Unofficial End of Summer

"If it could only be like this always - always summer, always alone, the fruit always ripe..."

Evelyn Waugh

I know, I know.  Summer is not officially over until Sept. 22.   Even though I've been out of school for a while, and haven't had a "summer break" in four years, I still associate Labor Day with the end of summer.  Like I've told you in the past:  I still get really annoyed/irritated/pissed off when I see or hear back-to-school commercials.    All the places that I attended school, except for Texas and Kansas, we started school the day after Labor Day.  The weekends leading up to it were spent cleaning our rooms, or shopping at JC Penney and the PX or Wal-Mart, writing those summer reading papers, or actually trying to finish reading the book and praying that the teacher would extend the paper deadline. Then Labor Day would arrive.  My parents could always be counted on to light up the grill for one of our summer al fresco meals. And that familiar smoke would fill my nostrils for one last time.  I'm sure there were some rainy Labor Days, but I remember more days with that perfect summertime weather: no clouds, perhaps a bit humid, but it was hot.  Which is, in my opinion, how all summer days should be.  I ain't no Maine chick, ya hear me? I'll take hot and humid over snowy and frigid any day.  

So anyways, this has been A summer.  I've had some awesome days and weeks.  I've definitely had bad days and weeks this summer, but thank God the good outweigh the bad by so much.  Summer trumped winter and spring of this year.  Summer left winter and spring of this year in the dust.  However, spring comes in at a very very close second because that was the season that my life changed, and I welcomed my dad's kidney to it's new home.  

After this Labor Day, we'll have three more weeks to pretend like summer is still here.  But it'll be difficult because after the first week, the media will be urging us to break out our sweaters and boots and order another round of pumpkin spice lattes for the group.  And it'll be hard to resist because I love a good pair of boots, and pumpkin spice lattes sooth my soul.  

So, until next time, summer.  Thinking of your arrival each year makes my heart smile.  

Enjoy some collages from a few of my summer experiences. 

DISCLAIMER: things not shown include the hour-long argument Ben and I had over my car battery and the fact that I didn't have a new one yet; not attractive but tasty homemade burritos; me living my life the way I usually live it on a daily basis.