It’s hot and steamy, and Summer is flying by. School supplies are out, 4-H Fairs underway, and fresh produce and seasonal fruits plentiful. Sharing 5 randoms from my August~
1 ) Sweet Corn is ready, and will have a starring role in our menu this week – yum!
2 ) The past few years I’ve said “No thanks” more often than “Yes, please.” Saying “No” = “Yes” to me.
3 ) I’m in a transition phase again, example: encouraging team members to step into speaking roles meant for me. I share tips, and feedback then cluck proudly as they do well.
4 ) There’s been a round of losses in my family this summer – one Auntie, two Uncles. An unmooring feeling lingers with each passing. Uncle Mac, Mom’s “baby” brother, is one example – to me he remains forever young, hip, and handsome. A tall & lanky airline pilot; witty, adventurous, engaging ~ how / when did he get old?
Mom & her “little” brother, our Uncle Mac (he towered over her by a foot & a half)
5 ) Booked a trip with my sister this Fall ~ time waits for no one. Book the tickets, take the trips, and lean into real connections. Tomorrow is not promised.
And you? Care to share any randoms from your world this August?
What is it about the crackling pops of wood burning that is so alluring? Friday night, after a full work day, we indulged in a simple summer pleasure: a backyard campfire visit with youngest boy & his wifey. Their two dogs joined in, leaning in for a pet or five, we had laughs, snacks, music and a summer favorite – hot dogs cooked over an open fire. The dogs circling, convinced weinies being roasted were just for them ~ later as dusk turned to darkness bats swooped overhead and stars sparkled above. We talked about so much, never finishing one conversation, jumping from one to the next and back again, our heads thrown back in laughter. So lucky – moments like these, with our grown kids, are just the best.
Summer lingers, but it’s mostly on its way out; I’ve made it to the big Lake once, and after hauling my chair, cooler, towels and self to the waters’ edge, the sky opened and rained us out. We packed up and went for iced cream, what else can you do? It wasn’t what we planned, but it was still fun.
~~~ ahhh ~~~
An Emjayandthem(C) Photo
Kids are back in school, Halloween candy is on store shelves and soon, pumpkin spiced everything will be upon us. Is it just me or do our seasons feel rushed, and difficult to hold on to?
Yesterday I felt a blanket of fatigue come over me. I know what this is: the rush-rush-rush of my job. Closing the blinds and turning on the fan, I nearly leapt into bed for a “short” nap. 90 minutes later I stretched awake, feeling refreshed, my body smiling in relief. Yes there’s the transition of seasons happening now but I recognize this: it’s years of high stress and endless deadlines, unrealistic expectations and hamster wheels that never stop. It’s not going to change, I know that, so the lesson that comes for me again is in how I change, how I manage, how I cope.
Friday I said, “no, we can’t take that on, too.” Surprisingly, alternate arrangements were made. Hmm.
I stopped giving up my weekends. Yes I’ll work late or over a weekend when a project requires it, but no longer because someone disorganized expects me to save them, yet again.
I’ve joined a church and attend weekly; starting my week and day in prayer feeds my soul.
Regular walks and daily reading move my body and stretch my mind.
Rest days are woven in; yesterday was one of them. No guilt.
Silence ~ being on/in meetings most of every work day, my ears ring from the noise; quiet is healing for me.
Do you feel the seasons changing where you are? What changes does this prompt in you?
Good morning, it’s the last Friday in July! Sailing into the 2nd half of the year, so here are 5 randoms from my world.
1 ) I took today off & the saying, “You can’t pour from an empty cup,” resonates. We deserve to be filled the same way we pour. I’m drinking coffee, meeting a friend for lunch, and NOT joining any calls – whee!
2 ) Summer is half over and hints of Fall are in the air – turning of leaves, crisping of grass in the summer sun. I don’t wish Summer away but I long for the sights, smells and colors of my favorite season, Fall.
3 ) Every 3 -5 years, we endure a company re-org, and we’re enduring one again. People leaving, people joining, positions added, positions eliminated. I navigate the ebbs & flows, and do my best to hang on to see the other side.
4 ) Yesterday I drove 3 hours each way for a 1 hour meeting – the meeting was productive, but my playlist made for a jammin’ drive! 🙂
5 ) Speaking of playlists, check out “Didn’t it Rain” –1964 Gospel blues from Sister Rosetta Tharpe.
Yesterday I bought these at a Centennial Farm near me. $42 for 8 quarts, amazing!
I can’t even tell you how good these strawberries are! How luscious, sweet and flavorful. My car smelled like a Strawberry Shortcake on wheels. As I washed the berries and removed tops, I ate 2 for every 6 washed. So. Good! I kept some sliced berries in the fridge to enjoy this week and the rest I froze for later desserts.
