TGIS (Thank God It's Summer)

A round-up of links to get into the mood for the summer season

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Photo by Andrew Bui on Unsplash

Bombs are dropping on Iran and the heat waves have already started, but I will not let these things diminish the magic of a perfect summer night.

Last night, my 9-year-old and I spread out a blanket at the top of a rise in our neighborhood park, and watched a carpet of fireflies emerge from the dusky light and flicker out over the grass.

We’d seen a few as we were settling in, and I started to tell them, in my nostalgic, too-bad-you’ll-never-have-this-experience kind of way, about how we used to catch fireflies in glass jars in our backyard when we were kids. Fireflies, another victim of global warning, I was saying.

And, then: there they were. Dozens? Hundreds? My kid raced away toward a patch to get closer to them, and stood still for a while in the middle of the batch, just watching. Summertime magic.

So in honor of that moment, here’s a round-up of links for pure summery pleasure. Because delight and amazement give us the fuel we need to continue.

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Don’t forget to join the MR Reading Women Summer Book Club! We are reading “Atmosphere” by Taylor Jenkins Reid for July. We will meet on Zoom Sunday, July 13th. Get the book or audiobook and join us! Book Club is open to paid subscribers at any level. You can also pay us for our work for any reason, which is very much appreciated!

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Lane’s beautiful essay about the magic of the Museum of Natural History and the endless wonder of the natural world.

Jess Kirby

on how to have a 90s summer. (Hint: Put down your phone, my sweets!)

Juneteenth is the most widely-known emancipation celebration. But it’s not the only one.

This piece by

Gabrielle Blair

on one of France’s most delightful summer traditions, Fête de la Musique, a way of getting people out onto the streets with their instruments.

This instant classic by

Katherine Goldstein

about how to escape the grind and cost of U.S. summer camp.

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