Sunscreen. Kids playing “Marco Polo” in the pool. Family road trips. Summer is in the air! My writerly pals and I are sharing our summer dreams and inspiration in the C*U*R*R*E*N*T*L*Y – Summer Blog Hop. For more summertime fun, click over to meet the awesome #Gr8Blogs bloggers listed at the end of this post.
Here are a few things I’m looking forward to this summer:
*Loving – The Warmer Weather!
I feel like a broken record when I say I can’t wait for the nice, sunny days of summer. No, not much of a fan of the heat, but after this winter, I will have to catch myself not to complain.
Our team started playing softball this year on March 17th. I don’t think we had one game above 50 degrees. We had so many rain outs, they had to end the season before finishing the playoffs. Hopefully we will be off to a better start next spring.
* Reading – Every MG Book I Can Find
As you all know by now, I’m co-authoring a MG (Middle Grade) novel with author Cat Michaels. I’ve written and illustrated eight children’s books, so for me, writing a MG book is much different. I’ve been reading as many of them as I can find. It’s helped me get a feel on what readers enjoy and how larger plots come together. Our book also, involves a horse in our tale. Since neither one of us grew up around horses, much research has taken place and it’s been lots of fun.
We are at a place in our story, where a very big problem happens and things are getting exciting. Keep watching for more details to come.
Pssst. Don’t forget to check on Cat Michaels’s site from time to time, so you don’t miss anything.
* Thinking About – Summer Cleaning and Decorating
We have a breakfast nook that we are redoing. We’re bringing our washer and dryer up from the basement. This is has been a huge undertaking for my husband, as he’s had to redo wiring, plumbing, and lots of construction.
I get to do the fun part. (Not really) Years ago, we had the big idea to turn our breakfast nook into a “collective room.” You know the style, like they have at Applebees. We thought, what a cute idea!! (Chuckling now.) Well, it looked really great at first, but, as our sons grew, everything special they ever did, which was a lot, ended up on those walls. Baseball Jerseys, baseball hats, the list goes on and on. The task of cleaning this room after awhile, became so overwhelming. Needless to say, much of it is going to be packed away. We will still have many fun items to display, just not nearly as much.
* Anticipating – Party of the Year with Friends and Birthday Day Parties.
Summer holds lots of birthdays in our family, so we have many fun gatherings and celebrations to look forward to.
Every June, the friends that my husband and I grew up with, has a annual party to celebrate each other, and those no longer with us. It was around ten years ago, we all kept seeing each other at funerals. After that, our friend decided to put on a gathering with friends, food, and music. This event have grown and has become very big in the past years. It’s much different than a class reunion, as these friends all grew up in the same neighborhood or surrounding areas. I encourage all groups to try to reunite and have a party with those you knew back in the day and celebrate your time together.
By the way, our party was a giant success! We had perfect weather. The food was outstanding, along with the band. “The Instamatics,” were a huge hit for all that attended. Their 60’s and 70’s music was a perfect fit for our crowd.
* Making Me Happy – Summer Dinners
With all the gatherings, it’s the best time to fire up the grill and cook some of your favorite summer meals.
After roasting our vegetables in the oven all winter, I’m looking forward to cooking them outside for that smoky flavor. We love just about all meats grilled out, but a few of our favorites are, BBQ Pork Steaks, and Pineapple Bratwursts. Our store here sells them already made, but if you go online, you will find how to make them yourself.
Another meat we really enjoy cooking out is, “Flat Iron Steaks.” Most people we’ve talked to, have never heard of these. Many stores don’t have them, but ask to check to see if they will carry them. They are always tender, cooked on the grill, or as a roast.
So, what are some fun things you are looking forward to this summer? Write us a note, we’d love to here from you!
Don’t forget to check out our author friends to see what they have in store for this summer. You never know, you may hear about a new adventure you never tried before.
Happy Summer, and as always, Happy Reading!
Rosie
Julie Gorges at Baby Boomer Bliss
Enjoy a wonderful summer, Rosie and followers 🙂
Enjoy a wonderful summer 🙂
Hi Eiry,
Thanks for stopping by with your note today. We appreciate your support always.
Enjoy your summer Eiry!
Rosie
Your summer sounds so nice. I’m also happy for warm weather. Last winter was rough. I’d be even happier for a week with no rain. It’s been ages since I had any grilled food. I miss it. My family has cookouts all the time but I live away from home. I may buy a small grill and have a picnic in the park.
Hi Auden, I hear you on the rain part.
When my husband and I were first married, we lived in an apartment, so grilling out was not easy. We bought a tiny portable grill. I remember enjoying those small meals. If your park does not have a grill, you could always look into one of those. I know many people take them to football games for tailgating parties. Let me know if you ever try it Auden.
Have a wonderful summer.
Rosie
I’m with you for “where is the warm weather already?” This winter was brutal. Definitely won’t be one I’ll forget for a while.
The MG you and Cat are working on sounds interesting. I’m looking forward to learning more about it.
My Dad used to cook Kebabs on the grill every year. I really miss that as where I am now, I don’t have a grill.
Hi Mackenzie, thanks for stopping by with your note today.
So, you know what I mean about our winter. Brrrr!
