I never really knew my father’s mom and his dad passed away before I was born. My Gramma was my mom’s mom and her husband died when I was four. She was all I needed growing up.
She taught me how to mow her lawn. She made one helluva zucchini bread and her rose garden was beautiful.
My Gramma told me that her roses always bloomed in late June early July to celebrate my birthday.
My summer came in three parts when I was growing up. The first part being my favorite. School was out, the days were long and Loretta Zoellner’s roses were about to bloom.
The first part of summer ended the week of my birthday into Fourth of July.
By July Fifth the anticipation of seeing my Gramma’s roses was gone. My birthday was over and the remnants of Fourth of July were hauled out to the garbage cans.
The next part of Summer was the hot car seats of July. Usually by the Fifth of July I was kicked out of the neighborhood pool for causing trouble. So I had to find other ways of finding trouble. I found one way in the crab apple trees around the neighborhood. Crab apples were a perfect projectile to throw at cars. Crab apples were more dependable than their winter counterpart, snowballs.
By the third part of summer football practice and the anticipation of the new school year replaced being grounded from July 10th to the 30th.
The first part of the Summer of ‘23 is over. My fireworks this year came in a frightening text from my daughter. I was in bed at 8:15 last night and didn’t hear or see one boom or sparkle and I’m good with that….
I spent yesterday at a pool with old friends and new friends. The guacamole, the burnt ends and brisket and the jumbolaya took my mind off what the next part of summer might bring.
I kind of wish my parents were still around to ground me in July. Life was so much easier getting yelled at for throwing a crab apple at a Chevy Nova.
….and in typical fashion both Chicago baseball teams are horseshit. It isn’t even August and both the Sox and Cubs are out of the playoff hunt.
When August came around I’d go to Kresge’s, Hooks or Haags drugstores and comb the magazine aisle. Pro and College Football Magazines came out just before the season started. Pages filled with stats, predictions, rosters and schedules.
All of that is on the internet today
…..keeping kids from experiencing a stack of football magazines bought with allowance or left over birthday money.
There is so much summer of ‘23 ahead of us. The next eight weeks will bring ice cream cones, butterflies and lightning bugs. The hot sun of July and the smell of August rain.
I don’t have any crab trees in my neighborhood, so I won’t be dinging any Teslas and I’m too old to do a cannonball off of the high dive.
Let’s roll into July and make memories.
Make sure to use plenty of sunscreen and GoldBond.
