Hello, August! (Well, it’s been a little over a week, but…) The other day, an Instagram post popped up in my feed with the caption “August is the Sunday of summer.” In some ways, here in Virginia, it’s more like the Saturday evening – we’ve got another few months of warm weather and long days (which is just fine by me). But there’s no denying that August is the last month of high summer. Back-to-school is only a few weeks away now – and we’re on the later side; we go back after Labor Day. We’ve still got plenty of summer fun, including our big vacation for the year, ahead of us. Still, I’m also finding myself nostalgic, looking around me and trying desperately to remember the little things about this season that will escape me, that may be different next year. (At the very least, the little water shoes and sandals will be another size or two bigger, even if everything else stays the same.) And because this blog is at least partly about capturing the small things that are mattering to me right now, here are the places that have meant “summer” to me this season.
This back step is where so much of the business of summer happens. Beach towels and water shoes dry on the mat out here every weekend. I snapped this picture earlier this summer; all three pairs of water shoes – the kids and mine – are considerably more faded now. And the back step is covered with a film of sunscreen, since I like to use my Pacifica spray out here on the way to the pool.
Reach out a hand from this spot, and you’ll open the back door. Just inside is another of my summer spaces. I call it “the command center.” It’s actually a key rack, but it’s become the gathering place for all of our summer essentials. The basket holds three bottles of sunscreen – my Pacifica, mentioned above; Steve’s Coppertone Sport (no chemicals for me, please!); and the kids’ Babyganics. Hanging from the basket is a little row of hooks where – in addition to our keys – we collect hats (Peanut’s floppy white sun hat, Nugget’s navy bucket hat, and my blue baseball cap), sunglasses (there is always at least one pair of Wayfarers) and Peanut’s camp tote bag, stuffed with beach towel, bathing suit, tie-dye shirt, sunscreen and pine needles.
More often than not, when we head out that back door, lathered up with sunscreen, we’re headed for the neighborhood community pool. We can walk here, and I cherish our evening strolls to the pool – Steve hand-in-hand with Peanut, me with Nugget. We have to stop to smell all of the neighbors’ flowers (it’s Black-Eyed Susan season!) but we get here eventually. The baby pool is the preferred splashing spot. Peanut has learned all kinds of water skills at camp, and she loves to be independent in the water. When did she get so big and grown-up?
The pool is only open in the afternoons, so for morning water fun we’ve been loading up the car and driving about fifteen minutes away to our local splash pad. Splash pads are hugely popular in the D.C. area, and we have found one that we love. We’ve been here nearly every weekend since it opened.
With the splash pad discovery came the discovery of a new playground. Of course, the kids love our neighborhood playground most – but the nature and pirate themed playgrounds next to the splash pad have been big hits. Sea monsters were just made for climbing on, right?
Another summer favorite – we’ve recently discovered Fletcher’s Cove, which is the perfect boating launch point for our family of kayak enthusiasts. More to come on this soon, but we’ve driven into D.C. twice now, duffers in tow, for serene mornings paddling the Potomac. Fletcher’s is already becoming one of “our places” – and I look forward to many more summers watching my little paddlers grow into their boating skills.
Further afield, this summer wouldn’t have been complete without a visit to Aunt Rebecca and Uncle Eric in Virginia Beach. They’re moving soon, so I don’t know if Virginia Beach will be part of the fabric of our summers after they depart for sunny Florida. But this summer, and last summer – it was.
Of course, at the end of the day, there’s no place like home – right? I’ve spent quite a few afternoons and evenings relaxing under my big market umbrella, watching the kids dig in their sandbox and the bees buzz around my mint plant. Living in an area where the summer season is so long, we’ve been able to use our patio as an outdoor living room – and plenty of living has happened on these bricks.
What are your summer spaces this year?
The Brandons (Angela Thirkell’s Barsetshire #7), by Angela Thirkell – Funny to go back to the series in order after accidentally reading Northbridge Rectory outside its proper place, and to find myself in another story in which a younger male character fancies himself in love with an older woman who is blissfully ignorant of her effect on the younger generation. (Coincidence, or is this a thing with Thirkell? August Folly had a similar plot.) Anyway, I loved meeting the Brandon family – flirtatious Mrs Brandon and her adult or near-adult children Francis and Delia. Delia is one of my favorite Thirkell creations ever (she’s Lydia Keith, without being irritating – and unsurprisingly Lydia is a friend of Delia’s and makes an appearance). I also loved seeing Mrs Morland and Tony again. Such a fun romp!
