This Is My Brain on Summer

My attention span suffers from a bad case of summeritis. That’s right, it flits like a firefly, shoots like a Roman candle, and lands like a cannonball at the town pool.  Since I can’t manage a handful of paragraphs on one topic, I’ll take the scattershot approach.

Flits like a firefly

My children make fun of my not-smart phone, but I had the last laugh over the Fourth of July weekend. Three hours from home, I discovered I’d forgotten my phone charger. Worse, I had to remain out-of-town for a couple of days after my husband returned home, and we’d planned to stay in touch via phone. For the heck of it, I plugged my Kindle charger into my phone, and it worked! Bwahaha! Those of you with iPhones wouldn’t be as lucky. (Then again, perhaps you wouldn’t forget a phone in the first place.) For future short trips, I’m only bringing the Kindle charger. Pack light, right?

Alas, the phone charger wasn’t the only thing I forgot. I neglected to pack a comb. When Hubs returned home, and I could no longer borrow his, I had to improvise because heaven forbid I run to the store with uncombed hair. I used a fork. Go on, laugh. It resulted in an acceptable if wind-blown look. (At least that’s what I told myself.)

Shoots like a Roman candle

The symptoms of summeritis vary from individual to individual, but one of mine is a longing for France. Since I’ve got no chance of a European adventure this year, I’m appeasing my Francophile yearning by reading Ann Mah’s MASTERING THE ART OF FRENCH EATING and following David Lebovitz’s blog, Living the Sweet Life in Paris. 

I resisted Mah’s book for a while because the title, meant as homage to Julia Child’s MASTERING THE ART OF FRENCH COOKING, put me off. The title still leaves me cold, but the book is a warm reminiscence of writer Mah’s struggle to make the most of a year alone in Paris while her diplomat husband serves in Iraq. Making the most of a year in Paris wouldn’t be a hardship for some, but know that Mah, a newlywed at the time, experiences the same disappointment a military spouse feels when a last-minute change in assignment sends off the soldier while the trailing spouse is left behind to adjust to new surroundings, a new culture, new people. Curiosity, an insatiable interest in food, and a job help Mah adjust. I'm devouring the book and recipes.

Pastry chef David Lebovitz’s blog reflects his wide-ranging interest in food, travel, and cooking. His books include THE SWEET LIFE IN PARIS, which I own, and his latest, MY PARIS KITCHEN, which I intend to buy tout de suite.

Lands like a cannonball

Three times over the past week and in two different locales, I’ve seen Realtor signs in front of existing houses with a “Coming Soon” message. In other words, those houses sprouted for sale signs before they were for sale. Is “Coming Soon” meant to create a sense of urgency? is it a way for listing agents to garner the names and phone numbers of potential buyers? To me, the sign signals a seller’s market. There was a time, not too long ago, when I couldn't picture people taking Sunday drives to look at neighborhoods and houses. 

See what I mean about my attention span? How’s yours this summer?