Cat and I are excited to shared our story someday. We have a ways to go on it, but you all will be the first to know. I’m looking forward to following your stories. They look interesting.
I hope you get a chance to have some BBQ this summer.
Have a wonderful summer Mackenzie.
Rosie
I am so excited to read you and Cat’s new book! Can’t wait! Your summer plans sound wonderful. Nothing like old-fashioned summer gatherings and cook-outs along with some baseball to celebrate the warmer months. Have a great one, Rosie!
Thanks Julie, I hope you have a wonderful summer, too.
We are excited for our book. Keep watching as more will be revealed.
I know you will have a joyful time with your family this summer. I’m looking forward to what’s coming for you this fall. Yeah!
Happy Summer Julie.
Rosie
Love a any excuse for a party. One good thing about living on 13 acres, parking is never a problem, so the party is usually here. Can’t wait to read your MG novel, if you need any help, send it my way, I’ll be happy to critique it for you. Enjoy your summer, try not to get any splinters during those renos and have fun.
Hi Sandra, I love parties too. Our friend that put on our party has lots of land and animals. I wish I would have had more photos to share. I haven’t had time to ask all my friends if I can share some of theirs. Right next to where the band played, there was a cow, donkey, sheep, and a few goats. It was cute and they didn’t run away and seemed to like the music. Well, I want to think that. 🙂
You know we will be sharing more about our story with you Sandra. We are so happy to hear about your new book and what’s in store for you in the coming months. Like I said in your post, you are busy, busy.
Happy Summer (fall weather months) to you Sandra.
Rosie
Too bad your b’ball team was rained out this spring. Chilly rains kept me from getting my laps in at the ‘hood outdoor pool earlier this spring, but summer is moving in and the temps are climbing.
I’m loving your summertime combination of reading, decorating and grilling with friends Rosie. Well-rounded fun! No horsing around (wink), you are smoking doing research for our MG tale. I think we need to add flat iron steak to our story. We already have a meaty baseball story line -:D.
Enjoy the rest of the summer. Have fun with your breakfast renno. Pix, please?
Hi Cat, yes, this was a first for us in softball. So much rain.
Ooh, Flat Iron Steaks are so good. I’m sure we can find a way to fit those in. It will be fun when we get to the baseball part. I’m excited. I have a few guys around here I could set up for interviews on all the lingo.
I’ll get pictures of our breakfast nook when it’s all finished. It may be awhile. We are slowly, but surely getting there. I have our family room to clean and redo after that. Wait till you see all the photos I have to clean. All sports pictures, of course. Oh my. 🙂
Thanks for your note and have a wonderful summer Cat.
Rosie
Oh I love family/friend gatherings, nothing like a fun afternoon and tasty food 😋 I always have mixed feelings about home improvement projects. While I’m anxious and excited I always read them because of the amount of work that goes into them. The outcome, is always worth it though .
I love summer gatherings, too, Carmela. When we were little, my aunt always put on family reunions and it’s one of my favorite memories with our cousins.
When my husband mentions we are going to have something fixed, I get tense about it, too. Not sure if we will have running water and electricity certain times throughout the day can be wearing. The hard part is over now, just putting everything back may take me awhile through.
Thanks for stopping by today. Have a wonderful summer Carmela.
Rosie
Sounds like a wonderful summer. We use to have family gatherings this time of year but not so much anymore. Good luck with your new book!! Can’t wait to read it! Also, I’m right there with ya on the renovations. We are building a back porch…..yay!!! But because of it, no money for a vaca…boo! Lol Happy summer!!
Yes, it’s fun to get out in the summer for gatherings, Rebecca. Maybe you could even have a cookout with friends? We love doing that, as well.
Thanks for your well wishes on our book. We are having fun with it and it grows more all the time.
Sometimes, we do have to sacrifice projects for fun, too. Having a new back porch for you two will be great! See, there’s your gathering spot, right?
Have a wonderful summer Rebecca and enjoy your break. You deserve every minute of it.
Rosie
What a wonderful summer ahead, Rosie! Love the idea of the old friends’ get-togethers each year and staying in touch. That’s great. My chef son loves the flat iron steaks, too. And I love kebabs! Have a great summer season with family and friends!
Thanks James!
Yes, we have the best time with our annual friends party. I try to explain how awesome it is to others, and it’s hard to find the words.
Yeah! So you’ve heard of Flat Iron Steaks! Do you think that’s a Midwest thing? It rained last week, so instead of cooking it out, I made it like a roast. I floured it up, fried it on both sides, and simmered it in Cream of Mushroom Soup. Oh my, it was so good and tender!
We love Kebabs in the summer a lot. Those with some rice, the best! Okay, now I’m hungry. 🙂
Have a great summer James. Stay cool and keep those stories coming.
Rosie
The gathering with friends sounds like a wonderful idea! We don’t even have family reunions anymore, so that would be a nice idea to just get friends and family together for a fun day.
Hi Jessica, so happy to see your note.
Yes, it’s a wonderful event. We all get so excited to see each other. It’s really turned into to quite a party.
Pick a park or place to gather. You will be so glad you did.
Have a wonderful summer Jessica!
Rosie