I don't know if it is a phrase used everywhere, but I grew up with "Indian Summer," to mean that summer weather lasted well into the Fall. So I looked it up.  In some sort of online phrase dictionary/encyclopedia thing which I quite enjoyed because I like words and I like knowing about words. Ultimately, even the smart phrase people don't really know the origin of this phrase, but have nothing short of a few speculations.  So, Indian Summer remains somewhat a mystery.

But Indian Summer, I think, can be a state of mind.  I don't have to think about school until the first week of October.  I have my new pencils, eraser, calculators, exercise books, loose leaf paper, and all that jazz for when we get home, but I am not thinking about that.  I am only thinking about these days and these minutes right now. 

I like it.  I like just thinking about today until tonight, when I think about tomorrow.  I am thinking maybe I should do more thinking this way. 

As far as I am concerned, the school year is too long.  In our family we wrap up at the end of May,  except sometimes the high schoolers have to work a little longer to finish stuff.  And another thing.  We study a lot of history together as a family except on the years I have babies, we take the year off of history, and just read lots of good books that don't necessarily fit into any historical category.  But the problem is, the last few years, I keep not having a baby, so I have been doing a world history study with the kids for the last four years, just not really knowing what else to do.

Just kidding.  But I did find that sometime through this school year that I figured out why we haven't had a history break year for so long. 
No Baby.  Sometimes things take a while.  So, I am going to do something I haven't ever done in my twenty year homeschooling career.  I'm going to take a break from the study of history even though I am not having a baby.

Radical, eh?

One of the very cool things about going on a trip for the month of September means that we get to have an Indian Summer regardless of what the weather is.  And because it's a history trip, we'll be tired of history.

I think I would like to have an Indian Life.  You know, just let the fun and joy and sunshine and cheerfulness go on for an extended period of time.  Like the rest of my life.  What do you think?  I think I should totally consider what this may mean.  I am going to cogitate on this thing a while.