TheBanyanTree: The Livin' is Easy

[Margaret R. Kramer]

I don’t think it’s a secret that I love summer.  I love having the windows
open and hearing the traffic pass by on our busy street.  Our last house was
on a cul de sac and as you can imagine, the traffic noise was minimal.  But
here, on this street that stretches from the south end of St Paul to the
north, I find myself enjoying being part of someone’s journey, even if they
are just passing by my home on their way to somewhere.

I love the birds gathering at our feeders.  We’ve captured the finches,
sparrows, robins, blue jays, chickadees, woodpeckers, and even hummingbirds.
They’ve found their way to our home and have made themselves welcome.  Of
course, the black cat does his own thing with the birds.  He managed to drag
one of them into the house yesterday.  I found feathers surrounding a half
eaten bird on the dining room floor.

I love wearing minimal clothes.  I can wear shorts and tank tops and flip
flops.  No jackets.  No mittens.  No hats.  I can walk out the door dressed
as I am and not have to take precautions for the cold.

I love the sunlight dancing on the green leaves of the trees.  Our tomatoes
were screaming with delight during this recent hot spell.  I love a lake’s
gentle waves lapping at my feet.  I love my neighbors walking by and saying
hello to us through our screen door.

I love sitting on the deck with a cup of hot coffee while I read the
newspaper.  I love the earliest part of a summer morning, when at 3:30 am on
weekday mornings I’m walking Axel along our quiet and dark street.

Our Minnesota Twins are making this summer especially enjoyable as they keep
piling on the wins and trying to inch towards Detroit and Chicago in the
standings.  It’s been fun to sit down most nights in front of the evil TV
and watch this ball club pull it together after a rough start.

One of my favorite Twins blogs is batgirl (http://www.batgirl.com).  She
doesn’t focus all that much on the stats; her blog is about the humorous
side of being a fan.  She writes some amazing (fictional) stories that make
me laugh out loud, such as Rondel White’s batting slump was caused because
CC Sabathia from the Cleveland Indians stole his pet chinchilla.  He-he.
She always picks a “boyfriend of the day,” kind of like the MVP with a
little eroticism thrown in, so now when I watch the game, I try to figure
out who batgirl’s BOD will be.

I mix all this stuff up, the beach, the flowers, the open windows, and the
boys of summer, and I come up with a wonderful elixir which is summer.

Margaret R. Kramer
margaretkramer at comcast.net

Freedom is nothing but a chance to be better.
~Albert Camus