This summer I want to swim

We were standing in line ... a woman, a young boy, a girl about five-years-old, and me. The little girl wore a blue sun hat, a pink-and-white striped one-piece outfit with short sleeves and pant legs cut just above the knee. And hot pink rubber rain boots.

I said hello to the little girl, but she said nothing.

"I like your outfit," I added.

She looked down at her boots, put one hand on her belly, looked up at me and said, "It's a bathing suit."

"Even better." I said, "I'd like a bathing suit like that."

Without missing a beat, she said, "Too bad."

Yes, it is ... especially since earlier in the day I'd been considering a personal challenge this summer ... a swimming challenge. I love to swim and at the end of last summer realized I had gone swimming once.

Once.

We are surrounded by rivers, lakes, and the ocean(!) and I managed to swim only once. Yes the ocean water is frigid, but still, once?

This summer I want to change that. Not sure how I'll organize the challenge, but I'm hoping my new activity book, Tinplate, will help me, and you, do more of what we like this summer.

Tinplate No. 1 is a 32-page summer activity book filled with ideas, prompts, challenges, and plenty of space to write about what you've done and what you want to do ... all summer long.

In the meantime, tell me, what you like most about summer?

Are there foods, activities, destinations, or traditions you look forward to when summer rolls around?

I'd love to know.