Porch #145 🍨 Summertime Snapshots
cultivating gratitude in the midst of daily tasks & routines & remembrances
Oh, give thanks to the God of heaven, for His loving-kindness continues forever.
- Psalm 136:26 (LB)
Hey all you air-conditioning aficionados!
I don’t know about your neck of the woods but it’s steaming hot ‘round these parts. The other day, I got out of my car after a morning of errands and my glasses steamed up so quickly that I could barely find my way to the kitchen door.
This has been a good week to take care of doctor’s appointments. For meaningful one-on-one conversations with friends. Wrapping up a few undone household tasks (even as more are waiting in the wings). Readying our home for family’s arrival (yes, happily again). For making sure we have everything good to go for our annual trip to Camp. Pretty much staying inside ‘til late afternoon when we venture out to do a bit of gardening or maybe head off for a ride exploring sandy paths we’ve yet to find.
And yes, to mentally packing our bags for our beautiful granddaughter’s August wedding.
This is the summer of ‘24. A most delightful season of fresh-picked berries and glossy cherries, of early evening beach walks and restless sleep. Of comfy flip flops and semi-ratty t-shirts and tall glasses of icy water with a lemon wedge or two. Crispy salads and ice cream runs, newly clipped flowers in a chippy old creamer. Finishing up all five seasons of The Crown. Re-stocking the little library with fresh finds from the swap shop.
It’s the little daily pleasures and tasks that give summertime life some kind of normalcy, parameters. These are the building blocks of gratitude. And it’s with a grateful spirit that we bathe the hopes, disappointments, plans, and pivots to Plan B with prayer. This choice lends a more grateful and expectant spirit, a firming of the faith in who God is and what He’s going to accomplish in all that’s coming ‘round the bend.
Cultivating gratitude makes all the difference in how we face the unknowns ahead.
My sister and I are headed out for ice cream in just a bit. It’s 9 years ago today since Dad died, 24 hours after Tim and I made our big move from NY to the Cape to be closer to him and Mom. I think he would be absolutely delighted to see us remember him with some kind of food. But unlike the old days, the two of us will not be wearing matching dresses and little mohair sweaters.
And that’s certainly another reason to give thanks.
Let’s talk summertime rhythms, cultivating gratitude, and your favorite flavor of ice cream.
Linda
🌻 Annelise, thank you for this prompt!
PORCH
a soft place to land
a calm weekend haven
a gentle pause from life's busyness
so we may experience
the tender lovingkindness of Jesus
as we do life together
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I love how you honour your dad by going out for ice-cream! My siblings honour my late father every year through food, too. We partake in a Boston Creme donut from Tim Horton's together on his February birthday. We'll also chat about the other family members who are no longer with us. Lovely pictures of your spaces!
Absolutely loved the photos as always, Linda-they are simply delightful. Not to mention your thoughts on summertime. "It’s the little daily pleasures and tasks that give summertime life some kind of normalcy, parameters. These are the building blocks of gratitude."
I couldn't agree more, but not just for summertime, in every season. I find when I'm feeling emotional triggered (which seems to be happening a lot lately) grounding myself in the little daily pleasures, not only cultivates gratitude, but reminds me I am safe, I am held by these little precious moments of each day, they steady me.
And while I'm not big on ice cream, I'm equally as boring in my favorite flavor of vanilla. But then with vanilla you can make it anything you want it to be....