Speaking of desserts, this is a must try – I made it last year for our Fourth of July celebration with, you guessed it, fresh strawberries and it was a hit. Our daughter-in-law, between bites and and oohs and ahhs, pronounced it her all-time favorite ever dessert. “If you could make this every year for the rest of my life I’d be good with that.” Since we both have birthdays this week, and are celebrating with a family gathering next weekend, I’m making it again, and every year for the rest of my life, too. 😉
** Strawberry Dream-Cake **
1 box Vanilla Cake Mix
8 tbsp Butter melted
2 cans Strawberry Pie Filling
1 – 8 oz Whipped Cream Cheese ( I use 1 1/2 containers so 12 oz total)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350° and grease a 9×13 cake pan.
Spread both cans of pie filling in the bottom of the pan.
Add dollops of cream cheese on top of the pie filling.
In a mixing bowl, pour melted butter over cake mix and combine to make a crumble.
Sprinkle crumble over the strawberry/cream cheese layers.
Bake for 30 minutes ~ until the crumbs are golden brown.
Allow to cool – this dessert is best served cold.
I make this a day ahead, and serve with fresh Whipped Cream (beat whipping cream with sugar until peaks form) and fresh strawberries on top. (or partially frozen). Delicious – and in season!
Add to that – another thing in season is my annual week off for my birthday which starts today. I used to take at least the day off; as I’ve gotten older, I take the week. There’s something so decadent about a week off in summer. Ok, to be honest, anytime! I’ve resisted filling every day with “stuff” to do. So far a mostly blank calendar is giving me joy!
A haze hangs in the air ~ both from rising humidity & the smoke of last night’s festivities.
Front yard free show!
I’ve got a beef roast with carrots, onions and potatoes simmering in the crockpot; Hubbs has already commented on how good it smells. The A/C kicks on, and a table-top fan ruffles nearby papers. We refill our coffee cups and chat in the kitchen.
I could have gone to the beach today, but I wasn’t up to dealing with crowds or the hustling it takes to get there early.
I could have gone shopping or visiting today, but I don’t feel people-y.
I could have worked on one of many work project, but I’m not going to, I work enough
Instead I’m leaning into a book, doing some laundry, and savoring the gift that is a quiet day.
Those days when the neighborhood quietens, lawn mowers hush, kitties nap and dogs dream.
Those days when heat climbs, birds quieten, and bees stop moving.
Those days when fans hum softly, the A/C kicks on regularly, window shades are pulled down and books and naps beckon.
Those days when sleeves are intolerable, feet are bare and fresh produce sounds better than anything else.
It’s one of those days when you know for certain that, in spite 50F temps a week ago, Summer has arrived; her suitcase is tucked behind the door, and she means to stay.
It’s summer in Michigan ~ we all know what that means … Spring’s sweaty sister is here for a visit. Could be long, could be short but move over, ’cause she’s sharing your space! Here are Five Random thoughts for today ~ ~
1 ) Watermelon, Cherries, Blueberries and Strawberries in season. That is all.
2 ) Humidity is regularly 80% … or more. Walks are taken before 7:00 a.m. Books are devoured outside or under the kiss of a summer fan. That is all.
3 ) Michigan is still locked in/down. Just keep living. That is all.
4 ) Speaking of lock-downs – there is a strong physical & emotional resemblance to Hubbs here. Add golf and me and it’d be bang-on. That is all.
5 ) This is just a little too true ~ and that is all!
So, what day is it, anyway? And how are you coping?
This should be a national holiday .. with paid time off .. with cozy chairs and coffee/tea for anyone interested. 😀
I’ve written before of my love affair with books .. and it hearkens back to being a very young girl. Cozied up next to Mom while she read me a story, I remember the heat of her body on mine as I leaned in wide-eyed and wondering.
Mom took me for my first Library card before I started school and I still remember the joy felt filling the book bag up to the top, the weight of it necessitating a drag to the Oldsmobile. Sorting through my choices, the smells filling my senses, I lined my books up in order of priority.
I remember a similar thrill when the Book Fair came ’round each school year ~ bringing home the paper-thin order sheet and circling choices, then handing my list over for her review and approval. She always encouraged us to “read up,” and we discussed choices and our reasoning behind them. Looking back, I can see she favored intelligent choices and those fought hard for. And if you couldn’t defend it, you didn’t need it.
Another one of her life lessons right there!
And, as I’ve grown, books remain a comfort to me ~ a place I love to belong.
A summer read takes me back to our backyard canvas tent, reading my sister’s “Valley of the Dolls” or “Love Story” before moving on to “It” or “Roots” or other intriguing plots.
