Nothing Like July! by Susan Aylworth

I remember the long, lazy summers of my childhood. School let out before Memorial Day and didn't resume until after Labor Day. The time in between allowed for endless picnics, tree forts, neighborhood plays and parades and swim days, and peaceful, quiet naps in the shade of our mulberry tree. Of course, one of July's all-time favorite moments is the fireworks we enjoy on the 4th. The image below shows the fireworks display over the golden bridge in Sacramento, at the edge of Old Town.

The school calendar has stretched a little at a time until July has become the only summer month left to today's kids. But oh, what fun July can be! To celebrate the month, I'm sharing some of my favorite quotations about July and summer.

"July is a blind date with summer." - Hal Borland

What a fun idea! I can happily "date" summertime if July is the meetcute we share. 

From the Blue Mountain Blog comes this verse:

"Barbeques and picnics,/ Swimmers soaking up the rays./ Bike rides in the country./ Shady spots on sunny days.../ Summertime vacations./ Lemonade on front porch swings./ Special thoughts and memories of July's most favorite things."

Writer Jenny Han claims that "Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August." As one born in winter, I claim exceptions to that rule, but I can see where she gets the idea. 

World-class competitive eater Joey Chestnut has a different ambition: "I'd like to go out on top, preferably breaking a world record on the fourth of July." I've never aspired to become a competitive eater--although at times, I suspect I almost qualify--but setting any kind of record on the Fourth of July does sound like a thrill.

This summer, July for Roger and me brought travel and family time. We shared the Fourth with a son, the following week with our daughter, and the one after that with my sister, adding visits with a couple of brothers along the way. If July brings nothing but some extended family time, that's reason enough to love it. 

Happy summer! 

Susan Aylworth is the author of more than 20 novels. Watch for her Seasons of Destiny series coming soon and two new additions to her Christmas Town collection, available this holiday season. Over the Rainbow, the prequel to her Rainbow Rock Romance series, is available FREE at her website, susanaylworthauthor.com. Contact her on her Facebook author page or via susan.aylworth.author@gmail.com or on Twitter @Susan Aylworth. 

A Picture Worth How Many Words?? by Pat Simmons

It’s an old saying, but  true. I enjoy taking pictures with family and friends at events or on trips. In this one, an author friend’s daughter captured me in a lively discussion with K.M. Jackson at a book conference last month.

The expressions on our faces, including the bewildered look on my husband’s face are priceless. Do you talk using your hands? Does your body language say it all? You don’t have to be an author to build a story around these two photos.

In the first one, I’m frowning and wagging that dreaded finger while K.M. is smiling with her cute dimple. My husband is caught in the middle and looks like he is refereeing.

In the second photo, we’re posing as if we kissed, made up and are one big happy family. For the record, we’ve always been friends and there was no argument, but a discussion about the book industry.

Well, I guess that would be enough to make someone frown.

Have you ever taken a photo where you had to explain what is happening in it?

Have a happy summer and take plenty of great photos.

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Pat Simmons has penned more than thirty-five titles. She is a self-proclaimed genealogy sleuth who is passionate about researching her ancestors, then casting them in starring roles in her novels. She is a three-time recipient of the Romance Slam Jam Emma Rodgers Award for Best Inspirational Romance. Pat describes the evidence of the gift of the Holy Ghost as a life-altering experience. She has been a featured speaker and workshop presenter at various venues across the country.Pat has converted her sofa-strapped sports fanatical husband into an amateur travel agent, untrained bodyguard, GPS-guided chauffeur, and administrative assistant who is constantly on probation. They have a son and a daughter. Pat holds a B.S. in mass communications from Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts. Check out her summer reads at www.patsimmons.net.