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Folks, July is over.  And that means summer is just about gone too.

According to the calendar, one might be tempted to think that we have a full six weeks of leisurely living left, but no!  As soon as those back-to-school sale signs appeared (no less than a day or so after July 4th), it has been clear that the retailers are ready to plunge us headfirst towards Christmas.  As you know, back-to-school sales beget Halloween sales which beget Christmas trees and before you know it, you are complaining about the cold and making New Years Resolutions again. 

The good thing about this past July was that it took forever to end.  But that could also be considered a bad thing since this was the absolute hottest summer I have ever endured.  And just so that you know that declaration is coming from a woman who lived in New Orleans for three years and who spent her freshman year living on the third floor of a non air-conditioned dorm with a window that faced the sun, so that is saying a LOT!  This past month there were days that I stepped outside just to water my tomatoes and literally, walked out into a sauna.

I spent a great deal of time lamenting my overall lack of productivity because idleness is a really scary thing for me.   Then I came to the magical realization today that I was not wasting time, I was relaxing...(ok, not really) but for the first time in a long time, I actually had time off to enjoy.

Thank goodness I didn't totally blow it--I enjoyed the month of July more than I thought.  I watched a lot of movies.  I got a lot of writing done and spent a lot of time with the Baby Niece.  I've had a little time to assess some of my shortcomings in order to make some adjustments for the Fall.  I've had time to plan a few projects.  I've been spending quality time with my family.  I threw out some of the clutter that has been overwhelming me.  I planted tomatoes and peppers again.  I got up and went to church a few Sundays without having any particular reason for doing so.  Before the summer ends, I will make it back up to NYC to spend time with the Tween, Teen and Adult Nieces along with the Nephews.  I will get back into some kind of yoga class.  And in a few days, I will help the husband celebrate another birthday. 

All of this is to say that the BBW is thankful.  Dear Lord, thank you for this past month of downtime.  Yes, I blew off a lot of stuff and will have to spend the bulk of August trying to make up for that, but I think that was simply a part of the grand design.  Perhaps heatwaves are just like blizzards in that you are telling us to stay still because too much movement is life-threatening.

Now I am about to do something completely uncharacteristic--I am shutting down the computer for the night.