In This Grave Hour (Maisie Dobbs #13), by Jacqueline Winspear – I’ve been waiting and waiting for the Maisie Dobbs series to work itself up to World War II, and while there have been hints of the coming conflict since book #8, In This Grave Hour finds Britain officially at war. Maisie’s friends and family are preparing for the next war – Priscilla and Billy worrying about sending their sons to fight, Sandra preparing to welcome a baby into an uncertain world, Frankie and Brenda taking in young refugee Londoners – and meanwhile, an old acquaintance requests Maisie’s help in unraveling the murder of a Belgian refugee from World War I (now “the last war”) who had settled permanently in England. Before Maisie has time to do much digging, another former Belgian refugee is murdered. So while Maisie’s circle is turning their attention to the next conflict, Maisie herself continues to work on making sense of the last one.
Jane of Lantern Hill, by L.M. Montgomery – Although it’s one of my favorite summer books, I hadn’t read Jane of Lantern Hill in many seasons. One of Montgomery’s lesser-known heroines, Jane is a Torontonian who lives unhappily with her mother and grandmother in a big, opulent, dismal house. One day she discovers that her father, who she had always believed dead, is actually alive and living on Prince Edward Island. Not long after, Jane’s mother receives a letter from her estranged husband, summoning Jane for the summer. Jane reluctantly goes, but it’s not long before she falls in love first with “Dad” himself, and then with Prince Edward Island. Over two summers on P.E.I., Jane grows from an awkward and miserably unhappy child into a confident young woman. But while Jane is capable of fixing up a house and cooking anything Dad wants to eat, is she capable of mending her parents’ broken relationship? You’ll have to read this joyful book and find out.
Three Men in a Boat, by Jerome K. Jerome – I’d never heard of this book, and only vaguely heard of the unfortunately named author, until The Folio Society reprinted it as part of their May collection. One glance and I knew it was a book in the grand Wodehouse style (although it actually predated my friend P.G., who was almost certainly influenced by it) and I had to have it. J. and his two friends Harris and George, along with their incorrigible dog Montmorency, embark on a rowing vacation up the Thames. Along the way, J. treats the reader to his musings on everything from English history (oh those unfortunate souls who found themselves running into Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn “spooning all over England”) to the trick behind getting a kettle to boil in a boat (act like you don’t want tea) and everything in between. Aside from one offensive word that was very jarring to this modern reader, it’s a perfect book.
The Age of Orphans (The Age of Orphans #1), by Laleh Khadivi – A young Kurdish boy witnesses the massacre of his village’s entire menfolk during his first battle with the forces of the new Shah of Iran. As is the policy with all battle-made orphans, the boy is conscripted into the Iranian army and given a name – Reza Khourdi. (Reza for the Shah, and Khourdi after his tribe.) Reza grows to manhood in the army, rises through the ranks and marries a well-off Tehrani woman. However, his proficiency is noticed and he receives a plum assignment to return to the region of his birth and assist in putting down Kurdish rebellions. As Reza sees more and more of himself in the Kurds, his marriage and family – and his own identity – feel the strain. I thought this was a gorgeously written book, although parts of it were very brutal. (Always in a way that served the story, but it’s hard to read.)
Queen Lucia (Mapp & Lucia #1) – Lucia is the doyenne and cultural ruler over her little kingdom – a small English village called Riseholme. With her husband Peppino and faithful subordinate Georgie by her side, Lucia aims to set the standard for all art, culture and entertaining in the area. But when a young, beautiful and talented opera singer moves to town, Lucia has a revolt on her hands. Georgie switches allegiances to Olga, the opera singer, and another local resident watches with relish as it appears Lucia is going to fall from her throne. So, I liked – but didn’t love – this. Lucia irritated me (as I think she was supposed to) although less so after one scene in which she is thoroughly embarrassed and exposed as (gasp!) unable to speak fluent Italian. I was also vaguely uncomfortable with Mrs Quantock and Lucia’s battle over “the Guru” – although I can’t put my finger on why, and I loved the image of Lucia dressing in goddess robes and teaching yoga. I’m invested in the characters now, so I will definitely continue on with the series – hopefully the next book is even better.
