A Letter from Danielle for August ’15
Hi Everyone,
Well, the weather is certainly right to be writing a summer newsletter!! As I write this, we’ve had 105 degree weather in a heat wave in Paris, the first in several years. We’ve had cold rainy June and July months for several years now, and this harks back more to the summer weather in Paris when I was a kid, when summers were always hot. Now weather seems to be unpredictable all over the world.
My summer has been a total mix of activities: working on a new book, editing others, random visits from my children when they come here to work, and seeing friends. I went to both a wedding and a funeral, the two extremes of life. (The funeral was for the mother of a friend, on her 90th birthday, and she had led a long, good, full life, so it was more of a loving farewell than a shock). And the very best part of the summer: 10 days with my 5 younger children, for a vacation together, which is the greatest gift they give me. It is the high point of my year.
I did a little shopping, which is always fun for me, and went to one of the Haute Couture shows. So the summer has been varied in every way. And then of course the unglamourous projects: replacing a water heater, and doing repairs around the house. And I rediscovered a close friend from my school days, and it was lovely to hear from her!! We went to French school together, and she lives in London now. I felt 15 years-old again when I heard from her!! So it’s been a good summer so far.
August always has the feeling of summer drawing to a close for me. We anticipate the projects we plan for months, in July, but by August-whatever the weather and wherever we are-our minds turn toward the fall, and by late August, instead of slowing down for some down time, we are revving up our engines for September.
No matter how old I am, August has a back to school feeling to it. Kids go back to school earlier than they used to, so those of you with school age children will be buying school supplies and lunch boxes, working out car pool schedules with other Moms, and thinking about helping with homework again. In August, I start to plan the fall, and my writing schedule. I usually get a long weekend with all my children in August, which is the end of a perfect summer for me. We crowd into a location, are always short of beds, and spend a few days together before the summer is over, and we go back to work at full speed again, and scatter to our various cities. But for me, August is about summer ending, and the fall beginning. And depending on where you are, the nights start getting just a little chilly.
I hope that it’s been a good summer for you, that August will give you a chance to relax a little more before you get busy in the fall. Have a great time!!
Love,
Danielle