My Favorite Thing to Do in the Summer Months

I once enjoyed barbecues with family and friends. I enjoyed reading a book while lazing in the sun. I got a kick out of making a fool of myself by running through the sprinklers with everyone's kids. If the stereo was playing and the sun was shining, even weeding became a tolerable chore.
As my son grew older, I learned to tolerate teenage gossip and was introduced to rap music. I enjoyed having my son's friends around and they always seemed to magically appear when we'd light up the barbecue.
Those good times ended when I was stung by a yellow-jacket. I went to the hospital. I decided that the whole ordeal was just an aberration and continued to spend my summer outdoors. I paid the price for ignoring this warning.
Soon, instead of getting a tan, I spent my summer learning the names of every one of the doctors and nurses working in the ER. I came to the realization that I was better off indoors.
Until very recently, thinking about summer activities was far safer than actually going outside and enjoying them. After five summers spent in isolation, I was finally going stir crazy. I couldn't handle the isolation any longer. I knew I had to escape.
So this past summer I decided I'd tempt fate and catch some rays. Once again, I was stung and bitten and my summer was spent indoors, suffering the agonies of allergic reactions, alone, as usual. But I noticed that, for some reason, the insects had left my face alone.
What was different about my face? The difference was that I used toner on my facial skin, but not on the rest of my body. It contained witch hazel. Hoping this was the answer to my prayers, one morning I decided I'd apply witch hazel to the rest of my exposed skin and the bugs left me alone that afternoon.
I now apply witch hazel before going outdoors. It's never failed to keep the bugs away. Barbecues are no longer a thing of the past. Barbecuing is once again, my favorite thing to do during the summer months.