1. Shaved Ice - Nothing says summer to me like a large shaved ice! And nothing cools me off on a hot day more than a pink lemonade shaved ice... May I complain for just one moment? My little town does NOT have a shaved ice stand--Why, oh why is that??? Why must I suffer through summer without a daily, or at least weekly, shaved ice? Some things in life I shall never understand...And my town's lack of a shaved ice stand is one of them.
Question: Do any of you know of a home shaved ice machine or a home ice crusher that works well? I saw some at Walmart the other day, and wondered how well they work. Please do not answer, "Snoopy Sno Cone Machine!" Because that thing is manufactured by the devil, and intended to bring strife into the household. You manually grind and grind that poor ice until your ears cannot stand one moment more of the horrible, terrible scraping ice noise...and you find that you have exactly 1 teaspoon of shaved ice to show for your efforts. I am looking for an ELECTRIC shaved ice machine/ice crusher - that will not crush my bank account.
2. Lying on a Raft in a Pool- Preferably, in my own backyard, and without children taking turns surprising me by tumping me over. (Shauna--"tump" is just for you...in the off-chance you're reading...) One of the best things my parents did for us growing up was putting a pool in our backyard. My sister and I have very fond summer memories of rushing home after Sunday church and lunch, throwing on a swimsuit, grabbing a paperback novel and a large cup of ice water (with a bendy straw), and lying in the pool on rafts...reading, sometimes giggling, and many times falling asleep. Now, THAT is the life! There is no napping like a pool raft nap. I can't tell you how many times I would wake up to the sound and smell of a dog panting in my face--my raft would be against the side of the pool, and my sweet dog was just giving me a little "hello, how are ya" breath.
3. Laid-Back Evenings Hanging out with Friends and Family - Grilling something easy, slicing up some watermelon, cranking some homemade ice cream...Really, the food doesn't matter (except for the dessert, of course!)--it's just the sitting around in camp chairs, chatting, sipping sweet tea, while the kids run around the perimeter, eating popsicles and smiling and giggling. Really, could there be a more perfect summer evening? Especially if there is a cool breeze, and no pesky mosquitoes ( a girl can dream, can't she?)
Has your pace slowed down yet this summer?
What do you love about summer?
I really would like to know!!
