when there are enough hours in a day...

We were supposed to be visiting my parents in Michigan this weekend but the excessive heat, violent storms and our recent travel led us to postpone our trip until later in August(thank you mom & dad) and it was a solid decision. This weekend was that unexpected one where you gain time and it magically unfolds in slow motion and you are able not only to do the hours of yard work that need to be done but also to visit the farmer's market, cook*, bake* and take time to enjoy it all. The past few days have been full of physical labor in my own garden and the elementary school's garden, time in the kitchen and time with board games, lots of time in the kitchen and time at the table, time in the studio and time reading the paper (and snipping bits here and there for new work) and at the end of each night a walk for the dog and a glass of wine in the chairs by the the coop with C as we watch the chicks enjoying their new digs.

This was a full circle weekend around here and I can only hope the same is true for you : )

*sweet and spicy bread and butter pickles

*blackberry buttermilk cake

(also made these which were awesome)

last week (or a few things that go too fast)....

time on the water & time to notice things

go karts & being seven

17 years & dusk at the beach

Time with family is one of those things that always goes by too quickly. After a few days together in a lovely house set up for twelve you kind of get into the rhythm of living large. There's lots of noise, someone always around, someone always cooking something or making plans to set off to the beach, go for a bike ride or walk and once we part ways I always feel a little melancholy (it's as if I instantly feel nostalgic about events that happened only days ago). We've done a handful of these trips thanks to the generosity of my in-laws over the past 12 years and they have become a treasured means of looking back for our family. But now we are home and settled in, unpacked and trying to stay cool as the temperature hovers around 115 : ( I am on a mission to keep the chickens cool now that they are living outside 24/7. So far today I have fed them frozen baby peas, cool cantaloupe and blueberries and misted them with the hose (they didn't like that last one). I have also set a small plastic tub on it's side in their run and put a few frozen ice packs in it so it it a bit like a cooling room. They haven't come around to lying inside the tub yet but I'm going to keep putting treats in until they get the idea. I'm so happy to say that the office is cleaned up and put back together and my studio is calling my name. I have a looming deadline ( ETA 10!) and nine boards prepped and ready to go. I didn't realize how much the chicks sharing my space would hinder my ability to work. The heat lamp, closed door and fine layer of dust that took over the room led to zero painting being done for a number of weeks but now life and painting go on. I'm hoping to share the foundations for these new pieces within a few days and am looking forward to working on a large family of pieces which is something I haven't done in a while. What are you up to during these dog days of summer?

Down to the wire...

Moments after I started this post yesterday morning I received a phone call about the darkening sky. Within 10 minutes I was on my belly in the coop gathering wet and scared chicks into their coop (see the area under the coop...it makes gathering them in a hurry a wee bit tricky) in the middle of an insanely powerful storm which lasted only minutes but brought down trees, crushed cars and skylights, and left us without power for the 3rd time in two weeks. I only have a few moments before the cab shows up to take C and I to the airport. We are off to The Outer Banks of North Carolina where the kids have been since Friday with their Grandparents, Aunts, Uncle and Cousins. But before I take off I wanted to take a minute here to share the finished coop and the fact that the girls have officially left my office/studio for good. We put the finishing touches, locks and claps on Sunday and the chicks spent their 1st night in the coop. The timing isn't great for our trip since they are not yet in the groove of going into the coop themselves but we are so, so grateful for a few friends and neighbors who enthusiastically offered to chicken sit. We realize it's a lot to ask but then again who doesn't want to hold a chicken? Have a lovely week!