Today I have a watercolor (created with the Waterlogue app, not handpainted by me) of the cake that Hannah got me for my birthday. It was funfetti, with lots of sprinkles and it was delicious. Jackie and I mayyyyyyy have dug in a bit with our fingers before it was cut and served . . . I say you’re never too old for a smash cake!
Happy Wednesday, friends!
I feel rather proud of myself for pulling this look back at August together on September 2nd. You’ve got to take the wins where you can find them, friends.
Here are the daily photos from last month:
And the video:
And my thoughts on the month:
What did I learn?
To focus on the good every single day. There’s so much heaviness in our world and, while I can’t ignore it and I recognize that I have a responsibility to alleviate it where I can, I’m working actively to not let it drag me down. I’ve been keeping a gratitude journal of 5 things every day for over a year and it helps a lot with this, as does my daily meditation practice, I’ve meditated every single day for over a year, too. I reached both of those milestones in August.
What was my greatest accomplishment?
It’s a tie between two things: picking our first home grown tomato of the season and getting a cover all on my bingo card!
Where did I go?
Cape Cod – twice! We had a weekend at Doreen and Mark’s and also our annual family vacation. It was so good to be at the beach and relax with those I hold dear. I went out to eat twice, too. Once outside with Kim and Ken on vacation and once inside (which is still sort of weird) with Doreen and Hannah. And I got a hair cut – finally!
Who did I spend time with? And what did we do?
As always lately, Dale and my family. We went to the beach pretty much every day of vacation. It’s small and we can walk and we make every attempt to grab this little spit of the beach where it’s only us – social distancing at it’s best! There was also a major shopping event. Did you notice?
What brought me joy?
Jackie. Zinnias. The beach. Butterflies. Good food and drink.
What do I want to remember?
That the simple things in life are so often the best. Watching Jackie sing and dance, seeing my family play together in the ocean, sharing laughs over games, bearing witness to Dale’s continued healing.
September has a tough act to follow.
I’m pressed for time today and you know what that means . . . a watercolor made with the waterlogue app.
One of the two Boston ferns under our pergola. Or, as Jackie calls it, the fort.
Have a great Wednesday.
Time to take a look back at the month of June, friends.
What did I learn?
I learned to make stuffed quahogs! You can see them on the far left column, sixth row down. A friend of Dale’s brought me the quahogs and I cooked them and then made a stuffing with linguica and chourice and we had them on Father’s Day. They were delicious and I’d make them again in a heartbeat!
What was my greatest accomplishment?
Getting the garden planted. It doesn’t sound like much but I felt overwhelmed every time I thought about it. Now I’m glad to say that it’s done, even if it was late.
Where did I go?
I went to the nursery for plants more than once. And we visited Plymouth a couple of times. Otherwise it was just work and the grocery store.
Who did I spend time with? And what did we do?
I think the answer to this is readily apparent from looking at the photo mosaic. Dale. There are way more pictures of him than in a typical month, that’s for sure. Maybe it was just my way of documenting the progress he made. And also Jackie. And my daughters. I’m grateful for the time with all of them. As for what we did . . . we hung out at our house.
What brought me joy?
All those flowers! The containers on the deck and the CSA flower share I treated myself to for the summer plus a bouquet of zinnias from my sister-in-law and window boxes. Flowers always bring me joy.
What do I want to remember?
I’m glad to say that I want to remember all of it. The progress Dale made from using a walker to crutches. Our anniversary. Dale’s birthday. Jackie’s laugh. Sunny days and beautiful evenings on the deck. Resuming family dinners. The water in Plymouth harbor. All the delicious food and drinks and the tiny moments that made each day something to be grateful for.
Let’s see what July has in store!
Local strawberry season is here!
