Jane Edgerley's five fresh things for summer

1. My favorite summer pastime developed in junior high and high school and occurred many summer nights for years. My neighborhood friends and I would often gather at night in my backyard, lay on our backs in the grass and watch the stars up in the sky for hours. We'd point out shooting stars to each other, the Milky Way, constellations, share childhood memories — always trying to top each other — and what we expected we'd achieve as "grown-ups." To this day, it's still my favorite memory of my youth. Summer nights conjure up feelings of both reflection and hope.

2. The sounds at night during summer seem to be more pronounced. Think about it. Crickets. Trains. Bull frogs. Screen doors closing. Dogs barking. Cars. Laughter. (Maybe its the same during the rest of the year, but I spend as little time as possible outside at night when it's cold.)

3. I'm 46 and I still love lying down on the top of a hill with my arms by my side and rolling all of the way to the bottom of the hill. (Now that I'm older, I prefer a hill that's not too steep.)

4. One of my mother's best friends, Bartjie, always had the most beautiful cut flower garden. I've always wanted to grow one. Think about it every Summer. Never have grown one. Still have time!

5. BLT sandwiches! Lightly toasted. Crispy bacon. Lots of bacon. Crispy lettuce. Salted and peppered tomatoes. A tad bit of mayo, simply because it seems wrong not to have mayo on a BLT.

— Jane Edgerley