high summer

Arkhip Kuindzhi 'Birch Grove' 1878 Tretyakov Gallery via

As so often happens when I step away from the blog, I struggle to find the words to begin again.  So many things, large and small, have filled the space in between posts!  And in the midst of all the activity, my camera remains perched on the high shelf where I put it last, never to hand at the right moment.   (Slurping a summery painting from the internet is far easier.  Enjoy!)

We have graduated another child from high school, and have marked so many lasts and firsts with him: tearful last dance performances, overwhelming college orientations, joyous prom, and stellar, school-record-setting, medal-winning outdoor track races.  We are proud to bursting of this young man, excited to see where the next steps will take him, and know that he is resilient, if nothing else.  

Our oldest child is off building homes in Mexico for the summer, Big M leaves tomorrow for his summer program, and the younger ones have camps.  (Sleepaway!  Little M's first time!) I was by myself for several days last week!  That hasn't happened since before T was born, fourteen years ago.  There were lots of little home projects and cleaning and planning for the coming year.  I'll have just one student at home in the fall, and I hope we can fill our days with all of the things she enjoys in addition to the necessities.  

There has been a bit of sewing, knitting, and crochet too, to fill in the corners of my schedule: lots of new socks in my drawer, and progress on some long neglected projects.  I've finished several books, and listened to a silly audiobook series while I cleaned or re-rushed chairs or sewed.  But this season is an internal one, and I am reveling in the silence around me, using the quiet to put my interior castle in order.

We'll be headed to my beloved Michigan in a few short days.  My camera will be click-click-clicking away there, hoping to preserve as many moments as I can.  Happy summer, friends!