Summer Bounty

Last of the raspberries

Overripe currents

Bounty!

  

Love my August sunflowers!

OOC beanstalk

First of the hollyhock

We are decidedly more relaxed around here.  While we are not through major transitions, we are through major decisions.  And that brings its own form of peacefulness.  There's still a bit of anxiety in the air, as the summer has seemed too rushed.  For instance, this summer does not seem to be the summer I get out to pick huckleberries.  Or even pick the currents in the back yard.  But I am content in that the huckleberries and currents will be there next year, as will we.  So I can let that go for now, and just enjoy the bounty from my garden that I have been able to capitalize on this summer.  Like lettuce--for the first time ever we have been able to keep up with production.  And garlic scapes.  I discovered garlic scape pasta (recipe here) and have made three batches, to much success and acclaim.  I've also been knitting...a lot.  The most summer knitting ever.  Hopefully I will have pictures to share soon!

Oh, and we broke down and bought a new-to-us washing machine.  Because laundry is somewhat important in the grand scheme of things!

Hot Summer Nights

We are in the hot days of summer here.  After my stint in D.C. last week though, it doesn't seem too bad!  I forgot what 90/90 was really like (90 degree heat in 90% humidity).  Last summer was so jolly and lazy; this summer has been fun, hectic, and with an undercurrent of change.  Change can be a good thing, but it is also, well, a bit unsettling.  We're taking the time to count our blessings:  our family, our little house and gardens, our friends, our town.  Reaching for santosha--contentment.  Finding sharp points of decision making.  But still reaching.   

These Long Days of Spring

The longest days of the year are really in spring, you know.   By the time the first day of summer is over, the days are already getting shorter.  These are the busy days, the flower-filled days, the can't we stay up just a bit longer days. We had a thundershower today, so rare on the Palouse, and this one even came with hail.  After watching it for twenty minutes, my husband and I both looked at each other and said, "I hope the plants are OK!"  They were, although the lettuce is looking a little rough.  Fortunately, my hubby doesn't like big chunks of lettuce leaf in his salad, so now it comes pre-chopped!  But rain makes the garden wet and grow-y, and I love walking in the garden after a storm.

Putting my son to bed, it seemed like nothing could be a better finale to the weekend than watching the last, soft light of the day fall across his cheek.  Love.

Mother's Day

We had a really lovely Mother's Day.  An absolutely unplanned afternoon, spent exploring in the back yard near the creek.  My son was all prepped for it this year, as he had been doing crafts all week at preschool.  He told me "you should give your Mother hugs and kisses all year, not just on Mother's Day," but also "on Mother's Day, I want to buggle a lot!"  After dinner, we had the pleasure of watching him play "firefighter" with the hose.

It cooled down again to a comfortable Moscow spring.  Rain.  Wind.  Flowers.  Just the way I like it.  In May and June, I am convinced I live in the most beautiful place on the planet.
 

 

A Bit of Sun

I think this will be the winter we remember as the winter we were constantly sick. It's exhausting.  It seems that at least one of us is ill at any given time point, leading to restless nights and cranky days.  I've heard that there are over 700 cold viruses on the planet, and I swear at least a quarter of them must be circulating on the Palouse right now.  On the positive side, I've also heard that you only get each cold strain once in your lifetime, because after that, you've built up antibodies to it.  I wonder what the maximum number of cold strains any one person has had in their lifetime???

Despite the obstacles, we've managed to have a good time.  We've been skiing and sledding multiple times since the snow began in December.  I just wish we felt better so that we could take advantage of the generally good weather and enjoy ourselves more fully.  It's frustrating, when you're an active family and you aren't feeling terribly motivated.  Or the combination of sleep deprivation-illness-work travel-holiday stress is just overwhelming.  Today the sun is shining and the temperature is in the 40s, meaning under most circumstances we would be on a bike or at a park...and we're not.

But sometimes the sofa is good, too.

We've used enough wood that we can park the commuter bikes in the shed again.

Gardens are still sleepy...

A chore to tackle, someday.