Are all summers a jumble, or is this one particularly so?

A jumble of activities and experiences, a jumble of emotions—even the weather has been a bit of a jumble. 

One of my delights this month is finally returning to swimming after a 5 month hiatus. The peaceful health club where I swam for nearly 20 years closed Jan 1. The new owner reopened it in May, though being sick with covid and then a trip out of town kept me away until a couple weeks ago. I’m thrilled to be back, not just for the lap pool but for its unique large therapy pool. After my laps I go there to stretch, completely relax, and sometimes do some meditative/ intuitive singing.

At the same time I find the bad air quality this summer deeply disturbing. I’ve been troubled by the issue for several years, when it arose so strongly after extreme drought and fires in the West. But this year nearly the entire country has been shrouded in toxic air for days, often at the same time. So much can be said about this (and many other disturbing issues right now), but I will refrain, as none of it would be new or surprising. But I bring it up because it preys on my heart.

As evidenced by this recent painting. It was begun intuitively, and nearly completed before I understood it depicted my ominous feelings about our bad air and climate change.

(I remembered then that I had actually started the painting on the day that Minneapolis had the worst air quality ever recorded here and worst in the nation that day.)

Also in this past month’s jumble were overdue doctor’s appointments; a short trip to Oregon for Peter’s PhD graduation; family birthdays; an air conditioner repair lasting two weeks; numerous attempts to keep the garden watered; and long periods reading several powerful books.

Within the next three months is my birthday; a funeral; five multi-day trips out of town; probably lots more reading and garden watering; more regular swimming; a basement waterproofing project; and a much overdue colonoscopy.

Which is to let you know why blogs and newsletters from me may be irregular or absent until October.

In the meantime, you might enjoy revisiting some of my past blogs. All of them are archived on my website (as well as many of the newsletters), but here’s a miscellaneous mixture of them, appropriate for this jumbly summer:

Hidden Treasures, from August 2019, is full of photos of unusual (to us) mushrooms we saw when we stayed north of Grand Marais.

In A Search for Home, from March 2019, I muse about the several kinds of home that feel important to me. I found it interesting to reread now since the issue has only become more relevant to us over time.

Check out Liberating Limericks for a bit of fun with words and art.  From May 2018.

And since I turn 70 next week, I will add the link for the blog I wrote about birthdays, Happy Birthday, in July 2019.

Has your summer been a jumble?

Blessings to you until I write again!