Yin/Yang

Summer, swift in its exit from the stage, leaves the usual mixed bag of debris behind.  As with all things, there is good stuff and bad.  Looking back on this last day, labor day, here's how I sum it up:

The Summer Gold:

Traveling with the family, ending with a stop at the beach the last week of August.

Cocktails with friends.

Summer movies that really provided something for everyone.  If you couldn't find a movie to see this summer, you probably don't like film.

Lots of books read! (Hmm, maybe in a future post...)

Many pages written.

The Summer Dross:

The oppressive heat killed just about every desire to tackle those house projects.

The death of my step-brother.

Not one, but two sets of friends moving from the neighborhood. Should I take it personally?

Dwindling bank accounts.  Traveling is expensive.

No matter how many pages you write, you always feel like you should have written more.

No really big revelations here, I suppose, but summer is at its best when you're in the moment, and that moment doesn't always have to advance any agenda.  Summer, for me is about rest and reflection, and there's never enough of either.  I tried to consciously capture that spirit this year, and at least partially succeeded.