Summer's Close Closing In

08/21/2012

Summer's Close Closing In

When you have school- aged children, the last week of August marks the unofficial end of summer. Sharp new clothes replace the sun-faded shorts and salt-worn bathing suits. Flip-flops take residence in the bottom of the beach bag and crisp notebooks pile the kitchen counter where sandy seashells were once spread to dry.

As today's sun rises to mark one day closer to school's start, the reality of having a high school senior settles in like a slow slideshow in an Indie movie.

Fortunately, summer gets to stay a while longer when one lives on the coast.

The sailboat traffic jams slow, the constant revving of jet skis calms, and the beaches become bearable again. Tourists have packed up to get back to their real lives and restaurant waiting lines disappear.

In addition to my collection of vintage beach themed paintings, my summer primitives also linger year-round. These all seemed so out of place when I moved from Florida to Fort Worth, Texas. Now that I've returned to the coast close to Galveston I see the beach as a permanent exhibit.

With the tourists fading and school buses rolling in like a yellow armada, I know I will soon return to the beach to play in the sand and stitch new projects under the warm autumn sun.

Soon I will need a sweater and then a light wool jacket will follow until the cold winter wind blows.

Then I will bring my fave wooly shawl, a hot hazlenut latte from the Mod Coffeehouse, and my therapy chair. I will sit on the empty beach where local dogs tromp in the waves chasing pelicans that fly in solid lines overhead.

I will stare into the icy blue water, reflect on how fast the past 17 years have flown by, and wish I could hold on just a little longer to this last summer with a school-aged child.

LOVE & SUMMER'S END

Aug 21, 2012 8:32:04 AM | crafting, family life