Welcome, Summer! 🌞
(according to me)
Does anyone else find it confusing that the Summer Solstice is known as both the First Day of Summer and Mid-Summer? (Same with Winter Solstice.) Which is it? The beginning or the middle?
In my part of the world (Oh, Canada), it doesn’t really fit either, if I’m going by how the weather/climate feels. It’s between the beginning and the middle. I say Summer begins June 1 because a few years ago, I decided I live seasonally, and I needed something between month and year for goal planning. So, I divided up the year into four seasons as such: Winter is December to February, Spring is March to May, Summer is June to August, and Autumn is September to November. Does the weather always “match”? No. Do I have sub-seasons like “Spooky Season” and “Christmastime”? Yes. Overall, it works for me in regards to plans and vibes.
Today, I will update my Notion page, where I keep my seasonal priorities and list of significant dates. It’s time to change my computer wallpaper folder from ‘Spring’ to ‘Summer Seascapes’ (this includes the photo at the top, which I took in October in Goderich, ON) and choose a new phone wallpaper. I will also pull four tarot or oracle cards to do a seasonal read (last season, this season, next season, and the season after that) to see what’s in store for me.
What will you do to welcome Summer?
I think I want to have a Nostalgic Summer. It’s been a long time since I had a summer vacation from school. Those blissful two months with no responsibilities, no plans, no bedtime. Tragically, I can’t recreate that without giving up my source of income (damn capitalism). But I can create a playlist and vibe to childhood and teen favourites. I can prioritize summer activities like going to the park to read in the shade. I can visit my parents more often, to spend some time touching grass in the country. (The ultimate goal: find a tree to climb! When was the last time you climbed a tree?!) I can plan a trip to Lake Huron (where I grew up- ultimate nostalgia). I can let myself indulge in video games, arts & crafts, and writing terrible emo poetry. And popsicles. Just try to keep me away from popsicles and freezies.
Lights’s song “Long Live” is ultimate nostalgic, laid-back summer vibes for me. If you’re around my age (“Thirty-four is not mid-thirties! It’s late twenties!”) and a Lights fan, you’ll love the references.
“Long live the mother fucking teen. Long live the dream.”
Book Update
I wish I had another exciting step completed to officially check off- but I am still waiting for my alpha reader to finish her read and feedback. (She’s not overdue; I’m just insistent that I will not want to read feedback on any stories before I have all the feedback, including overall thoughts.)
I’ve been doing other book prep like book cover (reveal soon!), introduction, back cover description and other copy, and some fun marketing content. (I made a poster for each story using photos from Pinterest!)
At this rate, the publication date may be encroaching on Spooky Season, which may benefit my marketing efforts, so I’m not chastising myself for my slow process. This is not, unfortunately, my full-time job, after all.
The next step in my book reveals would be to share the one-sentence synopsis for each story, but… since the stories may still get some big changes in editing after feedback, I don’t want to put those out yet. Forgive me. I know you’re dying for more sneak peeks.
I wish you all a Summer season as close to your favourite childhood summer as you can get. I wish you only even tans and no sunburns. I wish you BBQs with besties, aquatic adventures, and gardens full of fresh veggies.
Yours in nostalgia,
.tish