We had a long drought and then a lot of rain in July. Every season, every thing, requires balance. Nature is a constant reminder. Squash went over early in the garden. We (happily) eat tomatoes at most every meal. We’re canning and saving for winter, cutting lots of flowers, trying to swim a bit and stay cool.
It’s been a busy month - hard to keep up. I’m trying to savor it all while still recharge my batteries, I’ve been working too much and my body senses it. I keep forgetting my notebook at work. During downtime, here’s what has been top of mind.
+ Life in the country is everything I dream of - except when a craving hits and you’ve got to get creative. Venturing out for sushi or pad kra pao is a must when we are on vacation. I am starting to teach myself some wok basics at home for when we need our fix. Above are the books from my shelf I’ve been perusing for recipes and inspiration.
+ Making this cozy dish
+ I’ve been dyeing everything I can with sulfur cosmos from the garden. Warm cantaloupe hues abound
+ My favorite colors at the moment are bright french blue and deep, bright reddish orange - inspiration coming from the Olympics in Paris, cutting into a watermelon, any shade of tomato and any body of water. I’ve realized I love color deeply, but I am awful about wearing much of it. I am always drawn to neutrals as part of my uniform. Hoping to add splashes of color to my fall and winter wardrobe.
+ Knitting is an essential routine for me. Mindless knitting especially as of late / see “burning the candle”. I’m working on this in bright orange wool yarn held together with rusty mohair. I’m imagining wearing it with jeans or my brown pants, a white blouse and a bright colored hat on a crisp winter day.
+ Our wedding photos came back and they are really special. Our friend / photographer Ann Marie did amazing work. Having harvested and arranged the flowers, designed all the paper, did the party set-up, beer canoe-filling, cooking, cake baking and party planning all as a family and with folks in our community - the enjoyment of the day felt extra juicy. Excited to make an album the old fashioned way - using glue and photo corners to preserve keepsakes and pictures in a pretty bound book.
+ I loved making this - will make again and bring with me to the beach next week.
+ Tomato pies - on repeat at the restaurant
+ Simple prompts like these when you need a quick check in. It doesn’t always have to be that deep
+ I’m teaching a pastry class in the Fall at the Cumberland Folk School. It’s hard to believe I’m teaching a class, as I feel I learn more and more about pastry every week. Always a student. Link here for more details. If not my class, there are so many fun teachers and topics to choose from. I want to take them all!
