Summering

Happy Summer! Hope everyone is staying as cool as possible during this heat wave.

Here's a little reminder that Halloween is only 123 days away!

We never want to wish the summer away even if we do have to spend most of it in the AC! It's always a good plan to embrace the present whether it feels like the frozen arctic or a steamy jungle.

Burt has decided to begin his summer by diving into a book that combines two of his favorite pastimes, apart from eating and napping, that is. Unfortunately, he usually falls asleep after a few pages no matter how good the book is. 

So it looks like it's up to Spenser and Kibitz to act as the mixologists and make some use out of all that recently acquired knowledge.

Ivy looks like she could use a break from her "summer pastime" too.

Not a bad way to spend a summer afternoon. Who knew Spenser and Kibitz could be so proficient? What sort of cocktail they finally came up with is anyone's guess but it's probably a mix of rum and fruit juice with a garnish of fruit flies and candle wax. 

Meanwhile, His Madness and I were beginning the summer with a trip over the Memorial Day weekend. Thanks to everyone being fully vaccinated, we could finally to get together with our son Andy and his wife Kristin - whom we haven't seen in person since Christmas of 2019. Considering how packed the airports were, lots of other people were off to visit family and friends, too. There were lots of stern announcements about the penalties for starting a fight with the crew and luckily our flights were peaceful. Although one pilot did sound a little like a dad on a road trip, he all but threaten to turn the plane around and head back to the airport if the passengers didn't behave.  

Naturally, Mother Nature had her own plans and they weren't particularly sunny, ha! 

 

Oh well, a little wind and rain mixed with a couple of frosty nights never hurt anyone.

  

Not to make this post all about drinking but Massachusetts had just lifted their covid restrictions that weekend so most places were still operating at a limited capacity or simply closed. Fortunately, there were plenty of restaurants and craft breweries to keep us entertained and HM even got to indulge his curiosity about Whole Foods at three different locations! Kristin found this beer, dedicated to the memory of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, at a different grocery store and it was great! Bone Up Brewing should make it part of their permanent line. 

This is Grayson, the newest member of the family. He's part beagle, part everything else, and an absolute force of nature. They adopted him through a rescue program and he has lots of friends in the neighborhood.

I couldn't do a blog post without some flowers! Their neighborhood was in full bloom with loads of spectacular rhododendrons. They aren't hardy where I live and I was consumed with envy. 

It also seems like I can't do a blog post without some sort of cooking event, either. Andy wanted a lefse making lesson and it seemed weird to be making it in the spring, even though it felt like winter! I'm barely competent at it myself, but we muddled through. 

Flying home, I looked out the window and noticed these clouds that looked just like icebergs on Lake Michigan. It was unseasonably chilly but not that bad, ha! Of course a couple of days later it was unbearably hot and humid. It's been a crazy summer so far and we're only getting started.  

As I was finishing up this post I realized it was seven years ago today that I started this blog so my mom could see what was going on in my garden (and let me know what I was doing wrong!) She was never into social media but had moved into an assisted living apartment where there were lots of wonderful volunteers, armed with iPads, who helped us stay in touch. Not sure whether to call it a birthday or an anniversary but as long as there's cake, does it really matter? How about a Pina Colada, too!

Stay cool and thanks for stopping by!