A Happy Recipient of Summer

 Hello!  I finished a little hat for a baby named Beatrice Hope.  Now to soak and block it and mail it off to the new granny (friend).

 

On one of my walks I found a lovely little cherry tree.  The fruit is so shiny and red!  Who doesn't love cherries?

We had a tea party a while back.  Tea parties are guaranteed fun. 

 After the tea party, Granny was tired.

 My friend Ronda and I kind of lost our way on our walk last week, but we eventually found it again.  Isn't this a pretty house/out building?

 Along our new walk we came upon this lovely art surprise. 

 Our garden is getting a little wild (a lot wild) and I must take the shovel and clear a bit.  The dominate girl?  Yes, the sunflower.  She's spread herself out everywhere. 

 Here's the first cucumber.  Jeff will make pickles if the plants produce well.  So far, they are just getting started.  I ate this cucumber. It tasted like summer.

Bill and I are going to Sam's Club this morning to buy tri tips for dinner (Jenny's family is coming).  Other than that (and a little bookkeeping for Bill's ministry) I can do what I want to.  
It's nice to be a recipient of summer, a vessel for the filling of God's gracious spirit-filled love, and human with the capacity to feel content and to experience huge surges of affection for those He brings my way.
Nobody can take that away.  Yay! 
 

Summertime

 Sondra and I painted in the park again.  It's shady under the big trees.  Sondra's watercolors are getting better and better and mine are simply coloring inside the lines😂.

 I've been riding Sunshine almost every day.  If I ride often, it doesn't hurt my legs (mostly knees) because (duh) I get stronger.  I was wondering why I didn't get sore knees when I rode my "no speeds" bike as a child.  Silly me.

 Gretchen Joanna, do you know what this flower is called?  It grew from a wildflower packet that I sprinkled on the Peter Rabbit garden.  Is it poison?  It looks a bit "haunted house-ish".

 We went swimming yesterday morning.  I love floating on a noodle.  James wanted to show Mommy his skills!  He never wants to leave the pool - a true fish!

 This patio furniture was on sale at the grocery store.  Half off!  Well, I didn't realize how much work it would be to put it together.  Argh!  Bill and I do not want to put anything together EVER AGAIN.  Assembling things is a young person's game.  Do you think so?

 I had to wait until the evening to ride Sunshine last night. It's been in the 90's.  Timothy handles the heat just fine. It doesn't stop him from cuddling up for lap naps.

 

It really is summer now.  We have a very noisy cricket living just outside the family room door.  He is LOUD.  Does anyone know the life span of a cricket?  I like him, don't get me wrong.  I just thought cricket songs came later on in the summer and when the weather gets colder.

I like hauling water to my pots of flowers.  I like giving the tomatoes a big drink.  I've been good about filling the bird bath and keeping the feeders stocked.  I think it's because I am very grateful for the good outdoors.  I love summer so much this year.

Thank you for stopping in to say hello.  

What's July looking like for you so far?

(BIG HUG) 

July Begins

 When a friend and I were walking at a nearby park, I had to stop and snap this meadow-y view.  We need rain, but this location is so lush.  

One morning I lit candles and sang.  There's just something about flames, isn't there?  (contained, in the house, watched - not wild fires, of course)

 Sleepyhead finds all the softest places to continue napping.

 

My mom began reading The Shell Seekers again, so I did, too.  I like illustrating it as I go but then I get so absorbed that I don't want to stop and draw!

 I'm studying and preparing for our Community Bible Study's year of the book of John.  I want to be a good teacher to my fourth and fifth grade class. 

 I ordered this "blast from the past" and it's very pretty inside.  The photos remind me of wholesome meals consumed by my brothers and sisters, made by my diligent mother.  I altered the gingerbread recipe (gluten and dairy free) and it wasn't delicious.  That's okay.

 Here it is July.  I've hauled lots of cans of water to my pots already.  I hope I can keep it up.  I know I said I'd take some garden pictures, but I haven't yet.  I've been too busy potting, arranging, watering, and what not. 

 All of our kids and grands have fun plans for July 4th (except Jeff who is going to be working, keeping up with his busy hardwood floor company) so I'm thinking Bill and I might have a nice big breakfast (this is a photo of a Thanksgiving brunch we had one year) and then maybe just hot dogs and potato salad for dinner. 

 

I have a friend coming over for an outside cup of coffee in a little while.  I made the gingerbread for another outside coffee time earlier in the week and it really was a flop, so I'm just serving a few cookies this time.  

Later we're going to that fun Japanese grill restaurant where they throw knives around and sizzle fresh food on the grill right in front of you.  Samantha Rose invited us.

Off to iron something to wear.

Thank you for tuning in/checking in/reading my chit chat!

(BIG HUG!)