9.28.20

I don’t generally like articles that try to tell people how to live their lives better (of course I don’t) because too often they don’t seem realistic. But I read this one this morning and liked it, much to my chagrin.

I want to read it again to really think it through, but there are some good points in there. I can’t or won’t do everything, and some of the tip suggest buying things – which not everyone can do. But there are plenty of ideas that anyone on any budget can do to try to get through this fall and winter, because it already feels like it will last 1,000 years. All right, I’m projecting. But one reason I liked the article is because it suggests finding ways to take real action on things that have been hanging around for a while, in need of my attention. It’s not revolutionary stuff, but I really appreciated the nudge in the right direction. I spent a lot of my time this weekend thinking of ways to be more proactive in certain areas of my life, realizing that so much lies out of my control right now. And now if you’ll excuse me, I have some things to add to my to-do list.

9.24.20

More floof. More distractions because life feels very overwhelming and fatalistic in our home at the moment. I alternate between swearing about what the current administration is doing to destroy our country and whispering sweet nothings to this guy.

9.22.20

It’s officially Floof Season in our house!

8.2.20

When it gets really hot and humid like it tends to do around this time every year, we do anything we can to avoid turning on the oven or even the stove. We have a fan in the dining room that we can point into the kitchen because honestly, it starts to feel hot in there even if I’m just unloading and loading the dishwasher. So I tend to favor meals that feel more like assembling than cooking, and this is one of them. Fresh tomatoes and basil, burrata, lightly grilled bread, olive oil, salt, and pepper. If we’ve got the stuff, we’ll throw in some prosciutto and cantaloupe. This kind of food just doesn’t taste as good any other time of year, and putting it together like this means I get to enjoy dinner without feeling like I need a shower. 

7.4.20

We got an inflatable pool for the backyard this summer once we knew we wouldn’t be going to Mexico or any other beachy destination, for that matter. It was very much a Plan B, but sitting in it today felt luxurious (it’s hot, yikes). I feel extremely lucky to have a private outdoor space where I can do something like this. 

Now if I could just get the fireworks to stop … Happy Malia Obama’s Birthday!

6.15.20

It’s hard to believe, but this might be the first time I’ve really seen and smelled a magnolia up close! Candles and lotions don’t count because I hate the way those smell and loved this.

5.12.20

The honeysuckle growing on the fence between our yard and our neighbor’s smells incredible! It reminds me of growing up in Washington State, when this would grow wild all over the place. We used to pick the blossoms from the vine and suck out the drop of sweet nectar from the base of it because it tasted and smelled so good. Also because kids just do weird shit. 

5.6.20

Our Ninebark has decided to join the spring blossom extravaganza. 

5.1.20

Have I mentioned that we have chive blossoms? 

4.22.20

More double bulb deliciousness. 

4.18.20

Totally normal attire for a nice spring walk around the National Mall. 

(Taken at the DC War Memorial, where we got married!)

4.16.20

I’m so happy that we planted these double-bulbed tulips on a whim in the fall of 2018, because they came back again this year and have brought me a lot of joy while I’m stuck at the house.