Tooting Minnesota's horn

I have been berated/chastised for bashing on Minnesota winters so I will now write wonderful things about Minnesota summers. Some people, and several come to mind, will understand exactly what I said about the winters and spring break. And some people, who shall remain nameless, obviously need things balanced out. I will oblige those nameless people.

Summer in Minnesota is so wonderful. Yes, it is hot and yes, it is humid, but the winters are so bad for me that you will never hear me complain about the heat. I love the heat and the sun. The past couple of summers have been spent with my neighbor, Marit, who lived across the road from me. She has two kids of her own and watches several others during the summer for day care. We went many places together and had a great time. We rode bikes to parks, of which there are plenty, and had picnic lunches. We went to the beach and stayed for hours, slathering on sunscreen, playing in the water with the kids, and building lots of sand creations. We would sit in each others driveways or yards and read books or talk as the kids rode bikes or scooters in the street and played, mostly, wonderfully together. The evenings were so beautiful, only slightly marred by the mosquitos. Marit and her husband, Doug, had a fire pit in their backyard and we spent lots of nights having bonfires and roasting marshmallows with other neighbors and friends.
The kids played sports and we were kept busy going to games and practices. Analee played soccer and softball and Jacob played softball and baseball. It was hot so we had to make sure to bring plenty of water. You can meet the most interesting people, or learn the most interesting things about people just by listening to those around you, while sitting on the side lines.
The Earle Brown Days parade was always in the summer and we would go to the Larsen's house to watch it because they lived right on the parade route, close to the judging area, so we could see most of the band and flag girl performances. Many other friends were invited to their house and it was such a fun night, hanging out on the sidewalk, eating goodies and being with good people.
The library was within walking/biking distance and we went there at least once a week. The community center was used for swimming lessons and family fun nights and, when the kids were younger, for dancing lessons for Analee. Our backyard was quite large and we played family games like kickball, tag and baseball. The swingset was heavily used and I loved being able to stay outside until 9:00 and it was still light. The kids stay up late in the summer because it is so enjoyable to have everyone together. I don't mind how dirty they get during the day which may or may not mean they need to have a bath every night so I don't have to think about them sleeping while smudged with dirt or slathered in sunscreen or with dried sweat on them. Summer in Minnesota was a great time and I will miss it and all the people who made it wonderful, including the nameless person. He knows who he is and he is a stinker but we love him and he better still be coming to see us this summer. I hope this blog makes him happy and lets him know that we do love and miss Minnesota. We still call it home.