"wear gratitude like a cloak and it will feed every corner of your life."

-rumi

last weekend.

an important field trip to burlington, dinner out at leunig's, a solstice sunset drive home. fresh peonies in the kitchen. a dog walk leading to the farmers market, a road ride on the new bike, and a big downpour. strawberry picking with mom, berry shortcake for dessert, and some more rain in between. summer: i love you.

on instagram.

here's an interesting piece about instagram, and the new instagram video feature. i agree with so much of the article. the new video feature doesn't have a lot of appeal to me, though i can imagine a scenario in which i might play with it. instagram is my favorite app, my favorite 'social networking' activity right now. photography is a favorite hobby of mine, and the app allows me to take my ordinary photos of sweet moments, put a perfect filter on them, and share them with my community. it's a 'well-crafted fantasy' world seeded with real life moments. you choose the perfect shot and the perfect filter, and then you get to imbed the memory just as you want to remember it.

i always think it's so important to remember that what you see (on facebook or on instagram or any other tool) isn't necessarily the full reality. we choose what we share-- just as i do on this blog. i share what i want to remember, what i appreciate, what i think will make my little reader following smile. the below photo is a perfect example: my living room still life. i cropped out the pile of wedding invitations, the computer, the dirty cups, the crumpled napkins. so you see this: my serene little scene.

life.

"life always gives us exactly the teacher we need at every moment. this includes every mosquito, every misfortune, every red light, every traffic jam, every obnoxious supervisor, every illness, every loss, every moment of joy or depression, every addiction, every breath. every moment is the guru."

-charlotte joko beck

happy.

"happy. just in my swim shorts, barefooted, wild-haired, in the red fire dark, singing, swigging wine, spitting, jumping, running-- that's the way to live."

-jack kerouac, the dharma bums

old pine.

oh yes. love this song. it makes me want to go play in the woods with my friends.

"respect is earned. honesty is appreciated. trust is gained. loyalty is returned."

wednesday night.

sparkling blue sky. a soft breeze. my brand new orange bike out cruising paved & dirt roads for the first time. squinting into the sun. a little stretching on the front porch. quiet time at home while b & lu are out. a black bean burger. an episode of mad men. butterscotch pudding.

wild country.

i've been loving this song lately. wake owl is an up and coming band with an EP and a few radio songs, and they are playing a free show in burlington this summer. hoping to make it!

currently enjoying.

tomato quinoa soup. the sound of a downpour starting on our roof. smelly brie cheese. wake owl. making plans to enjoy every ounce of summer. a new blueberry muffin recipe, best made on sunday mornings. peonies on the table. starting our second round of seeds in the garden. buffalo chicken salad.

home.

life is short.

i know i shared this video years ago, but a friend recently posted it and i enjoyed it so much i had to re-share.

best friends, bicycles and words to live by. does it get any better?

yes.

in two years time.

tonight we're headed to shelburne museum to see edward sharpe & the magnetic zeros. the field will be a swamp, but i've got my boots packed and my dancing legs ready. i am looking forward to it!

two years ago, we had a similarly wet day before we headed to the same venue to see the mountain goats & bright eyes. i'm hoping the weather will dry up and improve the way it did on that day, though it will be a fun show even if we're soaked.

it's amazing how time passes. in those photos taken two years ago, jenna & alex were fresh homeowners. the following month, they would become engaged. a year later, they were married. and as we head to the show tonight, we are all eagerly anticipating the arrival of baby b in september. at that point, brett and i were only entertaining the idea of a dog. miss lu was a mere few week old pup living on a rural farm-- just waiting for us to find her so she could bring her sweet self into our life. now, we are engaged and planning a fantastic wedding, loving our lu, and tossing around dreams of owning a home.

two little years. love this life.

rainy day tunes.

crooked still was a bluegrass favorite of mine for several years. the band members have since embarked on their own adventures. enjoy this video of the former lead vocalist, aoife o' donovan.

fun in the kitchen.

on sunday, i had a great day in the kitchen. i love trying new recipes and playing around-- so long as i'm not in a hurry.

