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Posted by on Wednesday, July 2, 2008 at 11:13 AM (PST)
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SUMMER DAYS & INDEPENDENCE
- Liane Weintraub, Editor-in-Chief
Ah, summer. Now, I know the season’s technically been here since Memorial Day, but for me, “real summer” starts right now, around the 4th of July. For some reason, even though school’s out & the beaches are crowded, I don’t quite give myself permission to feel like we’re in those glory days until I start seeing American flags planted in every front yard. Then, the unmistakable scent of BBQs being fired up across the neighborhood seeps in & I’m finally ready to declare my own independence!
What shackles am I shrugging off, you may ask? I wish I could tell you that I’m on a major crusade or I’m no longer enslaved to schedules & conference calls, but the shift I’m talking about is a little subtler. It’s mostly an attitude adjustment, and I’m happy to say that it’s happening as I write!
For one thing, even though Tastybaby’s in full swing, it seems that everyone around us has gone into slow motion, which is kind of wonderful. Every urgent matter is somewhat tempered by the knowledge that there are people – lots of them! – on the beach, doing nothing. And while every day in Southern California is the equivalent of a “casual Friday,” July seems to take that concept to a new extreme.
My strongest summer inspiration is my children, who are so excited about the long, lazy days before them, they can barely contain themselves. Their enthusiasm is pretty infectious. It brings back all my own childhood memories of summer: meals eaten outdoors, the smell of
sunscreen (protection factor, like 150), sand in our bathing suits, tar on our soles, staying up past bedtime because, well, why not? It all takes me back …
Probably the greatest thing about this season is that we happen to live in the ultimate summer location. (Now, here’s a disclaimer that may throw a damper on that: my favorite time of year in Malibu is actually the off-season, which is to say the fall & winter months. But more about that when the chill of 60-degree weather hits us over here!) But there’s still no denying that this is the time of year that Malibu was “made” for. Our beaches are fantastic, the surfing is legendary, the “hey, dude” attitude is right on the money & everyone on the planet would do anything to be here in July & August … lucky us!!! As the phone rings off the hook with calls from every friend living inland – “hey, just checking in to see what’s happening this weekend …” – it’s really impossible not to feel privileged that we live here full-time.
So, I hope you’ll forgive me if I cut my post a little short … you see, the weather is incredible today & I’m taking my kids to the beach. Sure, I’ll have my Blackberry on me & there’s still some work to be done, but since it’s officially summertime, I’ll be taking those calls while the surf crashes nearby. Happy summer!!!
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