Friday Five: God Days of Summer

Presbyterian Gal at RevGalBlogPals (who obviously doesn't live in Maine, at least not this year) writes:
It’s August. An oppressively hot and humid month where many of us live.

I remember the Al Pacino movie though not much about the plot. Just that it was very, very hot. And he had giant sweat stains on his shirt.

As I pass through this year’s dog days in my felon ridden neighborhood (OK, just two housefuls. But isn’t that enough?), I am trying to focus on the blessings apparent around me, past and present, that I might not notice, necessarily. In that spirit, this week’s Friday Five goes thusly:

1. What is your sweetest summer memory from childhood? Did it involve watermelon or hand cranked ice cream? Or perhaps a teen summer romance. Which stands out for you?
Any summer when I got to spend time at my grandmother's home -- which was also my grandfather's farm. Although Grampie retired from dairy farming when I was fairly young, they both still gardened, and one memory is of freshly-picked summer vegetables, especially tomatoes with sugar on them. They also had a "camp" at "The Point" (one of many such in Harpswell) and we'd spend some time there too. In later years I had more chances to experience being with them in other seasons, but in childhood it was usually summer, so that's a great memory.
2. Describe your all time favorite piece of summer clothing. The one thing you could put on in the summer that would seem to insure a cooler, more excellent day.
In high school and college, I had a sleeveless madras plaid shift -- blue -- it was so cool and nice!

3. What summer food fills your mouth with delight and whose flavor stays happily with you long after eaten?
Berries -- strawberries, raspberries, blueberries. Yum!

4. Tell us about the summer vacation or holiday that holds your dearest memory.
I have a lot of trouble with those "-est" words, as they tend to change frequently for me. So, here's one of them: in 1973, after Onkel Hankie Pants got out of the Army but I was still in, he joined me in Berlin and at the end of the summer, we visited his cousin in Munich and also took a Rhine River cruise from Frankfurt to Coblenz. People actually do (or at least did then) sing the song as the boat passes by Die Lorelei. Here's what it was like:


5. Have you had any experience(s) this summer that has drawn you closer to God or perhaps shown you His wonder in a new way?
I'm afraid it hasn't been that kind of a summer. But it's not over yet.

Bonus question: When it is really hot, humid and uncomfortable, what do you do to refresh and renew body and spirit?
It has really not been bad here this year, and right now, and for a few days, it's been rainy with temps hovering around 60 degrees! My favorite memory of something to do in such weather was going to an air-conditioned theater to see The Secret of Roan Inish. The great story, beautiful music, air conditioning, and of course the windswept Irish island setting cooled me right down!