From Where I Sit

By Pat Spilseth, Columnist

What a summer we’re having! Hot sun; great swimming, skiing and boating; reunions of family and friends; and lovely quiet mornings and moonlit evenings on the lake.

Remember those sticky lake flies we fought in June? Bugs would stick to bed sheets hanging on the clothesline in the back yard. The flies would coat screens on mom’s screened porch, obscuring our view of who was driving by. I had to content myself with reading under the porch light and remember that I wasn’t getting bitten by the buzzing bugs outdoors.

Meanwhile, today reminds me that summer vacation days are already half gone The best days in Minnesota scream by much too fast. July leads into those beastly hot and humid days of August. And all too soon September arrives. It’s back to school, football games and getting up early in the morning all over again.

Once again, July will probably be the best month of the year in Minnesota…this is the month offering the excitement of parades with marching bands, prancing horses, Shriners riding their scooters with tasseled hats, clowns blowing up balloons and tossing candy to kids, floats with beauty queens waving that standard “figure 8” wave and glorious fireworks exploding into the night skies.

All too soon, those uncomfortable dog days of August arrive when lakes across Minnesota are invaded by green algae and lily pads. Closed signs will be posted at public beaches: no swimming allowed due to lake poison, that uncontrolled itch that drives kids nuts. The nightly news on TV already has announced that many beaches are closed just when kids need to cool off during the sticky days of August. Everyone gets hot, itchy, grumpy and bored. Now is when we really need the lake to cool off. A few kids might even admit that they’re a bit anxious for school to start. Thank goodness for air conditioning!

When I was a kid I sorely remember suffering with swimmers’ itch. That bothersome skin rash was caused by an allergic reaction to microscopic parasites in the water. Smearing on pink Calamine lotion was the only remedy that worked when I needed to ease that persistent, crawly sensation of scratching myself bloody. Sometimes a bath in soda water would help ease the discomfort.

Those beastly dog days of summer usually occur between July 3 and August 11. Though it’s the warmest time of summer, the heat is not due to added radiation from a bright, far-away star. Rather, the heat is a direct result of the earth’s tilt.

July has been fabulous, but the days are much too short. I never get enough “moodling” time, that long, inefficient happy idling, dawdling and puttering time to let my imagination take me where it will. I’ve found that the best spot for me to enjoy moodling is when I’m stretched out on our dock reading a riveting mystery. As the gentle, rhythmic waves slap the shore, I’m mesmerized and fall into another dream world…

Writer Brenda  Ueland coined the word “moodling” to describe time to uncover what solitary pleasures might be fun. Ueland believes that bringing more of a sense of play into our days will enhance our lives. I know that’s a tough assignment for “A” type personalities, like me, but now is the time to change that “should” requirement of accomplishing something every day.

Ueland advocates that each of us consciously set aside time solely for rewarding reveries. Many of us can’t seem to fathom what to do when we have a couple of golden hours to ourselves. It’s hard to enjoy time to simply be…we feel guilty for wasting time. That’s silly! Leisure time is meant for “moodling.” This summer make time for yourself. Discover what brings you pleasure.

Summer days are dwindling…get outside and enjoy the leisure of a sun-filled day on the lake. Take time to dream.

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To contact Pat, email: pat.spilseth@gmail.com.