Sit back and unwind

I feel so much more like my true self in summer. I'm not one of those people who has SAD, Seasonal Affective Disorder... I don't get depressed in fall and winter. In fact, October, November and December are my favorite months of the year! It is just that I feel free in the spring and summer. Free from being who I think I am supposed to be. Free from who I think others think I should be. Free from economic concerns. Free from drowning responsibilities. Free to pursue light-hearted activities. My laziness lifts in the spring and I feel inspired to find my passions again, the ones I left behind with the 70 degree temperatures last year. One of my greatest joys is reading. I don't enjoy anything more than reading a book ... and really just about any book will do. Fiction, non-fiction, biographies, poetry, literary classics, mysteries ... I don't care. It just needs to be well-written. I don't like books that are over-run with descriptive words, phrases, and paragraphs. Too many adjectives and adverbs make me start to twitch. Nature descriptions really irritate me if they run over a couple of sentences. And, I could do without romance novels. Anyhoo, spring and summer bring out the starved bookworm in me. I tend to watch too much television in the winter months, cuddled on the couch in sweats and fat fluffy socks. Once I begin reading again, I feel like my true self.

Another true love of mine is clothing. Not designer clothing or labels. I couldn't care less about that. What I love is a good sundress. A simple, romantic sundress. They are feminine, comfortable, flowing, and they can hide several fat flaws. Also, a good pair of non-binding shoes, like flip flops or sandals. The kind of shoes you can wiggle your toes in and kick off outside on the sidewalk or the minute you get home in the evenings. No bending over required. I adore sundresses and flat sandals. And that is about all anyone will ever see me wear in the spring and summer because I feel like the real tried-and-true Amy in those clothes. I'm pretty sure no one has seen me in a pair of shorts for the last twelve years. Maybe longer. I only sleep in shorts. Also, since I gave birth to my fabulous little man, my body no longer agrees with most of my old clothes. So, in the winter months, all I wore was sweats and pajamas. I couldn't fit into anything else. But now, oh yes now, I can wear my roomy sundresses and feel like myself again! Hallelujah!

So, this summer, I am going to sit back and unwind, relax. Read a lot. Take walks outside in my sundresses and flip-flops. Feels good to have me back again. Until next winter, "Welcome back, Amy!"