Season 25
Southern Pearl and Harvester Peaches from Vogel Orchards
This week we sat under the majestic cypress trees that line a creek here in Central Texas, and then walked over to a candy shop nearby so that our son and his friend could cool off with ice cream after a morning of fishing.
On that same warm (albeit cooler than usual) summer day, we ventured out just before sunset to attend an event where we listened to music. The musician, Erica Michelle, played a song by an Austin band that we remembered from our college days. The guys played bean bags while I enjoyed an ice cold virgin Paloma watching the full moon rise. It felt, well, normal. It was reminiscent of events we used to attend in what I refer to as “old Austin’. The laid back music scene is the best part of Austin, and it is harder to find these days, but today I felt like we got a taste of what makes this part of the world unique.
*If you see an asterisk next to a link, that link takes you to a video with sound. Just a heads-up in case you need to turn the volume down or pop on your headphones.
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HOME
Summertime has arrived in the kitchen, and we’re savoring everything we can harvest in our garden and at roadside stands. We’re also swapping produce with family and friends as our gardens are abundant right now before the even hotter months of July and August approach.
Peaches are in season!
I’m looking forward to trying this ginger peach chutney recipe and, of course, cobbler.
My favorite vanilla gelato recipe (add summer peaches or try this Persian rose water, saffron and pistachio ice cream recipe)
Fried Cheese-Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms
Keeping produce fresh on hot summer days can be tricky. If you are eating outdoors, you can use a damp paper towel to drape across your lettuce and greens or wrap them up in a towel and place in a cooler until use. I learned this produce-hydrating trick from Jamie Oliver on Jamie Cooks Italy on Discovery Plus. If you’re eating indoors, try one of these innovative solutions for keeping produce fresh.
Terry Cloth Produce Storage Bag ($)
Veggie Hammock ($)
*Are You expense tracking or are you budgeting? - Summer budgeting advice from You Need a Budget (YNAB)
GARDEN
A glimpse of summer in our garden…
He may look cute and innocent, but he stole our almost ripe tomato and cleaned out our suet feeder.
We’ve noticed several young sparrows, blue jays and cardinals out exploring with their parents in the backyard recently.
A guide to Central Texas Snakes
WELLNESS
This past weekend I watched Fatherhood on Netflix and had to have the tissues nearby. It’s a beautiful film on the journey of grief, how grief changes a person, and how grief follows its own timetable no matter what we think we have planned. Navigating grief in our society can come with challenges when it comes to our jobs, our families, friends, and our children. The movie is based on the memoir Two Kisses for Maddy: A Memoir of Loss & Love ($).
How to Help a Friend Who is Grieving
Let’s Talk About Hard Things by Anna Sale
Dignity Therapy by Harvey Max Chochinov
The Long Goodbye by Meghan O’Rourke
Intimate Death by Marie de Hennezel
CREATIVITY
Last summer, our LEGO minifigures had their own adventures. Creating little vignettes with your minifigures is a great activity to do with kids of all ages whether you are focusing on the LEGO minifigure scenes or working on beginning photography. Choose your LEGO minifigure and then look for ways to make something small seem big like the okra stem, RV trailer birdhouse, or fork pictured here. Make that object a tree to climb, a roadside destination, or a photo op for your LEGO minifigure. ($)
Making It! - The new season premiered on NBC this Thursday, June 24th at 8/7c in the US.
BOOKSHELF
In celebration of Pride Month, I’m sharing two stories I came across that would make great additions to your child’s library.
The Book Club of My Dreams Was At The Library All Along! I’m trying out a couple of book clubs at Austin Public Library in the next few months and curious to see how it goes.
Sunflowers in bloom
I’m listening to Gabrielle Union’s memoir, We’re Going to Need More Wine ($) where she talks about racism, colorism, and the sexual assault she experienced as a teen. If you would like to support individuals and families who have experienced abuse, contact your local shelter or support The SAFE Alliance here in Austin, Texas.
Reading: Let’s Talk About Hard Things ($) by Anna Sale, On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous ($) by Ocean Vuong, The Secret World of Weather ($) by Tristan Gooley, and Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man ($) by Emmanuel Acho
Listening to: We’re Going to Need More Wine ($) by Gabrielle Union
Recently Finished: The Language of Flowers ($) by Vanessa Diffenbaugh, Luck of the Titanic ($) by Stacey Lee, People We Meet on Vacation ($) by Emily Henry Crying in H Mart ($) by Michelle Zauner, Midnight in the Blackbird Cafe ($) by Heather Webber, The Downstairs Girl ($) by Stacey Lee
Up next: Sparks Like Stars ($) by Nadia Hashimi, The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together ($) by Heather McGhee, Refuge ($) by Dina Nayeri, The Stationery Shop ($) by Marjan Kamali, and Caste ($) by Isabel Wilkerson
In case you are looking for book recommendations for kids (or yourself!), gift ideas for all ages or want to peek into my TBR List for 2021, head over to the 52 Seasons Book Shop on Bookshop.org.
COMMUNITY
We watched Blue Miracle as a family last week, and although I’m not a supporter of sport fishing or trophy hunting just for competition, this movie does have my support. The film was a great fit for my teenager to watch with us and you can support the REAL Casa Hogar by making a donation to Casa Hogar.
"Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world." - Desmond Tutu
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