Summer 2017 is winding down...though I'm not sure it ever truly winded up in the first place. I know most professions don't get summers off and it's something we truly cherish...but every few years a summer comes along that doesn't feel truly 'summerish'. Lots of travel, lots of boys, lots of balls in the air.
It took awhile to settle in and now it's already time to re-enter real life.
Out houseful of boys has truly been a houseful of boys this summer and every square inch has evidence of a male presence. On the down side, there is a bit of a frat house vibe going on in our little house on our little street. They just keep different hours than the parental unit does and I hear every coming and going all day and all night long.
On the upside? The oldest shrub bakes bread. Like, real bakery style bread.
Heaven, I tell ya. Heaven.
Our oldest moved home this summer and now the cat is finally out of the bag...he's taken a college teaching position in China for the next 2 years. We've known for a few months but were asked to keep it under wraps while Mandarin contracts were negotiated and visas were secured and all sorts of crazy steps were taken. And so he moved home at the beginning of June as those steps were being worked through and now, it's become public.
I'm breathing in and out and trusting in this whole process. This boy of mine is going to have a grand adventure...and I can't wait to be on the other side of his facetime calls.
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So much cooking going on this summer - lots of boys home plus lots of friends in and out, in and out. It's been so much fun in that every night, we never quite know who will be here. I'm cooking for 10-12 every single night and there's often times (too many for my comfort) been just enough food to feed everyone.
I've taken to making big pots full of things...chicken cacciatore, pot roasts, stews, pastas. There's been some grilling too, but more often than not I'm just throwing things in the oven so that that guy that I like so much can be free to man the bar. He's so good at it and it's fun to be able to watch him become a mixologist...though it's a bit disturbing as well. I mean, I just hope he doesn't quit his day job.
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The garden is amazing. Green and lush and happy.
I like happy.
I think the theme of this summer has been 'last minute'.
Cook dinner and invite people last minute.
Throw a party together last minute.
Celebrate the end of the week last minute.
I like last minute.
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Our little house is never clean enough. It's never big enough. It's never fancy or put together or quiet enough.
I love this quote from Van Gogh that says 'Great things are done by a series of small things brought together'.
And so I let go of the 'perfect' and embrace the 'great'. The noise, the food, the people.
The small of this house and garden is great. And I love that.
Sometimes disturbing, but always great.
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And now, we slowly start winding down. I've been working all week, but kind of still dipping my toes in one at a time. That guy that I like so much heads back next week and that's when it becomes real that summer is ending...but for a few weeks after that we'll still have weekends in the garden.
I'm hoping there will be lots of them before the weather changes.
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