The Wednesday Hodgepodge! #18

I hope you are all having a good week? It's Wednesday which means it's time to join in with the Wednesday Hodgepodge with Joyce over at From This Side of the Pond! Each week there are 6 questions, we answer and then link up. Simple!

1. Summer officially begins this week (in the northern hemisphere)...what was your favorite thing to do in the summer when you were a kid? What do you like most about summer now?

I loved the freedom of summer and being a child living on a farm. I was out every day in the sunshine. Camping out in a hut that used to be feed storage for the animals, riding horses to the chip shop, swimming in streams, making plenty of dens, driving around in tractors, climbing trees and getting into mischief by swapping animals with other farm kids much to the disappointment of our father's. I learned you are not allowed to swap an ex racehorse for 3 sheep. lol My thought was we had lots of horses but no sheep, my friend thought the same. My dad and my friends dad did not agree. I was about 13 years old. I wanted sheep and my friend wanted a horse. We got as far as me delivering the horse and trying to round up some sheep before her dad intervened.

There is so much that I love about summer now: the days out that we have which include ice cream, the lazy days, a nice cool drink in the pubs beer garden - lemonade with ice tastes so much better at the pub, ice lollies, summer dresses and watching the festivals which are shown on TV. I am not a fan of the heat but I do love that feeling after being out in the sun, then coming inside and cooling down.

2. Something you'll celebrate this summer?

My families birthdays. My fellas and Ellie, my youngest have birthdays in August and my eldest Becky's birthday is at the start of September. Ellie's birthday this year is a big one, she turns 18 and she's not just getting a birthday, she's getting a birthday weekend as she has so much planned. It is so different from when Becky turned 18. We were still in lockdowns, wearing masks and social distancing.

3. Summer tastes like? Smells like? Sounds like?

Summer tastes like: Ice lollies that stain your tongue bright colours, cocktails with silly umbrellas, fish and chips eaten out of paper by the sea and charcoal grilled burgers off the BBQ.

Summer smells like: scented sun cream, rain and that steamy smell after a storm, freshly cut grass, flowers in the garden and barbecue smoke.

Summer sounds like: fans that never quite cool the whole room, the clink of ice cubes in a glass, children playing outside and the ice cream van playing it's tune!

4. June 18th is National Splurge Day...what's the last thing you splurged on? What might you splurge on today?

I can't really think of anything. It seems ages since I had a shopping spree so I would have to say a meal out a couple of weeks ago with my fella but we got 30% off the bill so it didn't feel like much of a splurge. I will be splurging on the girls for their birthdays, they've given me lists so I just have to get shopping.

5. Share a favorite summer quote, saying, song lyric, or meme.

Summer: hair gets lighter, skin gets darker, water gets warmer, drinks get colder, music gets louder, nights get longer, life gets better. - Unknown

A balanced summer diet is:

Ice cream (one in each hand).

Strawberries.

Rose wine.

Ice cubes (optional: in your bra).

6. Insert your own random thought here.

I am writing this on Sunday afternoon, Father's Day and the girls are really spoiling my fella Stu. One is washing the dishes, the other has promised to cut the grass, not today though. Sunday is a lazy day. hehehe They have given him cards and presents which they chose and bought themselves and he loved everything! They took him out yesterday, Ellie took him to the cinema to see the How to Train Your Dragon movie and Becky took him to play pool. He was very spoilt!