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Tuesday, August 11, 2015

I WANNA DO OVER!!!



 I WANNA DO OVER!
Well here it is…the day before the first day of school.  If I weren't such a good Southern Christian woman I'd throw myself on the ground, pound my fists on the floor, kick my legs and scream uncontrollably....I WANNA DO OVER!  But us Southern Christian gals just don't do that kind of thing - well not in public anyway! 



I drove by a lake the other day on a whirlwind trip to pick up last minute groceries and I saw THEM there…there they were... "The LAKE PEOPLE"!  They were all tanned up with big white smiles and there were sounds of laughter, crashing waves and all the other sounds that relaxed, happy, vacationing people make!  "The Lake people" were having a glorious time.  They were frolicking in the water, soaking up the rays, skiing, boating, drinking tea on a pontoon… it all looked lovely.  I suddenly felt like Chevy Chase in the Christmas Vacation movie where he is waiting on the Christmas bonus, looking out the window and day dreaming of the pool  he will buy with it (however there was not a naked girl in my day dream as there was in Chevy's or a naked man for that matter! Southern Christian women don't day dream like that either).



Truth of the matter is; I don’t even like swimming in a lake, or skiing or boating and yet I found myself lusting. Lusting after that lifestyle – laid back, adventurous, frivolous, having days where there is nothing on the agenda and not a care in the world!  I often wonder what "The Lake People" do in their free time?  I can’t even imagine but I’m sure it’s just something glorious and filled with fun, fun and more fun!  I imagine they swim, boat and ski by day and enjoy tiki torch lit barbecue dinners on their patio in the evening and then go out for a quick pontoon ride as the sun goes down! And they have perfectly shaped bodies and just hang out in their bikini swim suits all day eating fresh pineapple and taking naps on the Lanai.  I don’t really know what a Lanai is, but it sounds lovely and I’d very much like to nap there too!    And the Lake People have big fat pay checks that just show up mysteriously in their mailboxes and they deposit them from their phone as they lay on a raft drifting in the water!  Oh…the Lake People! 



As I look back on my summer calendar I see that out of the past 8 weekends I had only one with no agenda and that was this past weekend, which I did enjoy immensely with my family.   The highlight of the summer was an afternoon where I took Hannah to a local zoo for the afternoon!  We went to a friend’s pool to swim one time – one stinkin time I swam this summer!! I WANNA DO OVER!



I love Facebook as I lived vicariously through others looking at the pictures of their vacations and wondering if they are actually "The Lake People" and this is what they do in their spare time – take vacations elsewhere! 



As I experienced yet had another crazy hectic day on this final day of Summer Vacay I found myself kind of feeling sorry for myself, and a little jealous, bitter, upset, envious, snarky – (insert your own adjective here). Better yet, just look up “Poor Pitiful Me” in the dictionary for a full description! 



So, it made me reflect on my summer.  The Lazy Days of summer they were not; as every day was filled with something.  And that IS a good thing right?  My days may not have been lazy wonderful fun filled days lounging on the beach or that Lanai thingy but they were, in fact, filled!  And they were filled with many good things. The older I get the more I realize what a blessing it is to have days that are filled with activity – as one day I may wish that I had more activity or long for these activity filled days!  Believe me, several trips to visit the nursing home will constitute an attitude check real quick!  So, just in case you need a list of the good things of my summer (I know I need to see a list) here goes:

...and we had ice cream except I look like I just had a long spoon!

1. I saw my sister for a one day getaway



 

 2. Good friends came to visit for a few days.
            

  
       3. I started a business with my husband  and...

       4. I scoured the countryside with him finding treasures to sell in our shop


5. I got to know many new friends as we watched our daughters play ball together and.... 6. I had the privilege of watching my healthy, able bodied daughter play ball



7. I attended weddings
8. I celebrated the home going of an uncle.
9.  I held a sweet newborn babe!
10.  I got to sleep later than 5 a.m. every single  
       day

11. And stay up late…



I saw gorgeous flowers, colorful birds, smelled freshly mowed hay, witnessed a Blue Moon, saw fireflies, made s’mores and went to bed smelling like a campfire a couple of times. Although, I'd still like to experience a few care free days...it wasn't such a bad summer after all! 



How was your summer?  
 I hope it was filled….with good…with normal…with blessings!