In the past couple of weeks I've been spending time in the quite woods by a lake. 

 

Jumping in and swimming.

Attending nightly showings of the sunset.



Splashing in cold, cold, clear water.



Watching the clouds go by.

I hope you've been enjoying summer, wherever you find it.

Hi. Its still summer, we're still in transition.  I'm about to spend a couple of weeks with my family at a lake in western Maine where I plan to relax, hike, swim, kayak and enjoy being here.  I have been neglecting this space, but I haven't forgotten about it.  As I've mentioned, we're in a long transition period and I am as equally excited to unpack boxes and settle in to our new place in St. Paul as I am insistent on enjoying and making the most of the rest of our time here.  I've been thinking a lot about future plans and where I am going in this next chapter of my life and what I will do to keep creating and writing in this space.  I don't know how it will all turn out, but I know that I am still on this road.  I just need some more time to let things settle before I can write and share here regularly.

In the mean time, I have been working a bit more on photography and on capturing moments.  Have you heard of the beautiful blog, habit?  I've been enjoying the photos and words that women write about the moments of their days.  There is something simple, poetic and connective about what I have seen there.  This month they are generously sharing the process with anyone who wants to via a flickr group.  I have been enjoying taking part in the process and seeing what others share.  I'll be away from my computer while at the lake, but I hope to continue noticing and maybe capturing some of these small moments.

I hope you enjoy and celebrate summer in the small, the every day, and the extraordinary!

Happy July!

In the past week I have been doing a bit of baking, partly in hopes of sharing them here. There was a strawberry shortcake which fulfilled my strawberry and whipped cream dreams, but the cake wasn't all I had hoped for.  I've also been trying to experiment with cocoa nibs, but no recipes yet.

I have been enjoying farmer's markets, piles of immensely sweet strawberries, flavors of summer: the snap of biting into a fresh pea pod, and tastes of freshly made cheese. There is a festival air that comes when everyone is out enjoying the beautiful day, admiring artists creativity and the bounty of what has been harvested.

Its just in the past couple of weeks that there are actually vegetables and fruits at the market and it is certainly something to celebrate.  What summer foods have you been celebrating?