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Over a Cuppa: Twenty Five (Summer Solstice)

Posted on June 21, 2026June 21, 2026 by Melissa

Hi, Hey, Hello!

Thank you for joining me this weekend! It’s been a whole month since our last check in so I’m very happy to share a spot of time with you today! How the heck have you been?!

What can I get started for you? I’m brewing up some black tea with milk and honey (of course) but also have coffee, any herbal tea your heart could desire, and some sun tea brewing on the bridge if you’d like something cool.

It’s already rather warm outside today (and forecasted to hit 95*F) so let’s have a seat at the kitchen table where we can stay cool while we catch up, shall we?

Summer

Do you ever feel like our modern lives don’t quite line up with passage of time and seasons? I know it’s all about the societies we’ve built and the convenience/perception of what is needed at any given time, but it really calls home on days like today when it’s officially Summer but we’ve already been Summering for nearly a month 😉

I have to admit that, despite my land based lifestyle, Summer is not my favorite season. It’s hot and buggy and exhausting. It’s also humbling and a solid reminder that Nature is always in charge, often despite our best efforts.

However, the work put in now always pays back double and leads us towards my very very season, Autumn.

But I digress, like I said in my last post, even when life is hard, it’s so very good, too.

Are you in your favorite season right now? Or is there another time of year you like the best?

Heat, Bugs, and Exhaustion Aside

When I haven’t been outside battling the season, I’ve been outside enjoying the blossoms, watching the sky, and pushing more seeds into the soil to fill in where others have failed or been snatched up by critters.

I’ve also been reading lots (audio for the win at this time of year), meeting an old friend for regular book talk about Buddy Reads, playing a little Animal Crossing, writing when I can squeeze in the time, and reminding myself that life doesn’t have to go-go-go all the time.

Recent Reads

As a Mood Reader, my genres have been all over the place but I have truly enjoyed everything I’ve read recently and would recommend each of the below titles:

  • A Ghost in the Throat (non-fiction/memoir)
  • The Unicorn Hunters (historical fantasy)
  • What Happened to Nina? (psychological thriller)
  • The Buffalo Hunter Hunter (horror/historical fiction), read as a Buddy Read and as part of the Big Book Summer Reading Challenge

Have you read anything good recently? I’d love to hear about!

The Rose Park

I’ve recently gifted myself some down time during my Town Days at my favorite park, The Rose Park.

The trees are glorious, the roses sublime, the people chill, and the Wi-Fi spotty. It’s the perfect place to walk a dog, do yoga, eat lunch, read a few pages in a book, meet up with friends or family, observe the kiddo collections left behind, or just be.

Do you have a favorite place to visit that soothes your soul?

That’s All Folx

Thanks for sharing a cuppa with me! I hope we can do it again soon 

As always, thanks to Natalie for continuing to host us for the #weekendcoffeeshare. She’s asking us to link up in the comments now, so please read, scroll, and pop around to see what others have been up to!

Wishing you a lovely slide in the season and a wonderful week ahead!

Onward,

Melissa

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Tags: #weekendcoffeesharefarm lifereadingsummer
Category: Over a Cuppa

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12 thoughts on “Over a Cuppa: Twenty Five (Summer Solstice)”

  1. hena says:
    June 21, 2026 at 2:12 pm

    This is definitely not my favorite season either. Fall is my happy place.

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    1. Melissa says:
      June 21, 2026 at 2:57 pm

      Same! Gotta get through this season first though :-/

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  2. Bernie says:
    June 21, 2026 at 3:12 pm

    I have never heard of historical fantasy and now have The Unicorn Hunter on hold at the library! I love spring and for me this far north it is still spring. Summer starts tomorrow so hope we get some heat finally. Like you I seem to be always on the go go go. My quiet time is reading on my veranda. Bernie

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    1. Melissa says:
      June 22, 2026 at 5:10 pm

      Reading time on the veranda sounds absolutely sublime! I hope you enjoy The Unicorn Hunter when it comes in! I thoroughly enjoyed it!

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  3. Natalie says:
    June 21, 2026 at 7:42 pm

    I so enjoyed looking at your photos, especially the rose gallery. I love spring and autumn. Thank you for your weekend coffee share. Have a great week ahead!

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    1. Melissa says:
      June 22, 2026 at 5:11 pm

      Thank you, Natalie! That little park is such a gem! Hope your weeks is starting off wonderfully!

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  4. Maria says:
    June 21, 2026 at 10:14 pm

    The rose park is exquisite! I do have several places that I visit to find peace and balance in my life, old trees, old forests, lakes and of course my allotment (especially early in the morning). Going to work I often take a detour on the way there, to enjoy how the morning light shine through a particular place in a forest near my work.

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    1. Melissa says:
      June 22, 2026 at 5:12 pm

      I always love seeing nature through your eyes, Maria. I thought you might have several special spots to share 🙂 Hope your week is a great one!

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  5. Laurie Graves says:
    June 22, 2026 at 8:50 am

    Sounds as though summer is very hot where you live, and I expect the heat is draining. I know I would find it so. Typically Maine summers are a delight, and this June certainly has been one. Unfortunately, over the years the summers have become ever hotter. Sigh.
    That park sounds wonderful, a public place of beauty for all to enjoy. Nearby, we have a space like that by the Kennebec River. No roses, but this time of year we can watch the sturgeon jump, and we often see bald eagles.

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    1. Melissa says:
      June 22, 2026 at 5:15 pm

      I think we’re all dealing with more and more severe weather, Laurie. We will have to find ways to adapt or migrate. Having lovely spots in nature to enjoy helps one to not feel so hopeless, though. What I wouldn’t give to watch the sturgeon jump and the bald eagles fly overhead! Sounds like a divine spot!

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  6. Erin @ Cracker Crumb Life says:
    June 24, 2026 at 6:23 am

    I am not a summer person either. If I go out, I try to do so in the mornings or evenings. Lol. And I am always working on this “and reminding myself that life doesn’t have to go-go-go all the time.” I have to slow myself down a lot and remind myself to enjoy the days.

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    1. Melissa says:
      June 24, 2026 at 8:27 am

      Slowing down is such an important practice in a world that tells us we must be *doing* to be of value. What a wild world we’ve created, no? Happy to consistently work at going against the grain on that one 🙂

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