Summer Song

Originally posted June 19, 2018.

So, what season would you say is your favorite?  When asked, I can find things I like about each and every season (yes...even in Alaska), but I tend to cling to our current season with complete joy!  Summer...aaaahhhh. 

Maybe it is the return of the light and warmth.  Maybe it is the feeling of satisfaction and dirt under my fingernails after working in my garden.  Maybe it is the thrill of landing a King Salmon on our boat with my family.  Maybe it is the return of color...a glorious contrast to the monotone black and white of the past 6 months!  But really, it is probably because my favorite things in life have always happened in the summer. 

We used to travel from the Chicago suburbs in my youth to the mountains of Colorado every summer.  The cool (and less humid) mountain air was a fantastic place to ride stick horses and explore the ponderosa pine forests.  That mountain paradise became home to my family when I was 12, and there we continued to enjoy our summers, and added motorhome travel and frequent trips to the Sand Dunes National Monument to the mix.  I also married my high school sweetheart in June of 2001 in that fantastic little mountain town.  Summer is grand!  (Side note...if you're planning a trip to southern Colorado any time soon, be sure to give the Sand Dunes a visit!) 

Even after moving to Alaska, summers have continued to be full of special moments.  Both of my children were born in July, making that month packed full of fun celebrations.  Fishing has become quite an obsession of mine (just ask my husband), and I have spent the past month willingly whittling down the yard and garden check list.  It all brings my heart joy, and I try to savor every single sunny (and rainy) day. 

“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” 

Psalm 19:1 ESV 

One of my favorite things to do musically is to sit at the piano and just see what tunes my fingers come up with.  I guess that's called composing, but it never feels very formal to me.  It just kind of flows out of how I'm feeling.  Some songs end up sounding sad or lonely, and some brighter and lighter.  This little "Summer Song" has been a companion of mine for nearly a decade now.  I remember playing it for my college friends back at my first house in Colorado Springs...eons ago!  It has a waltzy feel, and the tune brings my heart joy when I play it.  Seemed fitting to name it after my favorite season. 

Travel is the name of my game right now.  Believe it or not, I am currently writing this from Nebraska!  We actually flew into Chicago from Anchorage first and spent a few whirlwind days visiting places from my youth and spending time with extended family still living in the area.  We then hopped over to Lincoln, where my sister lives with her sweet family, and have enjoyed seeing their new home, visiting the most gorgeous capital building I've ever seen, and eating...really well!  Anyone ever heard of a cheese frenchee??  The lemon crunch cone wasn't too shabby either...HA!  We even got to experience a good old-fashioned midwestern thunderstorm tonight.  The power of God's creation in full surround sound all afternoon and evening!  Tomorrow we head to those glorious mountains of Colorado again to round out our travels.  Joy.  For me, summer equals joy...midwestern humidity and all. 

The attached video is full of handiwork from friends, so...enjoy the summer scenes from south central Alaska, and I hope you enjoy "Summer Song". 

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