Daybook

 

Outside my window...
The birds have found the feeders that Sawyer and Ade helped me fill earlier this week. Even the hummingbirds discovered their new spot—thanks to the kids helping me mix and pour in our homemade (color-free!) sugar water. No cicadas yet, and like many gardens in our area, ours got off to a slow start with all the rain.

I am thinking...
About how little things—like bird feeders filled by little hands—add up to a beautiful life.

I am thankful for...
Good coffee (not strong, just good), quiet mornings, fresh herbs growing outside the kitchen door, and a home full of life and stories.

From the kitchen...
No sourdough muffins this week, but lots of planning and dreaming. John’s been placing his "requests" from the bakery, so baking will pick up soon. There is a Pop Up Menu going up today!

I’m also deep in the idea stage of creating our own from-scratch meal kits—complete with a system and maybe even a class. I’d love to involve the adult kids and pass along some of the rhythms we've built here.

I am wearing...
My summer uniform: comfy denim capris and an Old Navy tank. I’d love to be barefoot or in a cotton dress, but alas—these feet have other plans.

I am creating...
We’re hosting a (fashionably) late Chapter 30 birthday party during our Mastermind gathering tomorrow night. The menu is sweet and simple—cucumber sandwiches, chicken salad, spinach salad, and tiramisu per the birthday girl’s request. We’re hoping to get the themed backdrop finished too. It’s a bookish beauty the girls plan to reuse for many celebrations to come.

On another front, I’ve been giving my blog more time and heart lately—and it’s paying off with real progress and a clearer voice.

I am going...
To church with most of our crew today, which always feels like a little homecoming. Afterward, we’ll come back and enjoy a slow afternoon. Just how I like it.

I am reading...
Christina’s manuscript. I promised I’d read that before anything else for fun, and I mean to keep that promise. I'm taking it in slowly—and intentionally.

I am hoping...
That I can keep tending the good things without rushing them. That this slower, simpler pace continues to feel life-giving.

Around the house...
Things feel lived in and loved right now. A little clutter, a little calm. Everything in its season.

In the garden...
John and I built the grape trellis system yesterday! The heat just about did us in, but we took breaks, recovered, and made a plan to tackle more on another day. It feels good to see something taking shape that we’ll (hopefully) enjoy for years to come.

One of my favorite things...
The quiet moments I spend on the deck most mornings. A cup of good coffee in hand, the sounds of the backyard we’ve grown over 22 years, and time to simply be. It’s one of the most sacred parts of my day.

PS - If you haven't discovered the magic of lemon grass to deter mosquitos, I'm here to tell you it's real. Go get some before it's all gone!

"People think joy is only found in the big, loud moments—but joy lives in the cracks, in the between, in the quiet cups of coffee and the prayers whispered upon request."