What a Summer: Relentlessly Being in the Present

What a summer. That's a common phrase. Summer is the stuff dreams are made of. As a child, you spend nine grueling months of the year doing things like homework and studying, but all the while, you're dreaming of summer -- sweet, cheerful, lazy summer. Even as I approach the end of my twenties, I find that sentiment remains.

Summer Quiet

You may think my lack of recent posts should be attributed to lazy days on the lake, trips to the ocean, and cookouts with friends. Summer at its finest. That has not been our schedule, though the past month has been delightful in its own way:

1. New jobs. For both of us! Within the same week. I'll tell you more about those later.
2. Home improvement. By this point, John is such a pro at painting that he's considering a third job. Not really. But now we have beautiful Dolphin Fin, White Dove, and Jeweled Peach walls! Photos coming soon. 
3. Friends. You may remember my post about the difficulties of making friends as a grown up. Almost as soon as I posted it, my life exploded with friendships, new and old. Ask and you will receive? 
4. I've been to Aiken for family-related visits twice this month. It's so nice to be a bit closer when important things happen. 

Here's hoping your Labor Day Weekends were lovely.

xo,
   Lm

August

This lovely ode to August has me thinking about the coming month more than I was before I found it. In fact, I was thinking mostly about September, which only proves Zak's point. August is a means to an end - the ambiguous bridge between carefree summer and get-to-work fall.

At work, I'm thinking about September and how to prepare. At home, we're painting our townhouse. We're planning our careers. We are moving into new things.

For us, August means settling down. The buzz of our engagement and wedding has dwindled, and we've had time to recover. As August begins, my daydreams are divided by breezy beaches and October football games. I think of sand under my toes, but then I remember the crisp, alluring scent of autumn's air.

This is the month I spend a little extra time hugging Herbie, and I miss my little brother. I think of visiting Atlanta but can't be sure when it'll be. I read a lot. I remember that I wanted to make a really great Sangria before the season's end, but I think about picking apples to resurrect that cake from Cleveland.

August, you're open to interpretation, and I'm glad you're here.


p.s. Photo from August 2011 in Charleston.



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Bits of Summer

John and I have been spending lots of time relaxing and daydreaming and planning our future. I suppose that's what all newlyweds do? You can usually find us behind our house with a little Whiskey or Zinfandel in hand, figuring out the next best step.

Other bits of summer:

1. Mac & Cheese

2. Long Evening Walks

3. Letting Herbie run himself silly in empty baseball fields

4. Furniture Hunting

5. Blueberry Cake

6. Thinking about painting (but not actually doing it)

We are really looking forward to spending this weekend in the sand and the sun with my family in North Myrtle Beach. Happy Thursday, everyone!

This SUMMER and Sweet Impossible Blossoms

from Dallas Travel Guide

This recent switch to this gorgeous spring leaves me sososo excited for summer.

And this year....a real summer, with real sun, a real job, and real friends! I see walks downtown and happy hours with outdoor seating in my future. And please, don't squeeze the peaches.

xo!

  Lauren

From blossoms comes 

this brown paper bag of peaches

we bought from the boy

at the bend in the road where we turned toward

signs painted Peaches.

From laden boughs, from hands,

from sweet fellowship in the bins,

comes nectar at the roadside, succulent

peaches we devour, dusty skin and all,

comes the familiar dust of summer, dust we eat.

O, to take what we love inside,

to carry within us an orchard, to eat

not only the skin, but the shade,

not only the sugar, but the days, to hold

the fruit in our hands, adore it, then bite into

the round jubilance of peach.

There are days we live

as if death were nowhere

in the background; from joy

to joy to joy, from wing to wing,

from blossom to blossom to

impossible blossom, to sweet impossible blossoms.

"From Blossoms," Li-Young Lee

Just Another Blizzard

It's true; you can't take the South Carolina out of the girl. I've never even heard of a mid-March blizzard! But here we are, trudging through the snow in Cleveland. Okay, it's a little bit pretty, but allllllll I can think about is this.

beach

dock

 this girl!
via Mary Ruffle