i made the fluffiest pancakes for breakfast. i added blueberries to some, and served them with raspberries, bacon and local syrup. we agreed: this is our new go-to recipe.

for dinner, i tried a new brussel sprout recipe. i was also eager to try this recipe for gnocci with sweet corn, arugula and cream sauce. i added basil and lemon zest, and the verdict was YUM. however, i couldn't find my usual gnocci in the store, so i underwent my first attempt at homemade gnocci. super fun, lengthy process. next time, more patience, more time, and smaller gnoccis. mine were tasty (i used two regular potatoes and one sweet potato as they were all small) but resembled flying saucers. enjoyed on the porch.

what's in your kitchen?

the weekend.

a rainy evening. a glass of wine with a new friend at a sweet little cafe downtown. an incredibly muddy dog transformed into a fluffy clean dog. an everything bagel with veggie cream cheese.  a super shop at the coop truckload sale. home decorating: rustic frames from tj maxx for my new prints. an afternoon movie on the couch! a run in the park. a date night with b. coffee and lounging. a great workout. the cleanest bathroom you ever did see. some new recipes in the kitchen. a little pedal around town.

for friendship.

grateful for out-of-work fun with a coworker, a wine date with a new friend, a catchup call with the oldest of friends, texting with a far-away friend, video chatting hilariousness with a sad friend. i love my people.

joy.

"but i have learned this: joy doesn't follow anyone. rather it is chased after, laughingly, hungrily, boisterously. it is pursued like a child who, chasing fireflies, ends up with handful of starry sky."

-unknown

hello, weekend.

it's going to be a wet and quiet weekend in vermont. we've got cold rain falling at least through tomorrow night, and most of 'my people' are out of town. tonight i'm meeting a new friend for a glass of wine, and tomorrow i intend to do some cleaning and relaxing.

i spotted this article today about 14 things successful people do on weekends. i think that i cover many of those-- though i could go for fewer chores, more vacation and more disconnecting. how about you?

around the web.

a few web links to start your day:

great song shared by a friend.

interesting map showing our regional accents and terms.

totally digging my first day in these new pants.

i'm trying this new recipe for dinner tonight and i'm already looking forward to it. serving it with a side of roasted cauliflower.

this is your brain on coffee.

midweek thoughts.

• i don't walk lu as often in the mornings as i should. brett usually takes her for a run, walk or bike while i go to the gym. and when i do take her in the morning, it's usually for a run or walk in the park. occasionally, i choose to walk her on her leash around town. today was one such day, and i just couldn't get enough of it. walking the neighborhoods at 6:15 is so quiet and still. by my final mile through downtown a bit after 7, the whole town was waking up and stretching-- cars buzzing, the smell of bagels baking, runners and walkers and bikers all moving fast. sometimes it feels like i don't get to spend enough time in my community, and this was such a good little taste of it coming alive.
• where i have chosen to live in relation to where my office is located has resulted in a 38 minute commute (each way). every summer, the state takes on a few projects on the highway-- paving, ledge repairs, pothole repairs, whatever. and the drive gets slow. yesterday was the queen of slow. 1 hour 46 minutes to get to work. 1 hour 6 minutes to get home. my patience was thin. in order to turn things around, i reached into my glove box and pulled out some old cds. i was quickly transported to 2003 with a hilarious mix of michael jackson, bryan adams, alanis morrisette, and christian rock bands. whoa.
• there is nothing more wonderful than getting in bed early to read, with a cup of sleepy time tea by my side.
• there was an incredibly tragic shooting in steamboat last week involving a family i knew there. i cannot stop hurting for them. 
• hug the ones you love extra today.

chopped thai chicken salad.

i tried out this new recipe last night. super easy to prepare, very fresh, and wonderfully delicious. i used mango instead of papaya. and be warned that this makes a massive quantity-- probably serves at least 8. we both loved it, and as long as you don't mix the dressing and salad, it will keep for a few days.

enjoy!

man on fire.

we're going to see edward sharpe & the magnetic zeros in a week, and i'm really excited.

dogs at work.

i'm not sure that having lu at work with me would work out all that well, but i do love ibex's family of dogs. they recently won purina's 'pets at work' contest. congrats to one of my favorite brands!