WHAT I DID ON MY SUMMER VACATION

It's Friday and the end of the work week. It's also nearing the end of August and Summer is almost over. I consider Labor Day weekend to be the end of Summer and the beginning of Fall. That notion probably goes back to my younger days when school didn't start until after Labor Day.

I sound really old when I say this but it's true -- this Summer has flown by. It started with a trip to the Grand Canyon which was awesome. Then, there was a fun weekend in Stillwater with my girlfriends at a professional association meeting, then to Las Vegas with my daughters, then to Missouri with our grandson, throw in three funerals and a wedding, several parties with friends and family, and suddenly the Summer is gone.

When I was just a kid, I remember the days of Summer to be long, hot, and sometimes boring. I honestly don't know how my mother could stand it with three kids in the house, begging for money to buy an Icee at 7-11, fussing with each other over who will wash the dishes, always hungry, and making messes. Thank goodness, my life went another direction than my mother's did otherwise I think I would have lost my mind.

By this time of year, I am usually sick of the heat and ready for the cool temperatures of Fall. I suppose the mild weather we've had this Summer has somehow made the season seem shorter than usual. We've not suffered any days over 100 degrees which is quite unusual for an Oklahoma summer. I believe this to be one reason why it seems that Summer has sped past me.

Another reason I think this Summer has gone by so fast is that I have been very busy. I've hardly slowed down. I've made an effort to either walk or go to the gym every evening after work. I've been working on three scrapbooks, volunteered quite a lot at the museum, and spent time with my grandson, Hubby and Max the Wonder Dog (not necessarily in that order).

As I look back on the past four months, I consider what I should have done and never got around to it. I intended to ride my bike more however that's been my intention at the beginning of every summer for the past 10 years. I intended to get the carpet shampooed in the den -- that hasn't happened. I planned to sit on my porch swing every evening -- however life got in the way.

What will I remember to be the most significant thing about the Summer of 2007? For example, the Summer of 1995, my daughter had a terrible car accident. The Summer of 1996, I bought my first Miata and I broke my hand. The Summer of 2006, we spent the entire summer in the hospital with my sister. So, how will I remember the Summer of 2007? Maybe, I won't remember it as anything special. It will be just another season filled with good health, love for family and friends, and a life lived to the fullest.

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