Summer Storms

I love summer storms. We've had two in the last two days, and they have been spectacular. After getting through a sweltering day, I love how the storms sort of pop up out of nowhere. Two days ago I filled up the smaller of our two inflatable pools (the one that belongs to my parents) around noon and let the heat of the day warm up the water. Around 3:00 pm we headed outdoors, myself included, and splashed away. One eye, however, was turned toward the sky, as a dark gray cloud loomed closer and closer. We heard the rumble of thunder yet continued to play: no flashes in the sky yet. The rumbles got louder as we continued to splash. Finally the darkness quickly overtook us, the kids hustled inside as I ran around the yard picking up toys amid the first fat drops of cold rain. I put the lid on the sandbox as the first flash split the dark sky.

Yesterday was a similar day. Sweltering heat, almost too hot to play outdoors, even when spraying the hose on the kids in our newly invented game of "Sneak and Spray" (Hey, what can I say -- I'm desperate). The air conditioning is on and the VCR is running. (Don't get me started on that one). We paid a trip to the air conditioned library in the morning, to sign Aidan up to the reading program in which I participated as a young girl, although it's much more catchy now. Aidan is now a Library Detective, with Badge #206 adorned with his name proudly displayed on the Children's Room of our local library. He must read 20 books, written down on the pages provided, in order to receive a prize. He wanted to ready all 20 today. Not that he can read ... that's my department. I told him we have to spread it out a bit. We checked out 5 books to start (and already read 3).

The sky had just started to blacken again, as I noticed while changing the sheets in the kids' room, seeing a dark sky out their window. I went outdoors to clean up the yard, and the approaching storm-breeze felt so refreshing, so lovely. I picked up my glass of wine -- leftover from the previous night's feast, the Saint-Veran Bourgogne Blanc -- and sat down on our small back porch, not suitable for sitting necessarily, but fine for me, sipping chilled white wine, feeling the cool storm-breeze wash over me, seeing the early fat rain drops hit the ground with a mighty splat. It was marvelous. My brain was free from anxiety, from worry, from anything ... just enjoying my wine and the breeze and the darkness, while the kids watched a "Maisy" video checked out from the library. However, the wind soon picked up, the fat drops of rain started pelting me as well as the ground, so I headed inside.

It would be over soon, this sporadic summer storm. The house is dark -- "as dark as as movie studio," said my little boy. Don was heading home soon, with a pizza from our favorite local pizza parlor (it's "Customer Appreciation Week," with pies selling for a scant $4.99 -- ironically, the pizza was burned. Gross. Disappointing.). Later that night, after the kids went to bed, I headed out to my youngest brother's house, to have a "girl's night out" -- on their front porch -- with my sister-in-law, Michelle, who over the years has become one of my very best friends. I needed this escape. Although I didn't leave until after midnight. I hope today I don't suffer.

I love summer storms. I love the smell, the display of beauty and magnificence, the sounds, the intense feeling of my smallness and God's hugeness. My mom has cancer; God is beyond huge. I hope I hang on to these feelings, this sense. I feel good.