That Summer Feeling

For most of the country, Memorial Day hails in summer.  I live in Oregon.  Memorial Day hails in rain until at least July 4th. Yet it never fails that about Memorial Day I start singing the Jonathan Richman classic, That Summer Feeling.  For most of us long time, before he appeared in There's Something About Mary and became the odd darling of frat boys everywhere for about 3 minutes, fans, JoJo, is one of the best song writers and stage performers we have had in America in the last 40 years.  He is sincere. He is not jaded after years in the music industry. He's a fantastic poet and guitar player.  He can make a statement, make me think and make me laugh and smile all in one note.   I owe my love of summer to Jonathan Richman.  I first heard him and the Modern Lovers on a very rainy June afternoon in 1977.  It changed my life. Years later, I first heard That Summer Feeling when I was dating my now husband.  Broadside pointed out to me the poetic flavor of this song and that it was up there with Keats and Byron.  It was that connection to rock and roll and the classic poets that sort of sealed the deal with me and Broadside.
Jo Jo's song helps me get in the mood for summer with all it's flavors, light, heat, long days, smells.  It helps me stay present, as I don't want to miss a day of summer.
One of the things I look forward to every May is the opening of the Hollywood Farmer's Market.  It becomes my Summer Saturday ritual.  I love the people, the kids who dress up for the market in their pinks and purples, the dogs who greet me and the other dogs.  The coffee van, where I can go right up pay for my coffee and pull a cup right off the tap that is attached to the side of the truck.  I love the live music every week.  The thought I just might try a free acupuncture session.  The guy that sells the fresh chicken eggs and lamb. The free samples of food and drink.  (I developed my love a strong ciders at this market.)  Oh, and the fresh vegetables.  I load up on basil.  In an effort to  hoard pesto all summer for the winter like some crazy pesto loving squirrel.  I go rain or shine. I'll go well into November, when all that is left at the market are craft dealers selling soap and earrings and the vegetable selection is down to a few pumpkins, even the egg and lamb guy is gone.  I never spend a great deal of time there, but just enough to gather the experience.  It helps me create summer. As Saturday is usally a feast of cooking and eating a lot of what we purchase at the market.  I have some great memories of that market.

To celebrate the Farmer's Market and that Summer Feeling, this week I made a cotton market bag.  I'm working very hard at limiting my use of plastic bags, and I have a ton of shopping bags, but I felt the need to make a bag for The Farmer's Market.  So this is my That Summer Feeling Farmer's Market Bag.  It's that time of year to make memories.
Summer memories are some of the most joyful and fulfilling for me.
To quote a bit of Jo Jo Richman...
"When there's things to do not because you gotta
 When you run for love not because you oughta
 When you trust your friends with no reason notta
 The joy I name shall not be tamed
And that summer feeling is gonna haunt you one day in your life.
When the cool of the pond makes you drop down on it.
When the smell of the lawn makes you flop down on it.
When the teenage car gets the cop down on it.
That time is here for one more year.
And that summer feeling is gonna haunt you one day in your life."

Man, bring on summer! What is your favorite memories of summer?  How will you create that summer feeling in your life this summer? 

Until next week...create to feel great!  34 projects complete! 18 to go!

Update...The Going Overboard on Myself challenge- week 4
 I didn't sew anything for me this week.  Did I wimp out on the challenge? Is my inner child going to start stealing car hub caps because it feels cheated by me?  NO.  I didn't sew for me this week because of my eating healthy cleanse of last week and for five more weeks, I started to get rid of some the extra extra weight I'm dragging around. I decided not to sew for me again for a few more weeks.  I did sew for 3 weeks.  I'm happy with what I have, and I'm over the moon with the results of this cleanse.  Balance and health.  Amazing stuff, folks.  Amazing stuff.  Another reason to go to the Farmers Market!