Summer in Ohio

Well, we arrived last night at Nana & Papa's house for our 12 day stay in Ohio.

The first thing the kids and I did this morning was go out in the backyard (still in our jammies) and lay down on the soft, thick grass! (No threat of ants here!) My youngest was a little freaked out by the feeling so foreign to him. We sat there in the morning sun and felt the cool breeze - no humidity! My kids actually thought it was chilly! My parents and I laughed about that. They are so accustomed to Louisiana weather.

My parents are big on opening up the house and letting the breeze move through the house. Always have been that way. They didn't even have central air until I went to college (The early 90s!). Plus, this is Ohio, not Louisiana. BUT! It does get VERY hot some days and muggy!

Anyway, they have had the house open all day and the air feels so light, cool and refreshing. They live close to Lake Erie and it is always windy around here. The air just moves around you and keeps you feeling comfortable. Ahhhhhhh. Summer in Ohio. Oh how I have forgotten. That is one thing I miss.

We visited my grandma today. Again, she had her front and back doors opened and the breeze just traveled through the house. She lives even closer to the lake and it was so nice! We sat outside while the kids had peanut butter and honey sandwiches. I looked around and realized not much had changed at Grandma's since I was young. She still has the same 1950's metal outdoor chairs (with like 10 different coats of paint on them over the years). Her house inside has changed a little but for the most part the same. The outside of her house has been maintained and updated as needed, but for the most part exactly the way I remember it. Exceptions: The dog & doghouse are missing. The large garden is missing. The brick flower box is missing. But Grandmas's annuals are everywhere just like always. She loves her flowers. She is an earth woman at heart. She is green in the old way of just not having much money and making use of what you have or nature gives you. For instance, she catches the rain water from her gutters and uses it to water her flowers.

It is a comfort sometimes to be back to a place that you remember well and most of all to just feel the lake breeze.