A visit with my dad

and so dad is here
and enjoying the couch
all tuckered out in the a.c.
with the puppies.

and we're keeping him tired
with trips to the gym
and visits with friends
and asian themed dinner parties

and dinners out for crab
and visits to the local boat show
full of antique and classic boats
(and a few cars, too)

and so i find my groove
enjoying summer
and picking inspiring hot colors.

Happy (HOT) Birthday, Becca!

It was a fabulous party day... only about 100 degrees with the heat index.
in the sweltering sun, easton lounged, we played bocce,
and then there was cake.
2 cakes actually.




i was very proud of my strawberry dream, crooked as it was,
it was tasty and cool and full of fresh farmer's market berries.



easton, of course, got to spend time with his friends too,
which is what i love about this particular group of friends.
we play. the dogs play.
everyone is happy.

and an unrelated photo sums up sunday...
a day full of homemade pizza and the garden's first summer harvest...
one summer squash.
yummy.

oh, and p.s.
SCHOOL'S OUT FOR THE SUMMER!

life is full of joy.

self-flattery

well, it's not self flattery if i post someone else's words...

tomorrow is the last day of school and I asked the kids to write about what they liked best.
here's my favorite, self-inflating, answer:

My absolute favorite thing about second grade was having Mrs. Cranwell as a teacher. She helped us with math and language arts. She helped us with our lines in the play. She made second grade possible.

We raised money for the Chesapeake bay and Mrs. Cranwell helped with that as well. She helped us with the volcano we made. She cheered for us on field day. We traveled to Mexico and Kenya and she helped with that, too.

She helped us research animals. She helped us when we raised our hands and she would answer us. She would set examples when we most needed them. She supported us when we did our play and if we were stuck on a word, she would help.

September was the month of meeting her. My favorite part of second grade was having Mrs. Cranwell for a teacher and all of the memories I have of her.

(photos taken by students)

fresh: self portrait 3

i think this image says it all: fresh air.

Some of my favorite people: Highlights from a recent visit

crabs

and pools


and boats


and festivals in the park


and may day celebrations


and golf cart rides

and more boats

and more swimming

and flowers


and bubbles


and fires
and smores

fresh: self portrait 2

fresh miracles of nature all around us.

check out other fresh portraits here.

sushi lessons

my new friend L has proved to be a myriad of wonderful things.
she is a great gardener and plant lover
she is mom to easton's very best puppy friend
and an extraordinary dog sitter
who takes pictures of the dogs and leaves us a slide show.
she is a wonderful conversationalist and listens to all of my ramblings
i mean, all of them,
and can just laugh and tell me that i am funny.
she is a sushi pro
and loves to cook just as much as i do.
she can hang out with todd and i in all of our glory
and she is always up for anything.
for all of these reasons... she's become a wonderful part of our lives.


so this roll's for you, L.

Earth Day

so i have finally come around to my long awaited resolution to compost.
we bought a bucket with charcoal filter.
we bought a recycled plastic compost bin.
we put it all together.
and now we fill it up.
right now, its a fun project, and the worms are happily munching away.
by fall, we hope to be able to fuel out soil before we till it all under for the winter.


a special thanks to R, who helped with the building from a kit
and the gave me moral support to paint my garden stone.
well, she took pictures, too.
but its always nice to be cheered on in life.
i guess that's what friends are for.

fresh: self portrait

fresh cut grasses
just smelling them means spring.

for other fresh ideas, click here.

the garden planting: year two

tilled soil.
fresh air.
sunshine and sunscreen.
dogs romping.
good friend helping.
footprints in the soil.
dirty bare feet.
patches of green.
cool breezes.
new kneepads.
sore muscles.
water bringing life.
tomatoes. cilantro. basil.
beets. green onions. lettuce.
spinach. squash. zucchini.
cucumbers. watermelon. parsley.

"To forget how to dig the earth and tend the soil is to forget ourselves." Gandhi