring. The green buds start poking through on the trees and get us all excited. See the green buds on the trees behind my crazy daughter? Then we have torrential down-pours that wash away all that blackish/brownish ICKINESS that winter left behind, so THAT'S ok! Then the buds come out some more, and the days start getting longer again and we don't want to go to bed at 7:00 anymore (because it got dark out at 3:30 for Christ's sake and our biological clocks were all messed up!). Then my sinuses start to swell and my face throbs and YES - Spring is here, baby! I get through it, and you know why? Because it means that SUMMER is right around the corner!


SUMMER - MY FAVORITE!!!! I absolutely, whole-heartedly adore Summer. First, you gots your SUN and warm weather, like, 90% of the time. Everything is fully green and filled in, you can smell fresh-cut grass on any given day, and everyone is in a better mood. It's true, you know! Sunshine helps produce serotonin in our bodies - serotonin is a "feel-good" chemical - so when you have reduced amounts of serotonin being produced, you can feel depressed or just plain old down. There is actually a disorder called SAD - Seasonal Affective Disorder - that some people get mainly during the winter months, when their bodies are creating less serotonin! They feel depressed, lethargic, they gain weight, and have no energy. So once Summer comes and that serotonin starts pumping back up again - you can't HELP but feel good!!! Here are some more reasons why Summer is my favorite season:

the Beach

Sunglasses



Pool fun!

I love cookouts and parties that take place mainly outside (as long as there is an INDOOR bathroom that I can use - I have a "thing" about port-o-potties, OK?), I love putting away all of the winter clothes, and never having to wear socks. I love thunderstorms, I love the way the sun shines all day and then the cool night air makes it so nice for sleeping with your windows open. Now - let me say this before I get knocked upside the head (probably by my friend Linda) - I am definitely NOT a fan of the heat waves and/or high humidity that we get at least once or twice each Summer. But to me, it's a small price to pay for having Summer! Well, I mean that figuratively - because it's really quite a large price to pay when you have to run air conditioners 24/7 just to be able to breathe... but I don't care, I love Summer and you can't make me change my mind!

Did I mention that my birthday also happens to be in the Summer? August 6, baby, mark the date! I love my birthday. Is that weird? So many people seem to hate their birthdays - I never understood that. But do most people get "birthday weeks"? hee hee My sister's birthday is August 9 - we are one year and 3 days apart (she's older - right, Shell? hee hee - OK well she's always ACTED older!). She's also my best friend. So you can imagine, right? We have "birthday week". We drive our families crazy for the entire week because we answer every request, every question, every statement, everything that comes out of their mouths - we answer it with "but it's my birthday week." ROFL Shell hates having her picture taken, so I don't have a lot of pics of her and I. This one is me and Shell and our friend Missy at the casino a few weeks ago. Michelle is basically average height, but Missy and I are midgets, so Shelly looks tall in this pic. LOL I love this picture, and it's the only good recent one I have of us, so here you go:

So that's why I love Summer. What's your favorite season?

P.S. Trevor (my almost-15-year-old son) just saw me blogging and saw this picture and said to make sure I mention that "no good can come of those 3 girls being together - who knows what they are up to?" ROFL I just had to share that - he's so funny. Sometimes he's like a little old man in a teenager's body!