Happy Friday, beautiful souls. It is full-fledged summer here in Morgan Hill—today it’s supposed to get to 94˚F.
I’ve slowly gotten into the routine of swimming every evening. There’s a pool where we live and it has just become habit. I find now that if I don’t swim I feel like something is missing in my day. Most of my life my days were framed by early morning walks or runs. But my routines also slowly morph with what’s going on in my life. Right now morning walks/runs are not in the cards but evening swims are and they are just perfect.
When Giovanni was four weeks old (about a year ago this time) I would put him in the wrap carrier and go out early in the mornings to walk before the day heated up. He would immediately fall asleep after looking up at the green of the trees. He now looks at those same trees and emphatically shouts zree’a (plant in Arabic) and points aggressively. He announces all plants when he sees them—from our house plants, to cut flowers on the dining room table, and trees outside. We are still learning to not pull on them…or eat the leaves…or throw fistfuls of dirt on the floor but that will come with time.
Oh and he loves his little garden, it will always cheer him up. I planted a blueberry bush for him that he loves to look at. We’ve only gotten six blueberries from it so far but he has been thrilled to eat the berries we pick. And we have a hanging strawberry plant. House finches have been hovering around it the past few weeks and I was so bummed that they were going to eat the few strawberries we have so anxiously been awaiting. But then I was watering the strawberry plant the other day and noticed that there was a nest inside the pot…! Oh no! And all the strawberries are in tact. But even so, they can have the strawberries. The momma was just looking for a safe place for her nest and she found it in Giovanni’s strawberry plant. I so hope I didn’t disrupt her nesting cycle (which I also just learned is protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918).
So welcome the change of your routine with the season. Maybe now you like iced tea instead of hot tea and overnight oats instead of warm oats (I’m giving away all my secrets here). Sit outside and enjoy your meals and go to bed later. Find the fruits of the season and enjoy them since now’s the time to eat them and they’re extra sweet and sun-kissed. Our neighbor has a berry hook up (through his company) and so he brings us flats of berries at his employee discount and Giovanni is thrilled by this. Giovanni wakes up from naps repeating “biddy” (berry) and after meals when I say “what do we eat now?” he takes a moment before gleefully yelling “biddy!”
And welcome the birds to nest around your home—after all it means you offer a safe environment. Happy Friday, beautiful souls.
No recipe today, loves.