Dog Days of Summer

Digital Art Collage by Stella Kalaw

This marks my third summer signalling that the dog days are here. It’s hard for me to believe that A Considerable Age has existed this long.  

"Dog days" often bring to mind scorching summer heat that leaves even energetic pups panting in the shade. But this phrase actually stems from the stars, not canine behaviour. It refers to Sirius, the brightest star in Canis Major (Latin for "big dog"). Ancient Greeks and Romans noted Sirius rising with the sun in late July and believed their combined heat caused summer's high temperatures. They didn't know about climate change back then!

For me, it has come to mean it’s time for a little hiatus.

A Considerable Age will return in two weeks.

This summer, Jonathan and I are moving out of a second home (also used as a family storage locker) we have owned for twenty years in the bucolic countryside of Quebec’s Eastern Townships. We are downsizing by 50%. It’s a fortunate challenge to have, but it means parting with almost everything because we have no room in Montreal.

It’s fascinating to see what we can’t let go of. Jonathan is keeping all of his books. Our Montreal home is already packed with books, and now we're adding Jonathan's entire collection from our second home. I’ll let you know how that goes.

As for me, I am holding onto my dishes. I can’t part with the antique apple-patterned set I’ve collected piece by piece over 30 years, nor can I let go of my mother-in-law’s set from a potter in Hadley, Massachusetts, gathered over a period of sixty years each time she returned to attend class reunions at nearby Mount Holyoke College.  

Rest assured, nothing will gather dust. My “use the good dishes” philosophy has only strengthened with age. I wonder how long it will take Jonathan to notice we use a different set each night.

We will also be travelling to St. John’s, Fogo Island, and Lunenburg. This is the only part of the two-week break that I am looking forward to.

Lastly, a quick little public service announcement: A Considerable Age extends an open invitation to all wordsmiths and aspiring writers. If you have ever wanted to share your stories, now’s your chance. I would sincerely love to feature yours. Please contact me at agoldbloom@videotron.ca. Let your stories flow.

Thanks so much for being a faithful reader and supporter of A Considerable Age. Mother Land, the book I am serializing, will continue while I am away.

I wish you all the very best during the dog days. And I apologize for the reference to readers in the southern hemisphere who are experiencing winter.

Alice xo