THE SUMMER IS SLIPPING AWAY

I know. I know. That is a depressing way to begin today's post. School starts in my community in just two more weeks. Families are rushing around trying to squeeze the last bit of vacation into the remaining lazy days of summer.  Church attendance has been abysmal for at least past three weeks and will probably be so for two more - or maybe even through Labor Day. It's not that people are hypocrites or closet pagans. It's just that once school starts for many of them, "slipping away" will become a lost option in a world of football and band practice, homework, back-to-school nights, and trying to juggle family schedules so they can still be a family.

Then there's that ludicrous idea of the lazy days of summer.  Our household barely slowed down enough to call anything in our life and schedule lazy.  It has now been five weeks since I made it to the golf course (my own normal summer activity). I have yet to make it to the beach, or to a professional baseball game of any kind. I have been to no community picnics nor sat on a Sunday night with friends on patio at Black Knight. There have been no picnics.  There have been a couple of walks in the park, when it wasn't too hot. And speaking of hot, I have sat neither on my front porch or back yard since sometime in early June.  I'm beginning to ask what I did all summer. My vacation time was connected with a wedding and a visit to grandchildren, both of which I enjoyed immensely but both of which could have been done (and usually are) in any season.

Have I depressed you enough? I've depressed me.

I can hardly wait for the less lazy days of autumn. At least it should be cool enough to sit on the porch.