Happy July! Bring the Heat! by @JoanReeves #RomanceGems

Hello, Gorgeous!

That is, hello to the gorgeous summer month of July, one of my favorite months of the year!

(I stole that line from what Barbra Streisand, portraying actress Fanny Brice, said in the movie, Funny Girl.)

Now, many of you may wonder what I find so great about July.

Yes, it's usually the hottest month for just about everyone. Stay tuned for my list.

7 Reasons to Love July

Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay

1. Picnics — All the really good picnics seem to be in July. We start with July 4 with enough food to feed an army. The BBQ grills are loaded with chicken drumsticks and/or steaks, and the smokers are slowly turning briskets into tender, juicy smoked meats.

2. Baseball games — Here in Houston, we have the Astros (Go, Stros!) as well as the Skeeters, a minor league team in a suburban city. Then there are the college teams, and baseball on TV. I grew up listening to the baseball games with my grandfather who tuned it in on the radio. Ah, those were the best times.

3. Incredibly long days — I love that we can sit out in the evening, and it's really not dark until about nine-o'clock. We have a courtyard patio in front beneath a giant live oak tree. There's a bench and chairs so we can share a glass of wine with neighbors or chat with those doing their walking in the evening.

Image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay

4. Ice tea and Snowcones — We're always being told to drink 8 glasses of water a day. That's pretty boring. Ice tea kicks our fluid intake up a notch. It has antioxidants and bio-flavonoids so it's actually healthy too. (Want to know how to make ice tea and my magic trick to please those who like it sweet or unsweetened?) In the heat, snowcone stands pop up like fairy rings after a rain. I'll take a cherry please. Eating one makes me feel like a kid again.

5. Homemade ice cream — I don't know why, but we only make ice cream in the summer. I guess it's habit from the days when we had to sit outside and turn the crank on the ice cream freezer. We all took turns when we were kids. Even though I have an electric one now that we can use inside, it's still fun to sit outside and let it churn away. I have the best recipe in the world: Maybelle's Vanilla Ice Cream. Don't laugh. That really was her name, and she was a sweet lady who has long since passed away, but her recipe lives on.

6. Watermelon — This is absolutely the best fruit that was ever created. I could eat it every day without growing tired of it. Even though you can buy them year round thanks to imported fruits, they're just never as good as in the middle of summer.

Image by PDPhotos from Pixabay

7. Fireworks — I have no idea how many fireworks displays there are on July 4, but there are a lot. We can usually sit outside and see fireworks in the distance.

We've been to a lot of fireworks shows over the years, but I like the one at our place in the country best.

Sponsored by local businesses, the fireworks are set up on a golf course near us.

We sit on the porch with patriotic music streaming and have a show that lasts for hours.

Another Great July Celebration

Last, but definitely not least is our fabulous July Giveaway.

Our Rafflecopter, BEACHES and BOOK BOYFRIENDS, starts July 5 at midnight and runs through July 25.

Check out the giveaway's video in Movie Theater or on YouTube. (Please click LIKE and share it on your social media pages.)

Visit the Monthly Giveaway page to see all the prizes. Enter often and tell your friends. There are some great prizes up for grabs. Visit me tomorrow on Romance Gems for a Pop-Up Giveaway.


Romance Gems July Rafflecopter Giveaway