Hard to believe we are moving into the half-way point of the year. June is known as a month of celebrations; a month when a person celebrates milestones. What comes to mind as visible milestones are weddings and graduations.
I did get married in June, many, many, many years ago. My graduations from high school, and my college associate and bachelor’s degrees, however, were both in late May. So, for me, June is not only about celebrating milestones, but is more about reassessing where I am mid-way through another year. What do I look forward to for the rest of the year, and how do I plan where I want to go (as in both work goals and fun adventures) in the second half of the year.
Some of my June rituals are weekly or bi-weekly visits
to the farmers’ market, filling my deck with colorful potted flowers, a tomato
plant or two, and a variety of herbs, that grow from seedlings to full-grown
plants that I can use throughout the summer in cooking. The grill gets use
starting in June, unless we have a few magical, warm weather days in May…or
December (HA!). The hum of lawnmowers permeates the air—and at times, the noise
snaps me out of drafting an absolutely brilliant piece of writing.
Hey, I have to blame something on the reason why my
brain tends to turn to mush as we ease into the summer months.
This year, sadly, I have lost a lot of my creative brain.
But making a list for the 2nd half of the year, helps me try harder to actually
consult said list and…stick to the plan.
Is it time to reassess my annual goals? ALWAYS! And will
I be able take a well-deserved bow at mid-point and celebrate my
accomplishments of staying on track as dictated in my new year annual goal plan
that kicked off in January? Yes, goal reexamination is part of my personal
agenda in June. Is the plan I set out to accomplish this year, reasonable,
doable? Or, for sanity’s sake, should I reboot?
But my plans aren’t all work and no play. They also include
looking forward to the fun parts of the upcoming summer—my daughter’s family
visiting from Colorado in July or August. Spending more time with my grandson
here in-state, despite the fact his summer is usually as busy as the school
year. And best of all, I'll rejoice in time spent with family and friends, revel in the season of warmth, and applaud the bursts of color that paint our
world.
Despite the dreary day as thunderstorms move in, my
little corner of the world is ablaze with the color of irises and azaleas and
an assortment of flowering trees.
What
is your favorite part
about
the month of June?
The Love Left
Behind
A HARTFORD ESTATE (wedding venue)
Book
Amazon
(also
available in print)
Delsora Lowe writes small town sweet and spicy romances and contemporary westerns, from the mountains of Colorado to the shores of Maine.
Author of the Starlight Grille series, Serenity Harbor Maine novellas, and the Cowboys of Mineral Springs series, Lowe has also authored short romances for Woman’s World magazine (most recently, an Easter romance in the April 1, 2024 edition.) The Love Left Behind is a Hartford Estates, R.I. wedding novella with Book 2 on the way. A Christmas novel (The Inn at Gooseneck Lane) and novella (Holiday Hitchhiker – the youngest brother of the Mineral Spring’s ranching family) were the most recent releases. Look for book 3 of the cowboy’s series, as well as book 2 of the Hartford Estates series, to be released in late 2024 or early 2025.
Social Media Links:
Author website: www.delsoralowe.com
Facebook Author page: https://www.facebook.com/delsoraloweauthor/community/
Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Delsora-Lowe/e/B01M61OM39/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0
Books2Read Author page: https://www.books2read.com/ap/8GWm98/Delsora-Lowe
BookBub Author Page: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/delsora-lowe-93c6987f-129d-483d-9f5a-abe603876518
Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16045986.Delsora_Lowe
Instagram:
#delsoralowe / https://www.instagram.com/delsoralowe/
Images:
Celebrating: celebration
clipart images - Google Search
Graduation: Free
Vector | Free vector graduation poster (freepik.com)
TimeFlies: Free
Vector | Time flies concept illustration (freepik.com)
FrownieFace: Download
| FreeImages / Image by Freeimages.com
Flowers: photo by author
No wonder you are so productive! You are super-organized. I hope you enjoy good health and smooth sailing for the second half of the year.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite thing about June is the beautiful weather here in the Pacific NW. I love the sunny-but-not-hot days and cool nights.
Happy Writing!
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ReplyDeleteMy favorite part of June is finally having my yard in some shape so I can enjoy the view from my office windows. This year things are a bit late although right now plants are at least planted. I've had to move from traditional PNW plants to ones that are a bit more draught tolerant so they survive the heat and cold.
ReplyDeleteAs for goals. I set extremely modest ones because of a plethora of health issues at the beginning of the year. Now that I'm doing better, I'll see what I might change...although I'm waiting on that until late July or early August when the last tests are done and I've a better idea of what is in store for me going forward.
What is the flowering tree whose blooms you've captured at the end of your post?
I am right there with you on enjoying the garden as everything is blooming . Vegetables are growing and cherries are ready to be picked.
ReplyDeleteSorry for responding so late. Wasn't feeling well last week. Judith - it is a plum tree - which unfortunately is almost dead. This is the last part of the tree that is blooming. I hope it will bloom again this year. Love this tree.
ReplyDeleteRight now, with lots of rain recently, my poor garden has exploded with color and weeds. The iris's now gone by and need to be deadheaded and desperately need thinning out. The lilies are ready to open up and another plant (which I can't remember the name of, has pretty little yellow flowers.) My Mother's Day geranium is bursting after the last few days of moisture.
Diana - I so envy your cherries. I just bought some Oregon cherries at the grocery for a whopping $7.99 a pound. But hey, they only come once a year, so...
Sarah - I do love spring in the NE, but now the days are much hotter and more humid than they were when I first moved from Washington, D.C. to get away from that kind of weather. But today is glorious, cool (until noon hits,) sunny, breezy and humidity is down - but that was before 8 a.m.)
I love your productivity and your focus, despite your feeling like your creative brain is slacking. This is a great reminder to reassess goals. I'm not even sure I ever got around to setting any...was too busy with editing and working on the RIRW retreat in January. And somehow here we are mid-year. So thanks for the nudge to look at all that stuff now.
ReplyDeleteI hope you're feeling better.
My favorite thing about June is that the daylight lasts soooo long. Especially in Maine. On the "longest" day of the year (Summer Solstice?) the day begins at 4:45 and ends at 8:25. Love, love, love, so much sunlight.
ReplyDeleteJanet - sorry to not reply earlier. My goals schedule is still totally off-balance, but I hope to get back on track soon. Good thing I write down goals, or I would get nothing accomplished. It's always a good way to remind myself...
ReplyDeleteKelly - I totally agree about the long days. I seem to be more productive when the sun is out and shining. My problem is, I forget to eat dinner until late, because I still think it is late afternoon, instead of well past dinnertime :-)
ReplyDelete