217

Rainbow chard and pine nut alfredo, served over linguine. Because Dean has a gift for saying, "you know what would taste good?", and being right.


A photo a day over at Chicken Blog, too.

216

You know you have a friend in the maintenance department when you get a bouquet cinched with a zip tie....

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215

We're back to playing a family game after dinner -- Dominion, which I highly recommend.

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214

I wasn't home to see this bloom this morning, but am thankful to have caught this moment before the first morning glory of the season took its bow.

A photo a day over at Chicken Blog, too.

213

There are people in the world with the patience to plant dahlias, and dig them up each fall to overwinter inside, and then replant them in the spring. I am in awe.

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212

The boss, who is not prone to flights-of-fancy nor indulgences generally, suggested we all pile into my car after lunch and go get ice cream. Which we did. She even paid on the company credit card.  Farewell, July!


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211

Plans. Lots and lots of plans.

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210

Groundhog day.

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209

Sunset on a gift of a Friday. I get sprung from work at 1:00 on summer Fridays, and try to spend the afternoons outside to show my appreciation.


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208

A photo a day over at Chicken Blog, too.

207

I realize that this has been the best summer yet for our garden, here at what we still call "the new house" although we've been here 5 years. Plants are not merely hanging in, but they are bursting out -- spreading, blooming, reaching. We haven't had long stretches of unbearable heat, we've gotten pretty regular rain, and Dean's helped so much with planting and checking on things and pulling weeds here and there. I've already got plans for next year, and even for quiet mornings this fall.

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206

Thirds

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205

This recipe, now officially Ken's favorite thing. And yes, I will admit that I was inspired to get my bake on by this.


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204

The kind of afternoon you wish could just last forever.


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203

At the airport, here to retrieve Dean from his Nicaraguan adventures, and a reprise of yesterday's artwork greets me! If you ever find yourself at Logan Airport in Boston with time to spare, it is worth it to explore the walkways that connect Terminal B to the other terminals -- all the most wonderful sea creatures in brilliant mosaics on the floors. If I ever win the lottery and can have custom floors in my home....

(All this and a happy, healthy Dean bubbling over with stories to tell, with sadness that his adventure has ended and with thorough delight to be home home home.)

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202

Summer camp art for me this morning. The interconnectedness of my universe is about to get crazy....

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201

And just like that, this birdie grew up and flew away, too.

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200

Trying to find the grace, and breath in the beauty, on a morning where I've gotten myself up and out so early in order to work out -- and then discovering through no fault of my own when I get here that I cannot. Well, I'm sure my stuff will turn up eventually and I'm sure there's a reason to be grateful to be at work more than 2 hours early....

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199

I was hoping to have some great story to tell, all about Stumptown, to caption my photo of this tired work-morning's treat. But while the company's web site wants to tell me a LOT about their sourcing and roasting, they don't seem to want to say anything about their name (or else they've hidden in really well). In any case, to me, it brought to mind the process I am in -- grinding it out, stumping along, just trying to get through.

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198

A photo a day over at Chicken Blog, too.

197

Robin nest update: from the three eggs there is now what appears to be one thriving baby bird, eagerly awaiting mama's return to the nest. Thinking of my own baby bird, flown down to Central America, and very much NOT needing me to feed or otherwise care for him (in the active, daily survival kind of way); word is that all is well and that he's thrilled to be where he is.


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196

The bunny ate the rest of the plant down to the absolute nubbins, but left just enough for this one blossom to burst.

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195

This hydrangea, moved with us from our old house, seems to have settled in all right except that each year it only puts out one or two blooms. Ah, but it's worth it.

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194

The bunny really seems to trust me, or at least doesn't seem to know that it shouldn't.

 A photo a day over at Chicken Blog, too.

193

A photo a day over at Chicken Blog, too.

192

A remnant of an outdoor sculpture, hanging down from a branch, inviting me to change my view.

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191

A photo a day over at Chicken Blog, too.

190

Not the best shot -- butterflies are on a mission, after all, with no time to indulge others -- but still my joyful memory of the day, that my garden is feeding these visitors and that sometimes I get to sit and watch.

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189

We were up by about 3:15 this morning in order to take Dean to the airport. He's headed back to Nicaragua for 2 weeks, in a program for college students who work building homes and teaching English in remote villages. I respected his space and his focus and did not ask to take a photo, although the picture in my mind of him is very clear as he made his way through security and headed off to his gate. He made his tight connection in Miami and landed on time in Nicaragua, and he met up with the group he'll be working with. That's as much as we'll know for a while, which called for brunch out on the way home. Something to make me feel a little better....

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188

Through the glass, outside the gym this morning. I wonder what my creature count will be at the end of this year, when I glance through to see all the wildlife photos I've posted here. Not how I envision suburban life in and around Boston, but it's really quite rich and impressive if you take notice.

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187

Wabi-sabi

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186

I tend to think of all red-tailed hawks as being male, although of course that cannot be the case. This one greeted me as I got out of my car at work this morning, and was completely unfazed by anything.

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185

It seemed as though we were not the only ones to find a day to be patriotic and celebrate being American felt quite hollow. We enjoyed each other's company, ate well, and appreciated the excuse not to be productive in any way. Sweet.


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184

Brazen. Destructive. Wily. In some ways -- I am just going to say it -- evil. Oh, they burrow under the roots of our plants killing many, they eat the bulbs that I'd invested time and money in, they somehow evade the many red-tailed hawks who live in the neighborhood, and apparently they look cute to some people.

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183

We have just crossed over the half-way point of the year. I have nothing more profound to say about that, other than to acknowledge that it is true. More profound are the riches from Dean's large planters out back, where he artfully mixed vegetable and flower plants, and which I have harvested for starring roles in tonight's quiche.

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182

Looking to me for all the world like a fairy's dress, casually flung to air out after a long night of dancing (but for those of a more scientific mien, the wilted flower of a Missouri Primrose).

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181

Because apparently one massive quilt project with no end in sight is the motivation to start another one, and early evening light on he who finished his summer course today by completely rocking the final.


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180

In the lilac bush right next to the back deck, a timeless story unfolds. We watched the serious back-and-forth of the nest being built out of grasses plucked one-by-one from the hill out back and in no time at all, the real work began.

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179

Just socks, Mr. Bunny. Nothing for you to nibble on -- keep working on the clover, please.

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178

It just seems to always end up happening this way; I can't take the vacation days off when I would most like to because things are too busy at work, and then end up at the end of the fiscal year having to take days just so as not to lose them. So without having plans, and with Ken and Dean both busy with their own doings and not able to completely disconnect and go someplace with me, I am doing a little staycationing this week. Took the opportunity to work on Dean's quilt -- so out of practice for hand-quilting! and do some yard puttering. A weirdly mixed weather day, and an amazing sky just at sunset -- I do love being able to just be at home.


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177

After having had Dean's eyes checked each year for many years we stopped, because the last eye doctor said -- he's fine! just bring him in if he ever complains of not being able to see well.  He never did complain (because of course you don't know what you don't know, right?), but we certainly noticed more squinting than we knew was good....


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176

 A small section of the driveway allows me to imagine that we have, in fact, traveled to some far-away, exotic location, some tropical pathway somewhere with birds singing and maybe even monkeys rustling in the trees nearby....

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175

I just remembered that I meant to plant cilantro, too.  I hope it's not too late.... 

Meanwhile all I can say is that we went to see Wonder Woman yesterday and now my phone has a new ringtone.

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174

One little filter applied, and suddenly I'm back in the summer of 1975. I wish I were getting ready to go to camp.

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