June - the gateway to summer - is wide open and we can now see through it to July and August. You can literally feel the seasonal vibe in the air. Kids getting on the bus to go to summer camp. Graduates on the cusp of adulthood. Summer books and summer movies. Outdoor activities.
It's a great time to plan a family trip, whether it's to a national park or just a matinee. I can't wait to bring my grandkids to see the new Pixar film Inside Out, which just opened. We're also looking forward to Minions (July 12) and Pan (July 24). Not to mention Fantastic Four (August 7).
I also plan to just be outside, in nature, as much as possible. Fresh air is so important. It almost feels like, as winter ends, we are released from our closed-up rooms with new vigor and purpose. Getting outside means going to the beach. And that means beach reading! There are so many books I want to read.
Everyone's been talking about The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. I adore a good mystery. In the Unlikely Event is Judy Blume's newest book, which I'm very excited to read. Who doesn't fondly remember her iconic teen novel, Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret published in 1970? That book was a watershed moment in teen literature. And one of the books I'm most looking forward to is Harper Lee's Go Set A Watchman (July 14) about Scout and Atticus Finch, 20 years after the events in To Kill A Mockingbird.
Even though I have lived in California all my life, there are still parts of the state I've never had a chance to explore, and places I haven't seen for many years. This harks to the sweetness of having grandchildren. I look forward to showing them beautiful places and, if I've been there before, seeing them again through their young eyes. It's like being young again, and I'm all for that!
Enjoy your family and your summer. I know I will!