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Natural Awakenings South Central Pennsylvania

July 2013 Publisher Letter

The summer equinox has come too soon this year. It feels like winter just left and spring was gone in the blink of an eye—and before I knew it, it’s dusk at 9 p.m. on the longest day of the year. It’s time to fall into the relaxing days of summer. I particularly enjoy lazy days in a hammock with a healthy green drink nearby or drifting across a quiet, still lake in a kayak and pitching a tent in a remote forest.

Summer is a perfect time for family road trips, especially to your favorite sandy beach, with picnic lunch, sunscreen and reading materials (this July issue is a great choice!) tucked into your beach bag. Let the kids run free, exploring the shoreline in some unstructured fun. Madeline Levine’s article, “Letting Kids Just Be Kids,” brings home the importance of such play and why these times are among our fondest memories. I now understand what my parents and relatives meant when they told us kids, “These are the best years of your life.” My goodness…how quickly the time passes.

Summer is the time for harvesting the spring crop and yes, tending the garden—darn those weeds—and preparing meals with fresh, sweet and savory seasonal flavors brought to life in al fresco gatherings with family and friends. With a bountiful choice of foods readily available this time of year, get up-to-date on some of the season’s hottest food topics in our feature article, “Six Ways to Eat Safe,” and help your family stay safe and well nourished.

Considering that the seasons also overlay our passage through the cycles of life, summer is a time of living in full self-expression and being one's authentic and mature self; a time to grow into our potential.

Summer is for sitting on the porch during a mild rain and laughing as I dance barefoot across the wet grass, catching raindrops on my tongue. April Thompson’s inspirational article, “Savor Summer,” offers a wealth of simple suggestions to make the most of any summer day. “Try something new” is my favorite and current modus operandi.

Ahh—summer is for love. May you find your share of it and share it with everyone you meet. And remember that summer, like all seasons, is a time to feel good, live simply and laugh more.

Dave Korba Natural Awakenings

Dave Korba, Publisher