Friday: A Life Update

Sometimes I feel like publishing two posts in one day, and since my earlier post was just about clothes, I thought I'd post another one that's mostly words. Here are a few snippets of life around here lately.

• I bought one of those small cacti from Trader Joe's this week. I like having some form of plant life in my room but I don't have enough space for a big vase with an arrangement, so this tiny little cactus is the perfect fit! The edges are almost hot pink and the green jar matches my bedspread. 

• I'm still reading The Group by Mary McCarthy. I feel like this is important to mention because it's the reason why I haven't posted more Currently Reading posts or Book Reviews. I'm nearing the end and it is a great book. The structure is far more different than I had anticipated and it deals with some subjects that are germane to the time period and since I'm not too familiar with it I find I get lost occasionally but I'm enjoying it and I'll get more into the specifics with a review!

• I have been spending many hours a day writing this past week which is great because I feel like I'm forming a habit and being productive. I set my alarm for 6 am every morning. Sometimes I'll pull my laptop into bed to get started early on a blog post or research for an article. Other days, I'll get up right away and start plotting my writing plans in a notebook. I've also been reading more websites about writing and publishing and I'm also looking for more ways to expand my blog and readership—slowly.

• I've been writing more for Collective Lifestyle, you can find all my articles here. I really enjoy it but sometimes I have difficulty coming up with good ideas! 

• For the first time, one of my blog posts was posted on Facebook. AJ liked my post about The World Cup and Us so he asked if he could share it. Nervously, I said yes. I know that posting to Facebook is a sure fire way to get more readers and share, but it still makes me nervous!

• AJ and I have some fun plans set up for the weekend. I'll be spending time this afternoon with my sister because she leaves to visit her boyfriend in the Middle East—for a month!—tomorrow night. Saturday my sister and I will go to the Farmer's Market and at night AJ and I have dinner plans with our newly married friends. There will also be a fun Shakespeare Saturday post (finally!) coming up tomorrow morning so be sure to read it! And Sunday, we are going to a party two celebrate two of my cousins' graduations!

Hiking at Devil's Den

On Friday, we had beautiful weather. The sun was out but there was a cool breeze. AJ and I have been wanting to go to Devil's Den in Weston to hike for months now and I can't believe we finally got around to it. We had high expectations and planned to walk miles and miles and miles.

We did walk miles, but maybe not as many as we had hoped. The trails themselves were fun and not difficult which is good because we are not experienced hikers. There were rocks to climb over, hills to scale, and fallen tree limbs to dodge. There were also plenty of bridges and logs to walk across small streams and make it feel like a real adventure. 

 We had a lot of fun, but it got hot and buggy fast. This photo was taken at the very beginning and I did not look like that upon the end of our hike. The bugs were relentless and kind of put a damper on the hike. We were not thinking of that and I didn't plan for it so we didn't bring bug spray. We won't make that mistake again.

It was so beautiful and really fun, especially because it's something new for us! We want to do it again but we have to remember buy spray next time. I'm covered in bites! AJ took this photo from a bridge we were on, it reminds me of Pocahontas. 

Here's a photo to prove AJ was there! This, too, was taken early in our walk. By the end, we were gross, sweaty, covered in bugs, and hangry (hungry-angry). I had to ask AJ if we could turn around and head back because the route we were on was too long and I didn't want to deal with more flies. 

We really do want to go back, though! But we have to bring bug spray. I also want to try other hiking trails in Pound Ridge and where ever else we can go!

Once we got home and got a little something in our stomachs, I fell asleep while AJ watched soccer. We continued our day of being outside by getting take-out salads and eating them at Compo Beach. I love taking advantage of the gorgeous weather this summer is giving us. 

Vacation Roundup

It's always annoying when fun and relaxing family vacations have to end. There is something about Cape Cod that, the minute I drive over the bridge, I know I'm on vacation and that it will be a wonderful time. Every year is great in it's own way and after 22 years of visiting Chatham, I know I will never tire of the small, sweet beach town. 

 Our last few days in Chatham were spent playing no less than 20 rounds of competitive Scrabble, soaking up the sun on the deck, taking long walks around the neighborhood and to the beach, and walking through town and shopping occasionally.

