Where Are You Now?

I left the car at home and walked to the train first thing this morning. The city was still sleeping and the sun was just warm enough to keep away shivers. It was gorgeous and I carried it with me all day.

Hannah - that's a very beautiful thing to do - carry the sun with you all day...thank you! Salud,

M.T.

This is a day I think I will not soon forget! I recieved a lot of good vibes from Gather, the sun chased away the morning fog and it is still light out my way.

I love parlors and your description of yours brings to mind a Dylan Thomas line from a Child's Christmas in Wales: "...we sang and wallowed nignt and day in caves that smelt like Sunday afternoons in damp front farmhouse parlors..."

Have a beautiful summer!

Cheers,

Colonel Possum

Dear Colonel - I know that Dylan Thomas poem and it's beautiful - oh yes, well, this is a town house - an architect built it and it's history has no bounds...I am digging into the history now. My summer has already begun beautifully - I've been on Gather for one month and 11 days! It's all been good. Thanks for your always fabulous comments, Salud,

Mostly I worked... worked to keep the money flowing, worked to keep the house looking decent (because it's still for sale), worked on a home repair that needed doing. This evening I was grateful of air conditioning, and sat here contemplating how this longest day in my native Denmark is a day when the entire population celebrates "bonfire night," with fires on beaches, in backyards and all over... and the smell of woodsmoke hangs in the air... and because it is so far north, the sun doesn't set till sometime after 10:00pm and it never really gets dark... allowing us to ride home from the beach at midnight by the ambient light... in a place where it might be 65 degrees by midnight, instead of this "pea soup" of heat an humidity around here... Happy solstice to you!

Kept the air conditioning on full blast! I hate summer with all its sticky, humid heat and would far rather be up to my chin in a snowdrift.

My 16-y-o niece was visiting. We made paella and gazpacho and stayed out of the heat. We looked at pictures of snow in Russia last winter.

Kicked back spent time with buddy and Wife took day off and we just did whatever we wanted:) Summer is the beginning for the rest of our lives, two kids graduated and now..time for them to break free of the nest:)
All the kids are coming over Dang time for second fridge! LOL!
Great article!

I did dirty laundry so my daughter wouldn't get onto me and played on Gather all day. I wonder outside in the 90 degree weather for a total of about ten minutes in the late afternoon.

Very visual effects~A good read for our longest day of the year! Thank you. Lots of love, light, and blessings~Mama T

Mariana, I did the usual. Took Meeko for a walk and enjoyed the cool breeze that blew across the park, bringing the fragrance of blossoms with it. Then I did some writing, enjoyed the folks on gather and picked the boys up from school. We had fun. It was about 70 degrees and a nice day to spend outdoors. There won't be many of those left.

Loved your description of your day. Glad you enjoyed it.

Peter M. Happy Solstice to you my dear friend. I know there must be so many things about Denmark that you miss. I love your description of the Solstice celebration. I remember being in that part of the world and how light it stayed - I even went to bed when the sky was still a gray colour - not dark and black! I can imagine that memorable smell of woodsmoke hanging in the air! I thought you had sold your house but glad you're still right there in Texas!!! How fun to know that I'm one state away! Pea soup - oh that's funny - well, my dear, you'll someday think about your days back in Texas with fondness! Thanks again for your comment, Peter. Salud,

Mariana, we kept the windows open again on the First Day of Summer. We are practically on the highest point of this city so we get a lot of wind, it seems the house never gets too hot in the summer... we have yet to turn our air-conditioner on.

I was outside a lot, gardening and checking on my late-germinating Asian vegies... Since it rained the night before, I marvelled at the rest of the gardens — the lushness of the spinach and mixed lettuce beds, the readiness of the broccoli - they will need picking soon, the flowers-ready-to-become-fruit in the tomato plants, peas, burgandy beans, string beans, peppers, eggplants, the growth spurt and colors in about everything in the flower gardens, including weeds...

Four huge packages arrived thru the mail, presents I bought for myself... MORE plants from distant nurseries. I had fun opening them and will get the pleasure of planting them in their right places... It's better than a party or birthday cake.

Yup, I was born on the first day of summer. Happy Birthday to me :-)

Pearl! Oh happy happy happy Birthday to you. Why don't you write an article just like your comment about your birthday - it's beautiful and I do love your descriptions very much...Your garden sounds deliciously gorgeous! More plants - fabulous! I look forward to hearing about the wonderful things that you've made with some of your garden's delights! May this first day of your birthday year grow just as your garden does! Salud,

mariana - lovely article and topic!
pearl - happy birthday!

we swam, several times. we watched the geese eat and poop on our neighbor's lawn. the breeze was lovely, coming through the house. now, it is time for lunch!! cheers!

