Season 25 (2022)
HOME + TRAVEL
"What kind of man becomes a father. A lasting place. A steady ship inside a tireless storm."
-Kate Baer, author of What Kind of Woman
Whether you are celebrating the father figure in your life this Sunday, enjoying the day yourself, or celebrating Juneteenth this weekend, I’ve got you covered with several recipes to enjoy on warm summer nights.
Fridge pickles are the perfect way to make sure the remaining veggies in the refrigerator don’t go to waste when we leave for vacation. This recipe from Love and Lemons is always my go to.
I bought these Olukai sneakers for traveling this summer, and I’ve already logged many miles in them! The mesh breathes keeping my feet cool plus they’re comfortable to wear, and I love the style.
Oregon has been on our travel bucket list for awhile now, but I never knew that Oregon had so much public access to the coastline that it is called “The People’s Coast” until I watched this video (*video link has sound) from the YouTube Channel Adventures of A + K.
Have a favorite summer recipe or tip for summer travel? Share in the comments below this post.
GARDEN
A chickadee getting a snack
Why not plant your own birdseed? I recently added sunflowers and Black-eyed Susans to our garden to provide natural food for birds visiting our backyard.
Take a break from gardening and enjoy some lavender lemonade this summer. No lavender in the garden this year? I buy my dried lavender from Hill Country Lavender to use all year.
Building a garden and a life one step at a time takes creativity and persistence. I love this inspiring video of what it means to grow as a person while creating a garden. (*video link has sound)
Summer heat in the garden can be intense. I’ve found the most success with planting native plants that are suited to withstand summer temperatures AND continue to flower. Flowering natives are essential for pollinators and even for seed or fruit production in some plants as they provide food for birds in later months. Be sure to plant natives according to whether they are shade-loving or sun-loving plants.
American Beautyberry in bloom
Zinnias and cosmos seeds can also be sprinkled into the garden to create gorgeous summer arrangements, or leave them in the garden for all of the butterflies and bees to enjoy.
WELLNESS
If you’ve ever carried a sleepy child home on your shoulder, then you’ll understand the gravity of the poem, Shoulders, by Naomi Shihab Nye.
Resources for parents during challenging times from PBS.
A young titmouse enjoys a refreshing bath in our birdbath
CREATIVITY
Interimaginary Departures - An art installation by Janet Zweig located inside the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport
BOOKSHELF
This article about a 70 year-old woman driving cross-country to gets books in the hands of more people warmed my heart.
Reading a book a week might just help your attention span, bolster your desire to become a lifelong learner, and even calm your mental state. Curious? Check out this video *video link has sound
If you haven't made the switch from Audible to Libro.fm, here are a few AAPI (books written by Asian American Pacific Islander authors) audiobooks to help you make the switch!
I just finished listening to We Were Dreamers by Simu Liu. I appreciated the author’s humor, honesty, and storytelling skills. Listening to a memoir read by the author in audiobook form is my favorite format especially when you have a talented narrator sharing their story. (Plus, I’m a big fan of Kim’s Convenience, so it was great to hear the backstory!)
Up next on my audiobook wishlist is What We Were Promised by Lucy Tan (narrated by Jennifer Lim who is also the narrator for Island of Sea Women)*
AAPI Audiobook Recommendations*
COMMUNITY
Uvalde Library Strives to Be a Summertime Refuge After School Shooting
I’ve added Episode #771 on This American Life to my podcast playlist to learn what parents are doing to prevent school shootings.
Join the steering committee for Texans for the Right to Read. TRR is “an educational coalition focused on sharing information related to censorship activity, efforts to ban books in Texas, and the importance of librarians and their work in protecting and promoting the right to read.”
Enjoy your weekend!
Get involved in your community. VOTE. Speak out. Volunteer. One small action can create momentum for change.
“Do your little bit of good where you are. It’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.” -Desmond Tutu