Tuesday, July 27, 2010

This is the Life

Last week I mentioned in passing, something about one of my favorite traditions here at the little green cottage...and now that I have decided to leave last week behind completely, I finally have a chance to fill you in.

Summer arrived at last, shining it's brilliant shine upon us and we smiled. It heralded a beginning of growth, spontaneity, sunburn, bare feet, holidays and good times. It also means that it is time to raise The Summer Tent!

Oh, I know it's nothing fancy, just your average utilitarian "EZ-UP" with some dodgy sheets hung to. Each year I imagine that I will sew up some "granny chic" goodness to cover the whole lot...you know, something fit to grace the pages of Country Living say. And perhaps someday I shall.
For now though, dodgy or not, The Summer Tent in all it's humble glory, has become a symbol of what summer should feel like (busy, lazy and vaguely exotic).

It's a welcoming spot to sit, to find shade and rest in a fort in your back yard. When the tent goes up, it also means that the garden is in fairly fit condition, so that one can rest looking out and not feel too compelled to pull at weeds or shovel something. It is a fine place to bring a quilt and have a picnic of blueberries and iced tangerine tea.

Raising The Summer Tent is cause for celebration. A party was in the making and the garden was dressed for company.

Including a new glider/rocker that came as a gift via my mom. Now, this is the place to soothe the savage beast. Buddha cats and 5 year olds can not resist the lull of the swinging bench, nor can mamas, house guests and the odd passer by. It has been voted "the best place to read a story book before bed time ever". It is also good for star gazing once the savage beasts have gone to bed.

For the 3rd annual raising of the summer tent, I went for an Emergency First Aid - Self Service theme. I was told later that several guests enjoyed it's restorative powers.

Oh how I would love if you all could come by, sit for a spell and watch the evening come on. Telling stories of the adventure of everyday living and listening to our favorite songs. Of course there will be cake...and tangerine tea.

So, have a seat.

I will be out there tonight, stargazing - trying to imagine what the sky looks like where you are.

17 comments:

willow and moo said...

Too cold and wet to be stargazing here. :)

Enjoy your summer tent.

Cut&Alter said...

Just catching up after a couple of weeks away from the computer and I come across this lovely setting!!!! How I would love to come and take a seat and have a chat - all the more because summer seems a long, long way away at the moment. Hope you have lots of lovely summer memories in your tent this year! x

Unknown said...

oh, you're summer tent is just so perfect! (not dodgy at all!) how lovely it would be to spend endless summer evenings there... *sigh* ...i wish the summer would come back to Scotland for a few days, the skies are permanently grey here at the moment... :(

have a fabby day... :)
emma x

Cath @ chunkychooky said...

Oooooooooooohhhh aaaaaaaaaahhhhh i just love it all. i love the chook house- the colour is just so divine and I love the summer tent, love love love the tin of flowers on the corner and the swinging chair...awww why do you have to live so far!!!

mamas collection said...

Absolutely wonderful! Enjoy!

Katiebee said...

what a perfect summer house~

will you share your tangerine tea recipe?

Flaming Nora said...

Looks like the perfect place to watch the world go by, the slow lane of every day life in the house and garden. Enjoy your party.

lifeshighway said...

I love your summer tent. I believe it is more beautiful this year than last year. We are too hot and muggy to really enjoy the outdoors at night.

I love Fall evenings.

Sherri B. said...

How brilliant to doll up a regular shelter with sheets. I envy you for being able to do it as we have such horrid wind that it wouldn't make it through the first few days...
What a good mom you have for gifting you all with that beautiful swing, I'm sure there will be plenty of snoozes taking place on that...I, like katieb, would love you to share the tangerine tea recipe.

Mom L said...

I would love to visit you under your Summer Tent! And, like some others, I'm really interested in your tangerine tea. I love tangerine anything, and decades ago Kool Ade made a tangerine flavor - is anyone else old enough to remember? I practically lived on it in the late 60s, until they took it off the market. I wrote, begging, but apparently I might have been the only one who bought it!!!

Nancy in Iowa

The Barker's said...

looks very cozy and cute!!! I want a summer tent now! =)

Colette said...

Looks like a great place to unwind and watch the evening unfold, there's nothing like watching the stars to put everything in perspective I find.

Hope the weather holds up, we've had a cracking summer so far - I'm melting, it's so very unBritish. x

Unknown said...

I adore your summer tent!! How gorgeous- and the little hanging pots of flowers- beautiful! Enjoy the warm days and night under there! xo m.

Anonymous said...

oh my your summer tent is absolutely divine so so so pretty, what a lovely place to be

Gina said...

The images from this post have been in my head since you posted them. I would love to come and live in your garden tent now please. It is just glorious!

Pia K said...

absolutely lovely! what a grand tradition! i use my hammock setee far to little, i shoudl use it more because it really is a wonderful thing to have and to be able to enjoy in own garden.

diane said...

oh how i would love to be under a summer tent- but the heat index was 114 here the other day so we built a tent in the living room and pretended we were in your yard.