summer

summer isn't my favorite season... usually due to the mosquitoes and unprovoked perspiration (sweating brought on by ohio humidity).   

but something has happened this summer... i'm liking it a lot more than usual.  i've been trying to figure out why this usually "tolerated season" has been growing on me so.

maybe...

• ... it's the fact that i'm not melting for no good reason this year (though it got dangerously close to this back in june).
  
• ... it's the fact that i'm beating those damn mosquitoes with a healthy dose of flush-free niacin each morning.
  
• ... it's the friends ~ new & old ~ who have been frequenting my front porch this summer.
  
• ... it's the slower pace that life is offering me these days.
  

i think that the pace that life has been granting me has increased my enjoyment of summer... and being home more here in loverly kent has made for richer times with God's good gifts of community & my front porch.  these have been beautiful seconds and minutes and hours and days and weeks and months... wrought full of refreshing breezes, sun chair reading, sweet tea, good conversations, tasty meals & sidesplitting laughter.

i'm grateful, for summer 2008 has been a simple gift that i feel rich in receiving.