I’ve taken the boys to the beach a couple times, and will do so again when possible. They love to go, and so do I. I’ve figured out that suppertime is when the beach is most deserted and the sun is least punishing, so that’s the time I will aim for, rather than in the heat of the day.

This beach has been decimated by flooding, and my heart aches to look at it, treeless now, bereft of campsites and the natural beauty it used to have. I came to this beach almost every summer of my life, and always thought of doing so as a treat. It’s where I met my Farmbeau, too, as if in answer to my sense of the beach as a magical place, where wonderful and exciting things happen. Even the smell of the lake, I love.

***

Next Friday the boys go camping. I think of the time until they leave as my summer with them, for after camp we will be visiting the rellies in BC and then they’ll be with their dad until school starts again. The lazy hazy crazy days of summer will be too soon gone.

***

“... Be willing to accept the fact that many annoyances are simply passing thoughts that we are taking a little too seriously. The next time you find yourself feeling irritated, check in with your thinking. See whether you might be holding onto something instead of simply dropping it or letting it pass by. If you do, you’ll find that most issues in your relationship will begin to fade away. Of course, if something is truly important, it will most certainly return. In the meantime, instead of struggling with such problems, consider letting them go so that you can spend your time enjoying each other.” -- from Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff in Love, by Richard and Christine Carlson