Dear July,
We meet again.
Me? I’m a year older than the last time we spoke.
You? You never seem to change. For the most part, you’re still bright and sunny. A hot tamale for sure.
Me? I have a few more wrinkles in a few more places. Ironic that we can attribute some of that to you. Haha. No, really.
Remember When…
Remember when I turned five beneath the weeping willow tree? The playhouse, brand new, was the destination for a tea party-themed birthday. Bring your baby dolls, the invitations read. Momma tied long balloons to willow branches. Instantly, our backyard transformed into a wonderland. It was the year of the Buster Brown hairdos…
Remember when I turned nine beneath your delta skies? We took a trip to Shakey’s Pizza Parlor and the Pink Palace Museum in Memphis. Yes, that was the time Momma got into trouble for taking a picture of the moon rock. Strange to me, even today, why something that survived four billion years, space travel, and splash down couldn’t survive a 1971 Kodak flashbulb.
Remember when I turned twenty-one beneath the glittering lights of the Ginza District? Tokyo may as well have been the Moon to this farm girl. My friends and I celebrated with Lemon Highs— the ingredients we never knew. The bartender only spoke Japanese, of course, and I knew just a smidgen from my first year language class at Baylor University (which oddly enough included nothing about ordering alcohol)…
Remember when I turned thirty on Lakemere Drive in Dallas? A surprise birthday party that truly surprised me. Tate was two months old. I’d been helping a friend wallpaper all day. Surprise!!! Yes. I was. And I remember thinking how on earth am I thirty?
Remember when I turned fifty-five in Fayetteville? No? Well, I do. Ten days later I broke my wrist in a freak porch accident. We lost the remainder of our month together, July, and part of the next, with surgery and therapy and pain pills. Let’s not do that again, okay?
Enough about me.
Tell me about you.
Do you love that yours is the month of buzzing and chirping and lightning bug nights? Do you smile just a little when the cicadas and tree frogs greet you? When butterflies float through the very air you provide? When clouds drift overhead, hoping to be imagined into dogs and donuts? When the fruit is always sweet at the market, ripe on the vine? When shoulders are bare and souls feel a bit more free?
Welcome July.
Kick off your shoes and stay awhile.
Grace Grits and Gardening
Farm. Food. Garden. Life.
Oh this is a fabulous piece. Love the birthday memories of yesteryear. Have a lovely birthday month.
Thank you Cathy!
What a treat to read this!
I’m glad you enjoyed!
Your imagery makes this unbearably hot, July 4, just about bearable… thanks for sharing ?❤️
Thanks for reading and commenting!
I love your writing and the way you presented this very interesting timeline. Enjoyed your memories! and happy early or late birthday 🙂 I have very few detailed memories of years past.
Thank you so much!
I remember April birthdays for Lesa at Little River in Laverne’s front yard.
May birthday for me were friends coming over to the ‘big house’ to spend the night. Mom always made my favorite…Millionaire Pie. Haven’t made it before, but her being gone makes me wanting to make it.
I remember attending your birthday party at the “big house” too. And yes, Lesa’s parties too!
Love your birthday reminiscences, and the music video!
Thank you!
Chiggers! My parents had my future in-laws over to visit in July. Of course there was a breeze and they sat in the front yard to visit. I think we made homemade ice cream. My fiancee’s Dad got the worse case of chiggers and suffered quite a bit for the next several days! 0:
I love this! Such wonderful memories to share.
Hello July, one of my favorite months. I remember a hot day in July in Wilson , Arkansas, one of my favorite towns. My baby was due on the 3rd day of July. We were all excited and figured we would get a fire-cracker surprise on the 4th. Needless to say, you were four days late. Happy birthday month to my first born. (She’s a fire-cracker for sure)
I certainly loved this post of your memories. They are mine too.
I love that you use your gift for making plain words just light up the page! I grew up in Osceola, not far from your beginning and growing up days. Those were the best of times. Thanks for the trip down your memory lane.
Very well spoken down memory lane, hopefully 2024 is a blessed year for you and your family. Take care and have ca great day and week ahead. God Bless you and your family. Give Momma dear a hug for me. John (Stephen) Douglass IV
Thank you! Will do.