The Artful Spirit
Live Artfully in the summertime
By Concetta Antico
As much as we hate being cooped up inside during the winter, it can be equally alarming to us when we realize how many sunny summer days we have had and missed without see the sun. Experiencing summer and all that is has to offer outdoors should be a priority if you wish to Live Artfully in the warmer weather months. Fresh air, sunshine and abundant outdoor fun are all prescriptions for health. We should urge each other to make a pledge to get us and our families and friends outdoors and away from technology.
Potato couch enthusiasts and calorie counters should rejoice in the opportunities to shed pounds as the elements urge us to get out and get active. No other time than summertime is the livin’ soooo easy! Sans shoes and suit we can romp around with very little encumbering us and simply enjoy it all.
Running barefoot in the sand and beach combing, green grass between our toes and the clouds floating by on a cool summer breeze makes our souls soar. Lose the luggage and dive into life with as little as possible to feel carefree…under the sun.
Summer is also a time to prosper with our health with a good dose of Vitamin D. Studies show that in moderation the sun’s rays are vital for our health: hair, skin and body will benefit from its bounty of healthy tonics. The best part is that the elixir is free. Just walk outside and bask in the golden radiance of the sun. No lotion, potion, bottle or spray required.
Sunrise or set, the views are equally as awesome at this time of the year. Summer sets the world aglow on every acre from the silvery shores to the abundant harvests ripe for the picking. Living Artfully means enjoying all that is seasonal at this time of year…summertime is filled with ripe fruit with pits to spit and watermelon sweet and seedy. Stone fruit, so missed throughout the rest of the year, becomes an edible feast and unique taste treat for every meal, with homemade apricot jam, nectarine tarts, stewed plums, or roasted peaches tossed into a surprise summer salad.
Other treats you can eat artfully at just pennies a scoop include snow cones. Shaved ice, with Hawaiian Island flavors, is sure to delight on a hot day. Other ways to quench a dry thirst is a tangy lemonade drink from a kid’s corner stand, or iced tea boiling away all day under the sun’s golden rays and showered over ice. It’s super nice!
Summertime speaks of bushwalking to the sound of an orchestra of insects humming a hot tune or long talks in the balmy moonlight by the shore with no cold curfew to end the romance. Moths flutter by your door and dance, while dogs twitch on the porch, too tired to rise or run. Stay outdoors long enough to catch shooting stars, or to be rocked to sleep on a boat adrift upon an ocean, your floating palace of peace. Yes, summer reminds us to slow down and savor, to breathe and close your eyes for cat naps and dreams of days’ long past.
Summer is a wild sprint while howling across hot sand to the seashore relief! It’s a dive into cool waves to wallow under bubbly water, swirling, wet and salty. The sunshine offers promises of picnics, parties and amusement experiences with family and friends who finally take time to vacation. Summer vacation is time to rekindle with all of those you love. Do we love summer? Well like ice cream and carnivals, the answer is a resounding, yes!
Warm wishes until next month when we will again contemplate what it means to Live Artfully in our glorious and free world. Concetta welcomes your creative thoughts, comments and ideas at Muse@ConcettaAntico.com.
Concetta Antico is mother, wife, tetrachromat, fine artist, instructor, writer and creative muse. Her stunning tetrachromatic oil on canvas masterpieces reveal her brilliance and super vision and may be viewed at www.ConcettaAntico.com. “LiveArtfully” is a trademark of Concetta Antico and Zenava Inc. Her Salon & Gallery are located at 1920 Fort Stockton Drive, Suite A, Mission Hills, San Diego and are open to the public from 9 a.m. to1 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays, and by appointment.
Category: Life Style, Local News
