Yesterday was a scorcher, at least for Cape Cod in June. It got into the 80’s, about as hot as we usually get in August, but I was lucky as my house got a breeze so it stayed cool. I did have to go out as I had an afternoon concert. We played bluegrass, and it went well. I have another concert this afternoon. We’re playing Beach Boys’ music.

When I was a kid, I didn’t know anyone who played a musical instrument. My grandparents had a piano but neither of them played. I think it was more of a status symbol and a place to put knick-knacks. I never saw the keys.

The last day of school was always a short day. We cleaned out our desks and got our report cards. The first thing each of us did was turn the card over and check the bottom where it said promoted to whatever the next grade was. You could hear sighs of relief from all over the room. Nobody cried or looked downtrodden so I figured everyone got promoted or there were some very fine actors in my class.

Summers always seemed endless back then. When I was young, I spend many hours at the playground under the trees on the field at the bottom of my street. I played softball, threw horseshoes, took tennis lessons, played checkers, learned to play chess and worked with gimp. I also remember one particular craft. I painted a wooden tray with rabbits among some branches and leaves. When I finished, it was beautiful which came as a huge surprise. I had no talent for painting or drawing though I do think my stick figures were fairly attractive. I always thought that tray was my biggest summer accomplishment.

Words and phrases go out of fashion. Yesterday going through the wringer popped into my head. My mother used to have a washing machine with a wringer, and I knew a kid whose arm had gotten caught in a wringer so that phrase had meaning for me. When we were going to bed, my mother used to say, “Sleep tight and don’t let the bedbugs bite.” I never quite got that one. Hit the hay meant going to bed. I never questioned it. I just went to bed.

There are phases we still use which make little sense anymore. I understand get off your high horse and burn the midnight oil but neither has a frame of reference. When I taught, I used to make carbon copies then I’d use a mimeograph machine to print pages. When I’d pass the pages out in class, many of the students used to smell the paper.

Sounding like a broken record was never a good thing not was the need to bite the bullet. When was the last time you rolled up the window or hung up the phone?

I have a night light in my upstairs bathroom. On it are umbrellas, and it is raining cats and dogs. I love the imagery.

The back of my house still has the coolness of the night chill so it is comfortable, but outside is already hot, 77°. It will get just a bit hotter, a couple of degrees. Tonight will be in the 60’s, perfect sleeping weather.

When I was a kid, my mother kept the house dark. She covered the windows in the living room to keep out the sun. It was as if we were living in a sort of a cave. The kitchen was the brightest room. Upstairs always got hot and stayed hot even at bedtime. I remember a bit of tossing and turning before I fell asleep. I kept flipping the pillow to find the cool side.

I had what I called my visor summer. I wore it all my waking hours. It was white, and when I wore it, I felt somehow older. I don’t think it did much against the sun, but I thought it the perfect look, even fashionable. I think I was around eleven or twelve.

When I was a teacher, I used to travel to Europe every summer. I carried a backpack. One summer I even carried a sleeping bag. I used it a couple of times. One time was in Helsinki, Finland. We got in town late and didn’t find a place to sleep so we slept in the brush among the trees somewhere in the city. The next day we found a hostel. I bought street food for breakfast. My friend, with whom I was traveling, warned me not to eat street food. I just laughed. I ate it in Africa.

We used to take overnight busses and trains. That saved us money because we didn’t need a place to sleep. I remember looking out at the houses long the tracks. It was dark so the houses were lit. I found it intriguing to wonder about the people living in those houses. I could see them from the train window. I could sneak a peek into their lives.

I still have that list of chores. The only thing I did was go to the dump, and it wasn’t even on the list. Today I have a couple of errands. It is my only uke-less day of the week so I’m torn. Do I finish some of the chores on this my free day or do I embrace the life of a sloth on this, my only free day? Such a dilemma!