Life Lately | May

 You guys, windows down, arms hanging out the window, riding the wind in an ocean wave pattern (you know what I mean) season is here. It's hot and God bless it. It's summertime. 

I have just a few holy weeks left of working from home. I know. I saw this hilarious post that just about sums it up, but I'm here to be positive. I'll be maximizing what's left of my temporary dream life and treating the month of June like a Saturday -- blissfully ignoring the looming Monday. That's my strategy anyway. If you have a better one, please share. 

So May was nice! It started chilly, but by the middle of it, I was regularly snapping my laptop shut at 5pm, grabbing a cooler and a book, and perching up at the beach by 5:15 every evening. You just can't beat a mid-week, after work, dinner picnic at the lake. Quality. Of. Life. Baby. 

And oh man, raising Duke is such a flashback to being a kid myself. With proper motivation - and the lake will always do it - he just can't feel cold. Duke has been swimming in Crystal Lake consistently for two weeks now. He keeps telling me it's warm and that's how I know I'm raising a liar.  

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READING

I've been reading. Not that I stopped, but I really enjoy sitting outside with a book. so things always ramp up a bit as soon as it warms up. I've been adhering to a 100-page rule -- if I can't get into a book within 100 pages, I feel free to give it up -- and I almost gave up on The Casual Vacancy by JK Rowling, but so glad I didn't! I wound up really enjoying it.

It's a real departure from Harry Potter of course - this one is geared towards adult readers - but I wasn't expecting the first half to be such a slog to get through. There's so many characters and it's hard to remember who's who, and the plot is kind of slow. Things do start to click (although it never really gains speed) and once I started to remember the large cast of characters, I was hooked. I spent most of Memorial Day moving back and forth between the couch and the deck, always with the book and a snack in hand. 

I also finished First Women by Kate Anderson Brower which is a really engaging read if you're interested in America's modern first ladies. No 100-page rule used here. 

And there's a reason there's beach sand in the background of both of these pictures. That's where I live now. 

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EATING

Tiktok pasta. I tried it and I can affirm what social media already knows: the ROI is top level. Very little effort, yet very tasty. 10/10 would make it again. 

I grew that basil, by the way! I have a regular old trash garden on my deck - little plants growing from kitchen scraps - and so far, they're all staying alive! This is very out of the ordinary for me,  so I'm bragging about it while I can. 

Look what else we found growing -

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Sweet Summertime

Summer pulled up to the pick-up line early this year and boy, am I glad to see her. 90º is forecasted this weekend and you won't hear me complain. 

Everything is so green. 😍💚

Not enjoying: 

However, I can't get enough of that serious face. 

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Super Duke

In other news, Duke is deep in a Super Duke phase. I am not exaggerating when I say he wears his cape and mask daily (sometimes with clothes) and I honestly just take him public in full costume. We go to grocery store and he runs in the front of the cart, with his cape flying behind him, while old people smile at me knowingly. These are the good old days. 

Anyway, Super Duke got the boat out of storage for Memorial Day and it was definitely a hero move. 

Speaking of grocery carts though, he's still about as patient as ever. Even superheroes get bored of shopping with their mom, I guess. 

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LOOKING FORWARD TO JUNE

We're just settling into summer really nicely and looking forward to some long, hot days. I hung twinkle lights on my deck and I'm still enjoying the heck out of this playlist from two years ago, so you can just expect to find me here until mid-October. It's so nice to have a summer at home again, after traveling through the hot months last year. This is my favorite part of the year, and this is my favorite place to spend it. 

If you're looking for us, we'll be perched up at the beach, a bonfire, or a boat. With a good book. And a beverage. Okay, now I'm getting carried away, but I can't say no to a good alliteration that won't stop writing itself. 

Happy weekending!