Simple Summer Pleasures
Savoring the Season
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There’s a quiet kind of magic in the slower moments of summer — the kind that doesn’t require a vacation or a big event, just a willingness to pause and notice. Around here, we’ve been leaning into those small pleasures that make the season feel full and rich in its own down-to-earth way. We have had our vacation and now it is time to settle into summer.
It’s not about packing the calendar. It’s about filling the days with meaning — barefoot mornings, sun-warmed tomatoes, and the hum of bees in the squash blossoms.
If you’ve been feeling the pull toward a simpler summer, here are a few of my seasonal pleasures you can enjoy right at home.
The mug makes the day. Feeling magical today!
☕ Morning Coffee on the Porch
One of my favorite ways to start the day in the summer is with a warm cup of coffee on the porch, barefoot, listening to the birds wake up and begin their morning chorus. There’s something grounding about hearing nature stir as the sun rises. It’s not a rushed morning — it’s a ritual, and one I’ve come to treasure deeply. These are only available for me until school starts again. I can sometimes sneak one in on a Saturday during the school year.
💧 Barefoot Walks Through Dewy Grass
Some mornings, when the world is still quiet and the grass is cool with dew, I leave my porch chair and take my coffee out and go barefoot in the grass. There’s something about that sensory connection to the earth that feels like a reset button for the whole day. I usually end up at my vegetable garden or my herb garden. My feet choose.
My garden helper.
🌱 Working in the Garden
There’s something deeply grounding about starting (or ending) the day in the garden. Whether it's pulling a few weeds, picking herbs for dinner, or just checking on the progress of your cucumbers, those quiet moments among the plants are a balm for the soul. Sometimes I just walk out and look at it for no other reason than to marvel at the daily changes.
You don't have to grow much to enjoy it. Even watering potted herbs or deadheading marigolds can help you reconnect with nature and yourself.
Our blackberries begin to ripen.
🍓 Picking Something Fresh and Eating It Right There
There’s nothing like popping a sun-warmed cherry tomato into your mouth or biting into a freshly picked blackberry while standing in the garden. It’s a simple reminder that food doesn’t have to be complicated to be wonderful. My grand-daughter has eaten many peppers and tomatoes while watching me work in the garden.
Bachelor Buttons in my herb garden.
🌿 Making Something Small and Beautiful
Summer inspires simple creativity — a bundle of herbs tied with twine to hang and dry, a few flowers pressed between book pages, or a jar of homemade sun tea steeping on the porch. These small acts don’t take much time, but they leave you with a sense of handmade satisfaction and peace.
Press some flowers to enjoy later as a winter project.
📚 Reading Outdoors
Bring a blanket and a good book under a shady tree or settle into a porch chair with your latest read. Let the sounds of birds and the breeze be your background music. I usually bring a large mason jar of sun tea or homemade lemonade. The breeze is important.
Whether it’s something homemade or just poured over ice, sitting outside with a cool drink — reading a book or doing absolutely nothing — is one of the best things about this season. It gives your body a chance to rest and your mind a chance to wander.
Watching the Fireflies
As the sun dips low and the air cools, the fireflies begin their evening dance. Sitting on the porch or walking through the yard while their tiny lights blink through the dusk is one of summer’s sweetest rewards — no screen or soundtrack can compete. I have fond childhood memories of my sister and I catching them in mason jars.
🌼 Let the Summer Be Simple
You don’t need to go far to find joy in summer. Sometimes it’s as close as your own backyard or garden gate. The more we slow down, the more we notice: the scent of basil on our hands, the quiet buzz of bees, the way the sunlight moves across the floor.
So this week, take a breath and give yourself permission to embrace the slow, the small, and the sweet. Summer is fleeting.
The simple things are often the best things.
I’ve had requests for a sunscreen recipe and my bug repellent recipe. Those will be in the next post.
Thanks!
My Mantra
Stay rooted,
Roxanne
