The Middle of Summer

While Christy faces The End of Summer, up on the Canadian prairies, we’re smack in the middle of our summer season. And it’s been a hot, humid summer with temperatures close to 90 degrees F (30 C).

I know. Some of you are laughing at me right now. But to this Canadian, the 90 degree temperature is as bad as minus 40 in the middle of a winter blizzard.

This year on Seabrook’s pond, there’s no time to dilly-dally and hide from the heat. We decided to spruce up our duck pond by adding a fountain.

Except we discovered the trees we’d planted 19 years ago blocked our view, so we needed to move them. The man with his head in the tree mover is my husband. His self-assigned job was to ensure no branches were lost in the process.

Then we figured we needed a viewing area, somewhere closer to the pond than our back deck, a place we could sit and watch the ducks and their ducklings without frightening them into their hiding spot in the trees. We filled in the tree holes, built a wooden border, and started digging.

The plan had grown from installing the fountain and moving two trees to visions of flowerbeds, benches, and a tiny gardening shed surrounded by cedars and shrubs.

Sometimes in the middle of summer, when the temperature and humidity are soaring, and I’m standing on the top of a ladder sweating my butt off, I really miss winter.

So what do you dislike most about your favorite season that makes you long for the days of your least-liked season?

The End of Summer

For our family, this week is the official last week of summer. I frankly can’t believe it is August and the summer is almost over. It seems the older my kids get, the busier we are and the shorter summer becomes. While I’m ready to get back into some semblance of a routine, here are a few things I have enjoyed about this summer:

Snickers at Lake with Friends

1. House full of kids. We’ve had an unusually high amount of sleepovers at our house this summer. From teenaged boys crashed in the basement after hours of ping-pong and video games to girls dancing overhead in my daughter’s room. I love that the kids gather at our house, even though it means I’m usually low on food and never seem to know what day of the week it is. I hope next summer is exactly the same.

2. A weeklong family vacation. We spent a week, just the four of us, in Colorado this summer. It’s not often that we go away just as a family and I love our time together. The kids get along because they don’t have anyone else to talk to. My kids count the years until we don’t have to do this again, while my husband and I tearfully count how few years are left of having the kids under our roof.

Hershey at Lake with Friends

3. Group vacations. We took several multi-family vacations this year. From our baseball tournament in Florida to our week at the lake with friends and several weekend hops, we have spent a lot of time in the company of our dear friends. The kids enjoy traveling with friends and there’s nothing better than sharing memories with others.

I had hoped to get a lot of work accomplished this summer, but I can’t seem to finish a thought, much less a manuscript. I hope your summer has been as wonderful and not as hectic as mine. If you have a moment, I’d love to hear about your summer, too.

Celebrating the Olympics

This week I’m celebrating the Olympics–Summer & Special–with the release of my latest novel WHISPER PRIVILEGES. Official release date is August 8th!

Miami, Florida is the venue for the Special Olympics National Games and Clay Rutledge’s son is competing in the games. A sure bet to win the gold, father and son plan to ride their tropical victory to the World Games—until an unexpected turn of events jeopardizes their plans for fortune and fame.

Tasked with managing the events, Sydney quickly learns that Clay’s quiet, sexy confidence demands special attention, something she’s more than willing to oblige.  But a jealous ex-lover of a boss has other plans, as does her office nemesis.

Trapped between a desire to mix business with pleasure and a boy who reminds her of a life she swore to move beyond, Sydney is at a personal crossroads.  She can have career or love—but to attain both requires a consent she yearns to give but fears impossible…

**Don’t be fooled by the venue, this one’s a passionate chase!!

Not only am I hosting a special giveaway for the events, I’m donating $1 to the Special Olympics for every comment/entry received.  And if that’s not enough excitement, I’m also making available my award-winning JENNIFER’S GARDEN — FREE — for 2 weeks only! Full details can be found at my website: www.diannevenetta.com

So grab a free copy of the first novel in my series, culminating with the current release WHISPER PRIVILEGES and help the Special Olympics at the same time.  I do love win-win!

Happy Memorial Day!

On this holiday, I’m going to make my post very short and sweet so those of you kind enough to read can get away from the computer and enjoy the day with your families and friends.

The parents on my son’s baseball team were helping me brainstorm blog ideas and one fine gentleman (you know who you areJ) suggested I write about how kids these days don’t really know what Memorial Day celebrates. To most kids, the holiday represents a long weekend, the start of summer, when the pool opens, and when dad fires up the grill after a winter hiatus.

It’s sad to think that even in the middle of a war, most of our youth don’t have an appreciation for the sacrifice brave men and woman have made and continue to make on their behalf. Come to think of it, most adults don’t have the proper appreciation for the holiday, either.

So be sure to raise your flag today, thank someone in the service (past or present), or say a prayer for those fighting for our country and away from the ones they love. Don’t ever forget what a privilege it is to be an American. I’d love to put a name to our prayers, so if you have a loved one or a friend serving our country, please let us know in the contact section. I’ll start: my nephew Christopher is proudly serving in the Navy. We miss you, bud.