Jessie - good morning - I figured yall had a great time on that fabulous lake - what a nice life you have! Stay cool and enjoy it - my best to the princess! Salud,

Jose, Serina, Dorine, Mary and Madame Mo - thank yall for commenting! Dorine - don't worry autumn comes too fast for me - where does time go? Jose' all the very best - you know that - I send you much congratulations always, Jose you know you have to always have those kids around you!!! Thanks yall - love the comments! Salud,

I envy your life, Mariana. I was able to get out for a walk first thing yesterday and enjoyed looking at all the gardens but then I was stuck inside from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. working. I went home and talked to my cats, took a quick trip to the library (less than a mile away) and then came home to make some cards out of old paintings of mine to give to some of the support staff who are leaving this week. For some reason we are losing three in one week and getting a bunch of temps. I will miss them. I went to bed early with one of the library books and let the cool breeze lull me to sleep.

Linda - oh bless you - I want to know more about cards out of old paintings - you know art is my forte' - I am always chopping and combining. Well, girl see I just tell you all the good stuff - don't think I don't deal with loads of other realities and issues but I'm going to be happy til the last one knocks me down, damn it. I am bodacious enough to create this reality of mine and I'm going to enjoy it! Thank you for commenting Linda as always I send you some of this Louisiana sunshine! (I wish I could send you rainbows but the rain is stuck in a cloud somewhere!) Salud,

I stayed inside in the air conditioning...I know...not very poetic or summery of me....but I did hit the porch at night if that counts...In fact that's where I wrote my latest poem...in the dark I might add...

In short, I was sick as a dog.

mariana - you paint a beautiful day.
george - poor baby.
i spent most of the day at work, then stopped by the italian market for fresh mozzarella, cerignola olives, tomatoes and a crusty loaf of bread for dinner. the day ended blue and dry. we sat on the back porch and watched the shadows crawl across the blue-grey barn (it was a wheelwright's shop in the early 1800s). as always, some of the neighbors barn cats kept us company (we saw mama, emmy, tuffy, pierre, hamish, mimi, hope, violet and harry- i keep bowls of food and water out for them so they stop by and say hello as it suits). but my own cats were jealous so we retreated indoors to play with them before heading to bed and reading ourselves to sleep.

It was hot yesterday and it's hotter today. I enjoyed your lovely portrait of a day.

My mother and I had coffee at The Second Cup, at one of their out-door tables. :-)

Darcy! George thanks for your comments! Mona - oh now I want to hear more about your blue gray barn - love your food descriptions - and of course you know me and cats - they own us and they belong to the world! Thanks for commenting, Yall, Salud!

Jan and Leah and all of you - thanks for your comments! Today was a really hot day compared to yesterday - wow - appreciate ! Salud,

My Summer Solstice included looking at the Summer Solstice 2006 chart esp over the White House. I compared it to the Solar Eclipse chart for June 2001--the eclipse series of the 9/11 attacks which occurred at 00Cancer00--when the sun enters Cancer.

The sign of Cancer is always significant for America (sun and Jupiter there, 1776.)

The Sabian Symbol for 1Cancer: "A furled and unfurled flag displayed from a vessel." This refers to an individual's capacity to compromise or reverse any stand he may take whenever this suits his ultimate ends.
(Marc Edmund Jones, The Sabian Symbols in Astrology.)

Sounds like Capitol Hill to me. Other than that it was a hot, but lovely day!

Mariana, I love your portraits! The lace curtains really got me--my mom always favored them!

This was a lovely article. I could picture things perfectly in my mind from your words. You really seem to enjoy life and I enjoy your world from reading your articles. Thank you.

Jude - please write an article and say all those things - I love hearing this kind of stuff. Thank you so much for your lovely, and informative comment! Salud, and thank you for the compliment - yes,mama loved her white lace curtains!

It sure was a long day!

what i did was get up at 4 am,got ready for work,used the computer while drinking my coffee,went to work until 3 pm,shopped,ate,fell asleep until 730 pm,watched some tv and went to bed around 9pm.It was so hot,I had to put on the two fans(tried not to use the ac)

Gautami - it's surely very hot here as well! Thank you for your comment - you too Sheryl. I love those little afternoon naps - aren't they a luxury. Thanks everyone!!! Salud,