 I love getting to share this family tradition with AJ now. I can't wait until we have our own family to make even more memories with in Chatham.

 Our last dinner was eaten at home and shared with my mom and godmother. It consisted of Trader Joe's crackers, a variety of cheese, carrots, hummus, and delicious fruit salad. This was eaten between rounds of Scrabble and was followed up with rich chocolate from Chatham Candy Manor.

 AJ drove the whole trip home today. It took us just about 4 hours and I only nodded off for 10 minutes. We left around 10 am after sharing bagels and coffee while sitting on a towel at Hardings Beach, another one of our bagel traditions.

 Tessi rode home with us, too. She slept the entire way in her bed on my lap. It's always a funky feeling, getting back into the groove of regular life after being on a vacation for a while so I'm trying to throw myself back into life rather than ease into it. I already did some unpacking, I have my second load of laundry going, and I'm heading off to Zumba in an hour.

Tomorrow I have to restock the kitchen and get some writing done!

A Wedding and Breakfast

June is off to a great start! I spent the last day of May with AJ, celebrating the marriage of our friends, Tyler and Melissa. It was a beautiful wedding and a beautiful day.

We danced and shared a delicious meal with their family and friends. It was touching to see such a loving and devoted couple to be surrounded by all of their loved ones. You could truly see how happy everyone is for them and how supportive and hopeful everyone is for their marriage.

They are a lovely couple who have a blessed future ahead of them! We were so fortunate to be able to share the day with them.

The wedding reception was over by 9 (the happy couple had to be up at 3 am for their honeymoon flight!) so AJ and I went to bed early to rise early on June 1st.

We went to 7:30 mass in the morning at a church in Saugatuck that overlooks the water. After church we swung by Dunkin Donuts. I got a bagel with strawberry cream cheese and an iced French Vanilla coffee—black. AJ got a Coolatta and chicken salad on a croissant. The man loves chicken salad.

I love spending time on the beach, it's such a luxury to have the shore and the Long Island Sound just a five minute drive away. It was before 9 o' clock when we got there so it was still quiet.

We ate and talked about the wedding the night before and about our upcoming wedding. It was a wonderful way to start the day and a great way to start June.

It was an ideal example of what I talked about in yesterday's post. If this morning was any inclination of what June and the rest of the summer holds, I can't wait.

June + Some Thoughts

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It's the first day of June and I wanted to write a post about this new, fresh month that has yet to be filled up. The days will go by fast, just like April and May seemed to end before I got a firm grasp on the month. June is a good month; it contains the first day of real summer, even though the entire month feels like every other summer day.

It is also the only month of summer that does not really feel like it's a last dash to spend every day soaking up the sun and filling up free time with warm-weather activities because Fall is coming soon. No, June is the beginning of summer. It's a month in which you can enjoyably luxuriate in the hot days and dry heat. It's relaxing and slow, at least that's how it feels to me.

While I usually try to fill each month and week to the brim with productivity, I want to relish this month. Yes, I still want to be productive as I hate feeling like I wasted time, but perhaps I will be less worried about time wasted and more worried about time enjoyed.

Even if I'm feeling particularly lazy one afternoon, rather than sit on the couch in front of a television which I am not even giving much attention to,  I will sit outside on the deck either reading or just thinking and enjoying.

I will try to go to the beach often and I will try to spend an abundant amount of time with family.

I will eat fresh foods that one can not get outside of these Spring and Summer months.

I will keep writing: on my blog, in my journal, in notebooks, in Word Documents, and in text messages to loved ones.

I'll look at flowers and learn their names and origins.

I will listen to the birds' songs and try to differentiate the species.

I'll go to the Wednesday night concerts at the beach.

I'll stay busy, but I will be busy with things that are self-improving and positive. I will be busy with things that are filled with loved and thanksgiving and suddenly this post is turning religious. But I can't help but see God and His love in these Summer months. They are so filled with beauty, happiness, and perfection. I won't worry about how quickly these days go by and how one day Summer will be ending even though it feels like it's hardly started. I will just enjoy the day as it comes and goes, from sunrise to sunset.