Summer Wrap-Up

Being that I haven't blogged since April, you would think this should be something like the "Half-Year Wrap Up" and maybe in a way, it is. When you move from day to day, you think that nothing important or momentous happened that is necessarily worth blogging about. When you do a retrospective, and see what has transpired over a 5- or 6-month period, it gives pause to how quickly life passes.

With the approach of Labor Day, I lament the waning summer days and wish (as I do every year) that I did more to capture the essence of the season's freedom. Sure, we have a few more weeks before summer officially comes to a close, but here are the highlights (and low) of my summer:

• May: I became an aunt for the first time, and I'm loving it. My little nephew is the cutest boy and, even though he is not my child, I cannot wait to watch him grow and change. I wonder what kind of person he will develop into. If he is anything like his parents, he will be intelligent, loving, outgoing - and tall.Will he play football like his daddy? Will he be involved in the community like his mommy? Will he create new paths and follow his own dreams? Either way, I vow to be the best aunt I can be for him. 
• June: A heart-breaker of a meeting for work, but lessons learned. Dad had emergency surgery for a detached retina. Summer Fridays spent in hospitals or doctors' offices. A beach day thrown in for good measure. Spent a Girls Night Out with my friends, catching up. Finished "So Cold the River." Spent a lovely day in NYC with hubby, and discovered a fantastic restaurant.
• July: A series of health scares with my 93-year old grandfather. In and out of hospitals and related facilities. Preparing ourselves (over and over) for his final days. Each day feels like limbo, watching my 93-year old grandmother fear for the worst, losing her partner for almost 74 years. Having him come back from the brink, for the time being. Managed a low-key celebration of my birthday with hubby. Hot, hot summer.
• August: Similar to July, minus the birthday dinner. More serious scare with grandfather and his placement into hospice. And again, back from the brink. Remembering the tropical storm that hit one year ago today, flooding our town and surrounding areas. Also remembering preparing for our trip to Germany, just a few days after the storm. Watching now, reports of Hurricane Isaac nearing New Orleans nearly 7 years to the day after Katrina and hoping for the best. Interested to see Republican National Convention this week and Democratic National Convention next week, and wonder with a little trepidation which direction our country will take. Either way, I have a few concerns.

So, there you have it. My little summer wrap up. Let's see what autumn brings!