Barchester Towers, by Anthony Trollope – The second volume in Trollope’s celebrated Barchester series returns us to our old friends Eleanor and Mr Harding. The cataclysmic waves that reverberate through Barchester after the Bishop dies and a new Bishop with a completely different philosophy takes over are riveting. Wonderful new characters – Mrs Proudie, the Thornes, the Stanhopes and more – enter the world and it’s just a delight all around. I laughed out loud in nearly every chapter and enjoyed every second of this book – probably my favorite of the year so far.
The Making of a Marchioness, by Frances Hodgson Burnett – A romance between two decidedly unromantic characters – what could be better? Emily Fox-Seeton, a gentlewoman in reduced circumstances, unwittingly and unintentionally charms one of the most eligible aristocratic bachelors in all of England. The proposal – over a fish bucket! – is an absolute gem.
Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians who Helped Win the Space Race, by Margot Lee Shetterly – If you had no idea that black women worked at NASA in huge numbers (as “computers” – mathematicians) and that they were responsible for the calculations that kept WWII planes in the air and brought Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to the moon and back home, then you are just like me. This was a fascinating book that deserves all the attention it got. I haven’t seen the movie yet, but I want to!
Northbridge Rectory, by Angela Thirkell – I mistakenly skipped a couple of novels in the series and ended up in the middle of WWII, and it turns out it’s totally true what Thirkell bloggers say – the WWII books are the best. This one follows Verena Villars, wife of Vicar Gregory Villars, and a surrounding cast of neighbors, friends and billeted officers. It was delightful and I was truly sorry when it ended.
Greenery Street, by Denis MacKail – A rare novel indeed, Greenery Street tells the story of a happy marriage. Ian and Felicity Foster tie the knot and set up their first home in Greenery Street, where they tackle all of the common travails of newlywed-hood: Money Concerns; Family Drama; Rude Neighbors; and Problems With The Servants. (What, you haven’t had that last one? Ha!) It’s a joy and a hoot.
The Hate U Give, by Angie Thomas – Starr Carter, aged sixteen, is on her way home from a party with her oldest friend Khalil when they are stopped by the police. Moments later, Khalil is dead – a victim of police shooting – and Starr’s life is changed forever. Starr deals with her legal limbo as “the witness”; her grief over losing her friend; and the different reactions of others in her neighborhood and school communities. It’s a powerful, heart-rending read.
Hag-Seed, by Margaret Atwood – Atwood’s contribution to the Hogarth Shakespeare Project follows a washed-up old theatre director who takes his revenge on the former underling who betrayed him in the most Atwood-Shakespearean way possible: with a psychedelic and terrifying production of The Tempest, performed by a local correctional facility’s inmates. Like ya do.
The Little White Horse, by Elizabeth Goudge – Maria, orphaned but not alone, arrives at Moonacre Manor to live and claim her birthright. On her first moonlit drive in, she sees a magical white horse. Maria discovers that Moonacre is a lovely, magical place but with a tinge of old sadness, and she sets about correcting a generations-old mistake and righting the wrongs of the past. Lovely and charming.
A Gentleman in Moscow, by Amor Towles – Count Alexander Rostov is in his thirties when he is found to be an unrepentant aristocrat and sentenced by the Bolshevik to a lifetime of imprisonment in the grand hotel he calls home. Count Rostov’s sphere of movement is limited but he comes into contact with fascinating and wonderful characters from every walk of life, while Soviet history takes place right outside his window. I just adored Count Rostov and every other resident of the Metropol.
Emily Climbs, by L.M. Montgomery – A re-read of my favorite installment from my favorite series, Emily Climbs follows Emily Starr as she leaves New Moon to attend high school in Shrewsbury. Like with any good L.M. Montgomery novel, there are parties and social events, a healthy dose of academic competition, and a whole lot of gorgeous descriptive writing.
covered in flour 