Waiting for this

There were days in December and January that even my imagination couldn't conjure up the feel and smell of a summer evening. While not technically summer, this evening feels like a beautiful summer night. Perhaps the first of the season that really delivers.

Last summer when the 12 x 12 theme was "illumination" my piece was Japanese Lanterns and I talked about imagining our new home, and how it might feel on a summer evening and I confess I have been obsessed with Japanese lanterns ever since.

A couple months ago, on a miserably rainy day I ran into a grocery store to pick up a few items and noticed several boxed up lanterns on the clearance table in the floral department. At half price, I bought two, wondering if they would provide the magic I was seeking. They are solar lights, and since I hung them a couple days ago this one seems to have "powered up" much better than the other. The glow is perfect—exactly what I hoped for. Hanging on the deck, I can see it from inside as well as outside.

I stepped outside a few minutes ago and could see the beautiful crescent moon through the trees, smell the grass and hear the frogs singing their nighttime song. Ahhh, summer. Maybe it really is here. I'm ready.