Happy summer vacation to us! And to you guys, too, of course. Grandma Jane (Tom's mom) gave the girls these sun shielding floppy hats that have, so far, become their most favorite summer accessories. Seriously. We don't leave home without them. Notice that little Mouse, the burgeoning fashionista, chooses to wear her flower on the back. I love those hats just as much as they do - just look at how they shade their heads, faces,
and necks from the sun.
It was farm share day today, and the u-pick sign said we could gather 3 quarts of strawberries. Hello frozen strawberries in our freezer! The fields were hot, and we were sweaty and tired by the end. Chick is a picking superstar this year. She was super selective and efficient with her own little method. I loved watching her take pride in collecting berries. Miss Mouse had a case of
Blueberries For Sal where I'd hear lots of
kerplunks, but when I looked into her carton there were no strawberries to be found, and her face was dripping with red juice.
So far, our summer vacation has consisted of sleeping late, playing in our backyard, homemade pizza with friends, picking strawberries at our beloved
CSA farm, and some after hours coconut rum and pineapple juice drinks around a bonfire with friends.
Hold up! Its not all strawberries and sunshine around these parts. We also made what we like to call our "master list" of things-to-do, and we've been tackling it day by day. You'd think it would mostly have big, house improvement projects on it, but no, instead it has small things like, "bring those three jars downstairs" and "mail that letter." We do also have some bigger things like "bring the old sink to the dump" and "fix the lawnmower"on there too. The master list is making us feel so productive with all of the crossing out we've been doing.
Oh, and I've been doing a gazillion loads of laundry as Mouse learns to use the toilet. We're finally at a stage where she is excited to put on those thick, padded undies, but we're not quite at the point where she is able to get to the bathroom before it's too late. We'll get there, though, and it is so nice that her readiness has coincided with summer.
For now, it is just the right blend of rest and work and play.
And, root beer with ice.
And, strawberries.
xox e
We ate tiny plums
and visited our beloved farm
where we picked green beans (aim for the slender ones)
and rode a choo choo train at the park (shout when you go through the tunnel!)
So far, our summer vacation has consisted of sleeping late, playing in our backyard, homemade pizza with friends, picking strawberries at our beloved CSA farm, and some after hours coconut rum and pineapple juice drinks around a bonfire with friends.
I do actually have some crafty things to post about. There is the back to school (a little late, I know) story stone series that I have been plugging away at since the summer, and a little felt necklace that I have been scheming up.
But, lately, all I seem to want to post about are the colors and shapes and beauty that have been surrounding me during my late summer adventures. This time, I met two friends, from the college years, at a beautiful little camp on a pond in New Hampshire. Right away, I got to have an almost nap in the sunny spot on the dock, and then we sat on the porch and sipped tea while I stared at the water and rocks and trees in a way that I don't always have the chance to do. I brought a slew of vegetables from our C.S.A. farm share, and we slow roasted all of them throughout the late afternoon. There was eggplant, swirly beets, garlic, carrots, cauliflower (not from the farm), and red onions. We ate them with buttery pasta and salmon with crispy prosciutto.
Before settling down for dinner, we drank Proseco and ate bread with strawberries, ricotta salata, and arugula (otherwise known as rocket) on crusty French bread. Divine.
There was much reminiscing about the old days, like faux trips to Boston and the way Tom first won us over with his acoustic version of The Indigo Girls' Closer to Fine. The camp is without heat, so I came prepared with fleece socks and three blankets. Our toes and fingers may have been cold from the late summer - almost autumn - air, but between the oven, the lit candles, the warm blankets, the wine, and our laughter, we were plenty warm. And, plenty happy.
Some good friends of ours, who moved to South Carolina this past March, drove back to our town to visit with friends and to pick up some of their belongings that were left behind. We were thrilled that they stayed at our home because we have missed them so much since they moved away. Our days together were full of yummy food, wine (once the kids were asleep), a picnic at the park, dominoes, and tons of playing. Chick was so excited to have her friend play upstairs in her room with her, and whenever any of the adults went to check on them, both girls would ask us to kindly leave so that they could continue.
We belong to a beautiful and fruitful CSA (community sustained agriculture) farm where, at the end of the fall, we went home with way more potatoes then we could possibly eat. So, we got crafty and made potato stamps. They will rot after a few days, which is the perfect excuse to become obsessed with making as many stamped creations as possible. I have carved my own freehand in the past, but this time I used tiny little cookie cutters to make the shapes. They make perfect gift tags and wee cards. Chickpea's favorite was the strawberry.