Sum-, Sum-, Summertime

Since I was introduced to public education as a new six-year-old only one week previous to my entry into first grade, I've had those three months off from school or work and spent that free time doing whatever I pleased. Five years into retirement from Texas Education and I still can not wrap my brain around working at a real job during the months of June, July or August. My teacher husband is off for the summer months, catching up on yard work left to grow during the spring months he was still teaching school. As a theater teacher, his workdays turned into rehearsal evenings and the grass and weeds didn't wait on him.  For many past summers he and I were involved in the Baytown Little Theater summer musical, but not this summer. The days are warm and I'm willing to do just about anything, but unfortunately, those anythings are non-paying just like those summer musicals we spent singing and dancing on stage. Of course, we are also spending a fair amount of time out of town on short trips to places of interest. Maybe I'll find a job next month.

That said, there were a few summers growing up when I continued to attend school. The first occasion for which I took a summer class, was not of my choosing, but rather my 4th grade teacher, Mrs. Mays. It would seem that she thought my reading aptitude not to be up to par and suggested to my mom that I take summer reading at the high school. The fact that one of my girlfriends from my neighborhood was also taking reading made the idea a little more bearable. I was sure I'd miss being at home like my classmates sleeping late, playing outside and watching TV.  However, that would not be the case as my friend and I only lived one block from the high school and could ride our bicycles to school. The other reason summer reading turned out to be a good experience was because it forced me to read books. We were in a sort of contest to see how many books we could read. I remember reading 17 books during that month of classes. And to top it off, the reading wasn't all bad like the home readers the teachers always made me take home during the school year. So, I learned to enjoy reading books that summer. 

After my 8th grade year, and it could hardly be classified as school, I took a sewing class held in the home economics classrooms at the junior high school. Those weeks of domestic sewing was almost camp-like as the members of our small group earned half of a high school credit for our efforts. I remember that summer as a lot of fun with my girlfriends. In a surprisingly relaxed atmosphere set around classroom sewing machines and ironing boards, it was unlike the regular 9-month school sessions we had just completed. Mrs. Kilebrew, our teacher, was a person from whom I would take Home Economics during my ninth grade year. She was not at all as stuffy as I thought she would be. For one thing she allowed us to play the radio loud enough to be heard throughout the large sewing room we occupied. There were no boys in that summer class, not because they weren't invited, they just were not interested in sewing a new summer outfit for themselves. Just as well too because I believe it would have ruined our all female, carefree sense of freedom. With windows open and fans circulating air throughout our non-air-conditioned school room, our small ban of girls laughed, talked, and sewed to such tunes like Otis Redding's Sitting on the Dock of the Bay. To this day, I can't hear that song without remembering Pat Quiggly ironing her garment when all of a sudden the iron caught on fire. She raced around from the two rooms we occupied screaming "fire" at the top of her lungs. Our teacher calmly put the tiny fire out by unplugging the iron and douching the tiny flame. We laughed so hard at her expression until finally Pat joined in our hysterics, and Otis sang out "....sitting on the dock of the bay, wasting time..."

This summer of 2012 has been carefree with Kim at home most of the time. I've enjoyed our leisurely days of sleeping until we woke up, then practically doing nothing the rest of the day except enjoying an episode of one of our favorite TV shows. Although we have made some progress on the yard work, it is not fully under control and probably won't be until the fall and winter seasons cause the leaves to fall and we can see the plants that lie beneath the weeds.

It is August now and its hard to believe that I'm about to turn 60 years old just twenty days from now. Summer school with my young girlfriends, trips to Oklahoma with my parents, camping trips with my 3 sons and husband, numerous plays at the Baytown Little Theater and so many church activities over the years have flooded my brain just now. That's a lot of stuff and a lot of summers. School starts back soon and Kim will be actively involved in his school plays, rehearsals, and teaching. The days I don't work will be lonely and quiet with many of them flowing into lonely quiet evenings as Kim has to attend one meeting or another. Hopefully, I can find a job to occupy my time and add to our finances.  Ah, summer!  I will miss you very much! Until next year...