Currently: July 2016

July 1, 2016

Excuse my absence. Again. I drafted this post several weeks ago, but never got around to posting it...So here ya go. I've got allll kinds of things to write about and pictures to share. I've updated my summer reads and I do hope to be back to posting here sooner rather than later! 

June was amazing. It may have been THE best month we've had since moving last August (and we've had some GOOD months). We had some seriously HOT days in June and I'm always up for sunshine.

In the garden, my little cucumber and pea plots are coming right along. There aren't any vegetables yet, but I haven't lost hope (update: I ate my first sugar snap pea two days ago and there are a bunch more that will be ready any day)! My zinnia patch is blooming which is SUPER exciting. I've tried to grow zinnias twice, but each time I think my cosmos choked them out. Trying to start seeds in the window boxes turned out to be foolish. You win some, you lose some. 

In the fun department, there was one week in particular that was one fun thing after another. I spent a day at an amusement park, went hiking, went to several potlucks (I need to keep a tally going...), and made some new friends. I'll be posting about it soon!

I also had several opportunities to do some HELPING. I'm still in the middle of one of the projects, which is costuming for my brother and sister's latest play (update: the play has come and gone. It was a huge success and we all survived!). This is my first time working in costuming, so I mostly find myself asking LOTS of questions and organizing and reorganizing EVERYTHING. 

July is here and it really feels both like summer is JUST getting started and that we've been living summer all along. I still haven't gone swimming yet, but SOON (update: my sister and I went swimming yesterday and it was everything I hoped it would be. We'll be going back very SOON). In the meantime, I'm currently...

Toasting: Banana bread. Along with HOT weather, we've had a lot of rainy/gray days where temps barely reach 70. Strange? YES! But, I'm making the most of it with chances to burn candles, bake, and make hearty meals. 

Going: A LOT. As I mentioned, there seems to be a potluck or two every week with one group or another. One thing I didn't mention is that my Mom and I went to a staged reading of The Great Gatsby and it was sooooo good. They read the final line and it hit me just like the first time I read it in my backyard several summers ago. I walked out of the theatre in stunned silence. 

Smelling: At this exact moment, I'm smelling the fresh rain smell that's coming in through the open window. The candle I mentioned happens to be left over from fall, but I've been burning it anyway. Hello, pumpkin spice afternoons. 

Wearing: A combination of summer clothes and jeans and sweatshirts. Also, Banana Boat's "After Sun" lotion. 

Wishlisting: For more of the same. LOTS and LOTS of sunshine and chances to get to know these people I have met. 

Linking up with Jenna and Anne one last time (update: totally missed the link up, but posting anyway)! Jenna, I wish you the best with the time you'll have on your hands each month now that you're passing your co-hosting duties on to someone else!