“There’s a time of year that we always hold dear, good old summertime, with the birds and the trees’es and the sweet-scented breezes……..and life is one beautiful rhyme, no trouble annoying, each one enjoying the good old summertime.” ~ Ren Shields

When I was a child, the summer months meant no school and time to play. I have many wonderful memories of summer, which always included a week at the beach. There was no air conditioning or pool to help cool us off, but I do remember cold watermelon and lots of homemade ice cream to help us cool off.

Summer was a time to step away from the busyness of the world and enjoy time with family, read a book, play a game, plant and harvest food, or complete a project.

The past 3 ½ months have not been ‘summertime.’ Not by choice, many of you have stepped away from your busyness, slowed down, and reflected on what is important in your life. It’s been a time to have meals with your family, play a game, take a walk, call a friend, write a note, finish a project around your home, do a craft and to help the fight against COVID, many of you have made face masks for yourselves and others.

Because COVID-19 has been playing havoc with all of our lives, this has been and will be a different summer as plans are altered for summer vacations and house guest, camps or VBS for the kids, etc. but COVID-19 doesn’t have to cancel the rest of your summer. Focus on what you can do and delight in the small pleasures:

• Take a picnic to the park…..or your backyard.
• Churn a freezer of homemade ice cream.
• Fly the American Flag for the 4th of July.
• Enjoy a late afternoon walk or bike ride in your neighborhood.
• Spend a Saturday morning at a Farmer’s Market.
• Hang wind chimes on your porch or from a nearby tree.
• Feed the humming birds and take time to watch them come to your feeder.
• Pick blueberries at a local ‘pick-your-own’ farm.
• String lights around your deck or patio.
• Learn a new game with your family. Color Ku is a new game I recently bought and one that everyone who wants to play works together to solve the puzzle.
• Refresh a room or rooms in your home with a new coat of paint. Call me, and I can help you make a color choice.

Yes, we’re in this together!

Summer is passing quickly, and soon the ‘good ole summertime’ of 2020 will be over. Celebrate, make memories, and be thankful!

Summer recipe to cool you off…..

Vanilla “White” Ice Cream

Enough for 4 or 5 quart freezer

2 quarts Half & Half

1 pint regular whipping cream

¼ tsp. salt

2 ½ Tbls. clear vanilla flavoring

4 oz. Cool Whip

2 cups sugar

*optional: chopped sweetened fruit

Mix all ingredients well in the canister and add milk to the fill line if needed. Let chill overnight or several hours.

Use electric freezer….layer ice & ice cream salt….use lots of salt.

As soon as freezer stops, take dasher out (it will be easier to dip the ice cream out of the canister without the dasher), put the lid back on and let ripen 30 minutes or more…..pack with more ice and salt. After packing the freezer with more ice and salt, I always lay a couple of clean old towels on top while the ice is ripening.

This is our favorite homemade ice cream recipe given to me by a dear friend, Ramona Trivette. Her mother, Nell Henderson, perfected this recipe July 1, 1985. Nell made this often for her family.