A winter read can transport me back under the covers of our shared girls’ bedroom, the weight of winter blankets cocooning me into a drowsy state of relaxation.
It’s National Book Lovers Day ~ but I’m celebrating all year long!
“A great book should leave you with many experiences, and slightly exhausted at the end. You live several lives while reading.” ― William Styron, Conversations with William Styron
Are you celebrating National Book Lovers Day with me?
If you’re a reader, who encouraged your love of reading?
It’s August already! Summer took forever to arrive and now it’s flying by .. “Back to School” supplies have been on store shelves since 4 seconds after the 4th. We’ll blink and Halloween will be here.
For me, the first half of the year flew by due to copious amounts of work travel, work schedule, work projects, work calls and … work.
One thing that’s saved me has been steadily indulging my passion: reading. I’m devouring books on planes and in hotel rooms; picking up more at bookstores in tiny towns as I pass through. I’ve lost count of the number read this summer … but it’s not about the number. It’s about the departure. Falling into a good book is like coming home.
Just finished. Delicious!
Recently I saw these words below and they resonated with me. Not just because I adore the fruits of summer … cherries, watermelon, and fresh peaches coming soon … but because, just like in life, we can’t feel our growth until the fruits begin to appear.
Sometimes little nudges come from the most random places. Today, this popped up in Facebook Memories ~ it was a passage I needed to read again and I thought you might, too:
“In the space between yes and no, there is a lifetime. It’s the difference between the path you walk and one you leave behind; it’s the gap between who you thought you could be and who you really are; it’s the legroom for the lies you will tell yourself in the future.” ― Jodi Picoult.
5 Things I’m excited about today:
Road trip – tunes at the ready, coffee up!
In about a month our baby boy will be married; in < a month my sister arrives for the wedding 😀
We just got the news that another grandchild is on the way – oldest boy & his wife are expecting a baby in December 🙂
I’m taking my first golf lesson this week!
The days are longer, the nights are shorter and I do believe summer will be here soon!
And pie, always say YES to pie~
What lives in your space between yes and no? What are you excited about today?
My new summer tradition, established last year on my birthday, is this one: I get up early, coffee-up, pack a cooler and leave for the beach at Lake Michigan ~ about a 40 minute drive due West. There are audible smiles of joy as I pack and singing at full volume as I drive.
Easy-peasy free parking and lots of it, I set my beach chair, books and cooler up just before 10:00 a.m. near the water’s edge, with the chair angled towards the sun but so I can still see the waves.
Much like this guy below:
Grand Haven State Park, MI
~~~ ahhh ~~~at the Water’s edge ~ An Emjayandthem(C) Photo
As the day progresses, I turn to follow the sunshine. Books are read, snacks are savored, I dip in and out of the water and make trips up the beach to the bathroom, too. I might chat with strangers or little kids or no one at all. I pack up and leave as the crowds … crowd the sand ~ somewhere between 2 and 3 p.m. Long before this:
picture from Michigan.org
On my way out of town, I stop at the “Tasty Treat” for a vanilla/chocolate soft serve and enjoy it (and its messiness) all the way home……ahh summer!
We’re in the dregs of winter now – and summer will come again. Between now and then we’re facing such weather events like “bomb cyclones – rain, thunderstorms, ice and snow … and more power outages. So I’m glad to have pictures like these because they hold me over until the time comes again when we can complain about the heat 🙂 !
“Don’t knock the weather. If it didn’t change once in a while, nine out of ten people couldn’t start a conversation.” – ― Kim Hubbard
I don’t know about you but being an adult in summer still requires some adjustment.
Dressing up when the weather says “dress down.” Shoes on when my heart screams “barefoot.”
Going inside to bed … when I want to stay up and watch fireflies dance.
In summer, I’ll start a new book and if an author bores me, feel no shame in reaching for another.
In summer I’m restless.
But not for a desire to do rather for the desire not to do.
In summer the job I enjoy feels laborious: phone calls, project calls, calls, calls and reminder calls.
Summer vacation affords an opportunity to shut that out and instead pad quietly through the house, sipping coffee, feeling the fan on my skin and the heat at the nape of my neck.
Summer days find me up early, drinking coffee and tea for hours, making bacon & eggs for lunch, and leftovers and fruit for dinner. Even better if eaten outside.
Summer brings a longing for the summers of my childhood.
Of screen doors and homemade pie, beach hair and strappy sandals; wienie roasts and kick-the-can, late night swims, ice-cream or watermelon eaten on Grandma’s steps.
Summer is the season when adulting has a very good chance of going sideways.
I’ve not tried this but it’s tempting … Happy Summer!
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