It’s been a hot one. Much as I like the play on words of “Summer Simmer,” it’s often been more of a full boil, even a raging inferno. Several wildfires in France this summer were in areas I visited in 2019 with my friends Pascale and Jacky. One of the worst was in the forest at the base of the Dune du Pilat. Here it is before the fires.

This was part of our trip to the Bassin d’Arcachon.  Many thanks to Pascale and Jacky I saw it when I did.

Even here in the states, it’s been hot. No AC at the lake house, but this worked . . .

I’m home now and my phone reminded me yesterday of another kind of summer simmer: our worst day ever in France. Usually I love slideshows of the same day in years past, but theses photos were of Saintes, 2014, after various boating misadventures and the ensuing heated words. Yikes. This is about as close as David got to me that day . . .

. . . at least until we had to get back on the boat. We worked it out, of course. We always did. But I didn’t really need that memory today. This is also when David’s cancer was discovered in 2016–discovered the 24th, confirmed the 29th–so reminding me of the date was less welcome than usual.

Time to think of better moments. Beckett just turned three on the 20th, and he’s so much fun.

One of the gifts I gave him is a French-English visual bilingual dictionary, and he loves it. He still has trouble pronouncing “L” which complicates learning the proper articles (le, la, les), but he’ll repeat things like, “C’est un serpent.” (It’s a snake.) Chelsea says he even wants it read to him at bedtime, but since she won’t attempt French pronunciation, it’s considerably less interesting, reduced to “Frog, toad, tadpole, . . . goldfish, swordfish, dorsal fin, gill,” admittedly a pretty weak plot line for a bedtime story. 😉 I’m just glad he’s still enjoys learning French, and of course I love when he’s says, “Je t’aime.” That’ll brighten any day.

Here’s hoping the heat lets up, both words and weather. And I’m praying you get to hear and say “I love you” frequently, in any language you choose.

Once more to the lake, as E.B.  White so eloquently wrote, and here I am, back at Lake Sunapee. The waves aren’t quite this dramatic . . .

. . . but enough to make Brittany and Andy’s dog, Bega, very excited as wake from passing boats swells into waves that crash against the shoreline. Also enough that I sometimes use the seated kayak option on my paddleboard, rather than standing, especially when the wind picks up.

Brittany’s post-chemo waves have resulted in hair that’s getting rave reviews wherever she goes . . .

Andy needs a little help to sport waves . . .

We’re also riding a new COVID wave. Just after the 4th, I had news of 19 friends and family who tested positive within the span of about ten days, including Chelsea’s family. Since I spend a large part of most days holding this little one . . .

. . . I was surprised not to catch COVID from him, but somehow didn’t.

Today would have been David’s 70th birthday, so that produces its own waves: nostalgia, wistfulness, and certainly joy and gratitude to have shared so much of his life.

And finally, we all know only too well these days how easily poorly-chosen or poorly-timed words can make waves, even–sometimes especially–with those we love very much. I wrote a poem a while back called “Warm Honey and Daggers” about the trouble and the sweetness of words, the impossibility of “taking back” words, however much we may wish we could.

So today I’m wishing you unsinkable watercraft, good hair days, strong immunities and/or speedy recoveries, comforting memories, and especially unending grace and forgiveness when words run amok.

Praying for you peace like this . . .

. . . and this . . .

May the waves never take you down!

I’m thinking a lot about birthdays right now . . .

. . . partly because I had one a few days ago, but also because a number of friends also celebrate birthdays near mine. My dear friends the Frenches take it to a whole new level, with about half their family’s birthdays within a couple of weeks. Hope you Frenches have had and/or will have wonderful times together celebrating each other!

It was a little bittersweet for me this year because this birthday specifically reminded me of one of David’s.  The “When I’m 64” post was the last carefree post about our adventures and our easy-breezy life just before his diagnosis. The photo in that post . . .

. . . was also the photo at the celebration of his life less than a year and a half later, so although I still love the photo and of course, all my memories of him, there’s more than one emotion going on.

We’ve had many great birthday celebrations over the years . . .

. . . and likely will again. I will appreciate every one of them.

But now my birthday will forever also be the anniversary of another horrifying school massacre. I don’t even have words for that. All I can do is pray . . . and vote: praying comfort and peace for those grieving and traumatized, healing for whatever evil or madness is running rampant, wisdom and courage to enact better policies to prevent yet another repeat . . . and voting for those who most seem to have the latter.

Meanwhile, the day after my birthday, I started as temporary nanny for this guy . . .

. . . while Chelsea and Brian work and his big brother Beckett is at daycare. So I will be doing my best, loving and caring for this little one (and his brother when I get to see him).  Hope you have someone to hug right now!

“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”  Jesus, as recorded in John 16:33