My July
My July away from the blog was one for the senses. Here is a bit of a recap:
I saw:
Fireworks light up the night sky as we celebrated our country's independence and my Birthday.
Butterflies, bees and birds dotting the flowers, shrubs and trees.
My nephew and his fiance on a visit from Louisiana. Can't wait until we celebrate their wedding NEXT July!
Sunshine! Days upon days of warm sunshine turned to hot sunshine - one of the hottest on record for us ever.
Bags of unused, unwanted or ill-fitting clothing we donated to the local clothing bank.
I heard:
The crowing of neighboring roosters as I sipped my tea outside in the cool of the morning.
Running water as I tried desperately to keep those hanging baskets (and me as I sprayed myself) alive in the 90+ degree weather.
Friends and neighbors "discussing" (ie: complaining about) the heat and wishing for a bit of rain to green up our lives again.
The pounding of my husband's hammer hard at work on yet another project.
The summer breeze rustling through the bamboo leaves as we enjoyed grilling outdoors.
Quiet. The kind of quiet that soothes your soul and lets your heart tune in to hear God reminding you what is important.
I smelled:
The freshness in the air after the rain (once...) and it was lovely. I AM a Pacific Northwest native through and through.
The beautiful fragrance of gathered bouquets from the garden. I love mixing an assortment of flowers I have growing with a bit of lavender and sprigs of greens and herbs for a wild and eclectic bouquet.
Smoke from a not too distant wildfire. Way too many this year as a result of the heat and drought.
Blueberry/rhubarb crumble warm from the oven (which we topped with ice cream because - well, because!)
Hay being mowed and baled early this year from nearby fields.
I tasted:
Piping hot, wood fire grilled pizza from a lunch out with my daughter. The ingredients were all sourced locally save from the imported flour from Italy - so very good.
Crab salad sandwiches with close friends. We had the most special picnic on the edge of an organic dairy farm field with a grove of shading trees to one side and cows grazing in the distance. My friend had set up a table with a lovely cloth and glass dishes and another brought a wonderful salad. I provided some sweetness with cheery cheesecakes in canning jars.
Jam. I made three kinds in fact: Raspberry, a raspberry/strawberry combination and marion berry for the third. I am counting the days until it is cool enough to bake a loaf of homemade bread to go with.
Fresh garden cucumbers, radishes, lettuces, spinach, zucchini, tomatoes and more. I do love our garden.
Iced tea and lemonade and even a chocolate milkshake.
I felt:
Renewed. Refreshed. Relaxed. Loved.
Life simplified.
I hope you all have had a wonderful month and found time to savor some of the beauty and bounty, friendship and fun that summer has to offer.
Tags:
Country Living
19 comments
"I felt:
ReplyDeleteRenewed. Refreshed. Relaxed. Loved.
Life simplified."
Ah, this is living...
Hi Mindy, looks like you had a very busy month. Our heat this summer was record breaking too and they say that we are expected to have a dry winter. Praying for rain:)
ReplyDeleteHave a great weekend.
Connie :)
Hi Mindy, you sound so refreshed, a break is always a good thing as you always remember the best in other things.
ReplyDeleteThank you for giving me a glimpse of your beautiful summer so far.
ReplyDeleteWhen I asked you in the email to tell me about your summer, I had no idea you had written such a beautiful post, Mindy! Absolutely love this and love your pictures. And I agree, blueberry crumble demands ice cream! Love your cherry cheesecakes, too!
ReplyDeleteVery glad you're back - it's so important to cherish those special moments and you bring them to us in the very best way.
i am so glad you soaked in all of july!!!! it sounds lovely. and delicious!!! of course you need ice cream on crumble!!! and your mason jars are pretty, and i bet the cheesecake was the perfect addition to your picnic!
ReplyDeleteps... do you think you had trouble commenting over at my house because of some setting on my blog?
Mindy ~ What a lovely post, and your photos are always so beautiful.
ReplyDeleteJuly...It has been quite the busy summer with the death of dad and all, but the Lord's grace and abundance of love has been truly amazing.
I have missed the sweet fellowship of you dear ladies here in our blogging community and look forward to getting back into the swing of things.
You have shared some beautiful summer memories here, I especially enjoyed your delicious looking treats. Those cheese cake cups look wonderful!
We too have asmall garden, but the wild life seem to get to the goodies before we do. :)
Potatoes are the best for us to grow here in the mountains, but we don't really eat that many potatoes.
Thank you for coming over to visit and leaving such a sweet comment. I always enjoy seeing you!
Have a blessed remainder of your summer days.
Joy! Debbie
Hi sweet friend! I was just thinking of you wondering how you were doing and then I get a comment from you :) Oh, it was so good to hear from you and it's a blessing to visit your beautiful blog again. It sounds like you had a fabulous July, my friend, and many memories were created that will last a lifetime.
ReplyDeleteLove to you, Mindy!
What a wonderful July. :)
ReplyDeleteI love your perspective!
Happy day friend!
karianne
Sounds like you had a LOVELY July! We have swapped weather! Today it was barely 64 at noon! And misty. ARGH! Those cheesecakes in canning jars? ADORABLE!! I do love cheesecake and berry cobblers and ice cream! You are making me hungry! Missed you and your sweet words. Glad you are back!
ReplyDeleteHi Mindy, sounds like you are having a wonderful summer so nice of you to share it with us. So much to be thankful and happy for. Your crumble looks delicious!!
ReplyDeleteYour descriptions made me lift my nose and sniff the air, made my mouth water and my stomach rumble, made me open my eyes to the beauty and blessings surrounding me. Thank you, Mindy!
ReplyDeleteHi Mindy!! Oh my goodness, you had a July for the memory books. I loved your description of the picnic, and the smells and visits and sights. So happy for you! I hope you always experience these wonderful gifts, and find a reason to be thankful every day.
ReplyDeleteGood to see you again :)
Ceil
I love peeking into your beautiful life! Thanks for sharing it,
ReplyDeleteSusan
Sounds like you are really enjoying your summer. You spent a lot of time with family and tried many new things. I love you sentence at the end. Thanks so much for sharing and visiting my blog.
ReplyDeleteI am so happy to stopped by in this post you could bring your wonderful July for the readers here. I am just happy because I read all friends' comments and made me feel like we getheree togethered.
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderdul day!
Delvalina
Wow! Sounds like you had an awesome month. Love the sound of all the things you tasted especially the fire grilled pizza!
ReplyDeleteYou are wonderful! I wish we lived close enough to visit!
ReplyDeleteCherishing the memories of summer as well. The cheesecake in the canning jars was certainly the cherry on top of my most treasured moments with you my dear friend.
ReplyDelete