Waiting for my red peppers...

These are my red pepper plants. They are my most successful gardening endeavor so far this summer (the second batch of lettuce is looking promising too, but the garlic got totally burnt by the sun...as did my arugula, mint and thyme; sigh). If all goes well, there will be bright red bell peppers growing along these greens soon. But oh, it has been taking so long! Every morning (and afternoon) this week, I've been checking to see if there are any signs of the actual vegetable. I think they are coming along...slowly, small-y. But mostly slowly! Who knew growing bell peppers would be such a test of patience.

Summer Knitting

I'm knitting the little guy a sweater...as you can see, I've got the trunk down and am somewhat stalling on the sleeves. Usually, I don't touch my knitting needles between May and September. It's just too hot and humid...and I'd rather spend our time at the beach or at the park. But for some reason, a few weeks ago, I got this unexplicable urge to knit. It was just after we moved, and everything was a mess, but I dug through the boxes until I found some needles and yarn. And so began my summer knitting endeavor.

I must say it feels just a tad different knitting in the summer than in the fall or winter. I usually knit in the company of a hot cup of tea or cocoa--and I associate knitting with warmth and comfort. But these days, the knitting is done with an iced drink, under the ceiling fan. There is something equally relaxing and rythmic about it, but it just doesn't have quite to same cozy feel.

With any luck, I'll get this "practice" sweater done soon, and start on some other ones, so by fall, Collin will have a selection of home-made goods to keep him warm. :)

Gardening at Work

One of the best things I did this summer was to join the "Flower Pot Committee" at work; a fancy name for a few of us who are doing some planting and growing around the building. It's a wonderful feeling to step outside of my (windowless) office on a hot day and spend some time watering flowers and soaking in the sun. It slows my day down, and reminds me of the world outside of refugee troubles and endless immigration papers. Don't get me wrong, I love my job and the people I work with...but adding a little sunshine and color to it during the day only makes it better.

A very hot weekend

This weekend was very hot, humid and sunny. It was also Revere Beach's Sand Sculpting Festival. A good combination, especially since the water was still pretty darn cold!

So on Saturday, we headed out to see some big sand sculptures.
And enjoy the beach. And introduce Collin to the ocean, which scared him quite a bit.
It was a nice little outing for us, especially since Collin has been a big grump all weekend. We think it may be because he's teething. But oh wow, did he wear his parents out! Lots of screaming, crying, and fussing this weekend. While I could go on about how trying and tiring this weekend was for us, it struck me that when I sit down to blog, I tend towards documenting the things that bring me joy throughout the days and weeks. It's not that I am oblivious to the frustrations or intentionally ignore the things that are difficult (I have shared with quite a few friends about our weekend trials!), but I like that this blog gives me space to think about the positives. It reminds me to notice the little blessings in life, the things that make me smile, and the gifts that I am truly thankful for.

In fact, the last few months have been a difficult season--although we are not going through tragedy personally, several of our close friends are going through very difficult situations. And as I look back on this blog, I realize that I've used this space to document the small joys around me, even amidst all of the curve balls that life throws out. So, here's to the taste of homemade jam, the smell of fresh baked bread, the fun of making kids art, and the joy of watching children explore the world. Life's simple gifts of goodness.

House Warming

Today, in the hot and humid weather, I decided to break in our new home with some freshly baked bread. A friend came over, and we spent three hours kneading, waiting, baking, and chatting...and then, we (and our lucky husbands!) happily enjoyed the smell and taste of freshly baked whole-wheat bread with a bowl of split pea soup. It was a wonderful way of warming up our home.

We moved to Somerville last week, and so far I've been enjoying the new home and neighborhood. Apparently, there are 10 little boys on our block (and no girls!). It's been fun slowly getting to know the neighbors and exploring the new area. I'm looking forward to venturing out on morning runs and afternoon walks this summer.