Playing spies with my cousins

After dark at Grandma and Grandpa’s

Hiding behind houses and sheds

Trying to capture the other team

 

Lying in the grass on a cool summer night

Talking with a friend in the churchyard

Enjoying the simplicity of country living

Looking up at the stars

 

Fishing trips on summer evenings

As a family, sitting quietly

Swatting mosquitoes

And watching for my bobber to sink

 

Camping in the yard

In a makeshift tent of blankets

Snuggling down in the sleeping bag

When early morning coolness came

 

Sledding with my brothers

On trash bags and refrigerator doors

Celebrating a rare snow-day

Two inches of snow on our southern soil

 

Christmas, always the best

Anticipation and surprise brimming

Hot chocolate and cookies

Traditions and family