Summer snippets

For the last week or so, Fall has been sneaking its way into our evenings. Just a few nudges here and there of the coming season: the fans are turned off, a little sweater might be worn for an after dinner stroll and maybe an extra blanket lands on the bed. But right now the days are still warm or even hot. There is still time to linger outside: splashing in the water, kicking back at the playground as my kids run circles around me, savoring icy treats under a hot sun and hiking around to discover the gems hidden at the end of a trail. So before summer makes way fully to falling leaves and frosty days, I'm drinking in these these summer time scenes:

Some happy things

I guess I've taken another inadvertent blog break. Summer is really flying by.

Today I had a happy surprise when I visited the lovely Homemade Rainbows and discovered she'd given me an award- actually two awards! My very first ever. So I'm following along and making my own list of six things that make me happy. I've seen other forms of these "happiness lists" over here and here. And now I finally have the beginnings of my very own list. A very random collection, but I had to begin somewhere. Here goes:

1. Watching my kids roll down the old sledding hill: 2. The magic of blowing bubbles- then chasing them, catching them, popping them, or just watching them drift into the sky.
3. And speaking of the sky, I love those clear blue sky with big cotton cloud days. I want to be an artist that can replicate the ever changing sky on canvas.
4. An outfit that matches your food is cause for happiness, particularly if you are prone to spillage. This little moment reminded me of when I was a child and my Dad would sometimes break out his "Spaghetti Sweater" for pasta and red sauce dinners. I don't think he did any spilling, but I can still picture that sweater.5. Very old trees like this willow- all twisted, bent and morphed into living sculpture- make me smile.
6. And little skirted swimsuits:  If you haven't already compiled a list, I'd love to see what you come up with!

Something new

...for my big girl this summer:Can you guess?

Sailing lessons...
At the completion of her week long course, she set sail with her Dad to show off her new-found skills.And my heart skipped a beat as they grew smaller into the distance.

Wishful thinking

Walking around such quaint seaside neighborhoods, I couldn't help but feel little pangs of jealously over the finely manicured lawns and gardens like this:
or this:
In stark contrast to these is my scruffy garden which has become all the more jungle like and out of control since neglecting it these last few weeks:
Hmmm... perhaps I can teach this babe here to pull weeds instead of nibbling nasturtium blossoms. And a landscaping team and some hydrangea wouldn't hurt either.

Home again...

...home again, jiggedy-jig! We're back. Though I am glad to be here at our little home, it was hard to leave the sea, the sky and family back in Massachusetts. We spent most of the last two weeks staying with my parents, in the same home I grew up. "Cape Cod home" as Ava so sweetly referred to it when she was a wee one. There is something magical about returning to this place, especially with my children and being able to see it all again through their eyes.







Going to the beach and watching my kids play, I am reminded of all the fun my siblings and I would have. Amazing how such simple things like water and sand can provide hours of joy and imaginative play. Even when the "sand toys" were left behind at the house there was plenty of to do besides swimming- digging in with their hands building walls against the tide, creating drip castles and making little pools for the littlest one to sit in. Then there were sea creatures to spy- horseshoe crabs, minnows, jellyfish and clams- which made my kids shriek with delight and at times terror. Without shovels and pails to argue over, I found Ava and Rowan cooperating more. This little trip was a perfect mid-summer treat...and you might be hearing more of it over the next couple days.