Gliding through summer

My older son Corley recently described August as the Sunday night of the summer. I tend to agree, but I'm determined to stay low-key and content as long as I can. Even though I have had to go to my Day Job more days than not, I have arranged my time off in July and August to maximize good fun with my family. That in itself isn't unusual, but this year, I have "bonus" days off as a result of five furloughed Fridays. This last Friday we piled in the van and day-tripped to Island Beach State Park in New Jersey. No boardwalk. No arcade. No shops of beachwear or gifts. Just the Atlantic Ocean to the east and Barnegat Bay to the west. Plenty of gluten-free food because I packed it and put it in the cooler. It was a beautiful day and it had many parts: Boogie boarding, walking along the beach, spotting dolphins in the distance, and constructing sand castle engineering projects. We were treated to a gorgeous sunset on the bay on our way out of the park. I violated one small no-trespassing suggestion to find the amazing view in the pic below.

Some days I have to bring more intention to finding my happy place than others. As the Sunday night feeling of the nearing end of summer sneaks up on me a little more, I'm appreciating the low-key glide that I've had the last couple of months. I'm especially rejoicing that between now and Labor Day, I'm actually off from work more than I have to go. By a lot. I am definitely appreciating that. And I will do my best to be centered in the moment, be open to the gifts that present themselves, and will milk the end of the season for all it's worth.