june 27th

When I'm all done cultivatin'

I'll be rockin' on the porch

Tryin' to picture

You and where you are

And there'll be no hesitatin'

When Cupid lights the torch

With those headlights

Comin' down the hill

Between the stars.

-neil young

(happy birthday, batman!)

xo

here and now

spindle legs and dappled back,

a tiny fawn has found shelter

in the balsam orchard,

along with the mama.

nearly a dozen cedar waxwings twitter

in the pine outside the kitchen window, 

gorging on the pine nuts.

local strawberries and asparagus 

sit on the kitchen counter,

along with a jar of sun tea.

phoebes, robins,

crows and blue jays

chatter the sun to the horizon

as the light slips from gold to orange

and tips the grasses in the meadow.

fireflies dance.

the familiar train whistle

moves along the valley below,

and floats in through the open window

(inviting a blanket on the bed at night).

enchanted june. 

waves of calm

these iris came with the place when we bought it.

a massive clump of beauty.

they usually bloom around the summer solstice,

and they are right on schedule despite the wet, wet weather.

devil's paintbrush,

red clover,

daisies,

buttercups,

common speedwell,

bird's-eye speedwell,

yellow goat's-beard and

english plantain

dot the overgrown lawn.

the breezes that cross the valley

drift in waves over the lawn.

it can be mesmerizing.

a landscape architect could not do

what mother nature has done.

not even close.

it's easy to be swallowed up by the peace around here.

maybe you can find a moment's peace here, too?

abundance

remember when i dropped her off?

she finished early, 

but went back this weekend

to walk with her class.

lindsey, batman and i cheered her on.

little miss cum laude.

batman and i celebrated gretta's success,

getting all four kids through college

and our 34th wedding anniversary this weekend.

blessed.

truly.

xo

9:04 PM

indigo eventide.

the quiet that falls as the sun sets.

the peace that brings rest at the end of the day.

when we let go and surrender our worldliness

and breathe into the darkness of night.

sleep sweet, friends.

i've gone AWOL

• after the national weather service warning.
• before bedtime.
• stormy tea.
• henry in the meatloaf position.
• summer reading stack.
• black beans, yellow bell pepper, frozen corn, scallion, cherry tomatoes, cilantro, cumin, lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil.
• lupine and birch dance.
• supper greens from kristen and gary's garden.

...and deep gratitude for all of your wonderful comments the other day. so, so appreciated. xo

steady on

Helping me stay sane...

• The easy comfort of sewing from a kit. I can't remember the last time I did this, but I just needed something uncomplicated and fun. I found just that at rosylittlethings, a lovely blog that is filled with domestic bliss. Mostly hand sewn, this gem is kept in my "grab and go" basket by the front door, waiting for the next call from a realtor.
• Eating mindfully. Batman and I are doing another 30 day vegan workshop with Heather, and Hannah has joined us. I knew I would need the discipline and structure of a healthy eating program as we embarked on this real estate adventure. A week and a half into it, I am feeling really good. The timing for this has been just perfect. We share a few meals and some cooking with Hannah, so that's been fun, too.
• Remembering that it's important to take one day at a time. It's such an overused phrase, but that does not make it false. Breathing, re-centering and breathing again has saved me more than once this past week. One foot in front of the other...
• Letting go of control. Batman and I have done everything we can do to get this place ready, now we must just let go, be patient and wait for whatever comes next. Ha. If you know me well, you'll know that this is a wee bit of a challenge for me...

I do love to drop down the internet rabbit hole every once in a while, it is a bit of an escape from reality. Do you have any favorite online links that you could share in the comments? I would be ever so grateful. xo