How can one wait for the end of the month to write a new post when the days are so full of 'summer'! After waiting for sunshine and rain and warm days...summer is finally here! So, I decided - I might as well share the excitement of small town living during the beautiful month of June.
Surely by now you know that I love living in this beautiful rural community where we are also blessed with a very nice lake just a stones throw down the road. Those of you who live in larger cities will smile when I share my 'days of June' with you. Those of you who live in small towns will know just what I mean. (But I do remember the days, long ago, when I couldn't wait to 'leave' small town living)
So what's been happening...
Well, one beautiful warm afternoon we were taking care of our grandson and after having had some good play time, I mentioned to my husband, "How about going out for ice cream?" No hesitation from him ! I had already checked with our grandson and he was all for it.
There is a Dairy Queen in our nearby 'big' town but we know that the best place for ice cream in a cone is the gas station in a much smaller community!! Not only is the ice cream super good but the price is amazing...the smallest cone is more that we can eat comfortably at the astounding price of $1.50. So...we had our ice cream cone and enjoyed eating it on the bench in front of the gas station, watching the big trucks and Amish buggies with our grandson. Now, really - how much better can it get than that! (I think I have already mentioned he absolutely loves watching trucks!)
And then one day we drove out into another part of the county to visit friends who have a spectacular assortment of interesting animals...that day the baby goats being the most fun. They bounced like little kangaroos! Once again, our grandson loved the visit. He had told us about the 'funny chickens' that he just loved. Now we had a chance to see them for ourselves. I kind of wondered on the way home if maybe we couldn't have some farm animals in our back yard but I guess the neighborhood isn't designed for that. :) After enjoying the animals we stopped at the best small town diner ever! Homemade food just like your mom used to make!
That was just the beginning of the month! Last week end was the Turkey Festival. Those of us new to the area wonder why it is called that as there are really no hints of anything 'turkey' at the festival. Those who have lived here for a much longer time can recall the very large'turkey farms' that are no longer in business. So the Turkey Festival must be a name that remains to honor the past.
And again it was a warm June day when my husband and grandson joined me - with our favorite little guy being pulled in his wagon - and we strolled through the festival area. Wow! We had barely hit the grounds when what should we see but John Deere tractors of all sizes and shapes and abilities - and then as a real topper...there were fire trucks to look at right up close! And if that wasn't enough we stopped at a yard sale bordering the festival grounds and bought a child's chair for a dollar. We wrapped up the grand tour with soft ice cream while we enjoyed watching the biggest garbage truck ever going down the street. It was a 'drop your jaw' sized truck - or so our grandson thought! He watched it until it was out of sight. Four Amish buggies pulled by beautiful horses drove right by our little wagon and we all exchanged waves to each other.
Sunday we drove five minutes down the road to the marina and finally put our boat in the water. It was a cool evening with huge clouds in the sky. Usually we stay out until the first star comes out but this maiden voyage was also in the company of our grandson and his momma and bed time comes before star time. As we left we were entertained by a huge gathering of geese who were visiting the marina with their toddlers and teenagers. One large group flew our right over our heads which was quite a sight! It was a good night even if we didn't wait for the stars!
We love the change of seasons. Winter is good as we settle in, waiting for a first snow or maybe a white Christmas. Spring is good as we watch the bare trees once again turn green and the birds deciding that they can fend for themselves rather than depend on our feeders. And then...summer. Is there anything better than garden vegetables? Is there anything more fun than choosing the best of everything at the Farmers Market? Is there anything better than finally being able to swim in the lake without freezing? Is there anything better than ice cream on a warm June day?
Maybe it's because I am a bit older. Maybe it's because I am a bit wiser. Whatever the reason, it is so easy to please me right now. It is so easy to feel peaceful at the end of the day. It's so easy to feel so very blessed. It's so easy to think there is just nothing more I need than the sweet smell of a June day!
I know not all is well in the world. I will continue to work to do my part in trying to make the day better for maybe even just one person. I know there are things that need to be changed so that life can be safer and more secure for so many people. I will continue to do my part to share what I have with others, hopefully helping in just a small way.
But...even with that said, there is nothing wrong with rejoicing in the amazing blessings that come to us each day. Watching the fireflies in June. Eating the first strawberries that really came from someones garden...in June. Looking forward to blueberries following the strawberries. Feeling the hot sunshine in the daytime followed by those delightful June evenings. We are so frequently made aware of all the problems in the world that we sometimes forget to notice the 'blessings of June'...the little things that make life what it is.
So...that's my June thoughts. I wonder what is happening in the month of June where you are. Take a break on a nice afternoon and enjoy an ice cream cone...or maybe think about how good those garden tomatoes are going to be in just a few short weeks.
Blessings to you wherever you are on this June day.
Corrine
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