dearly

Hello loves!

Are you sunkissed and summer soaked? I sure hope! I hope you've had a couple sweltering evenings on dimly lit porches with citronella swirling around your toes, oscillating fans turning in the corner.

Are you making some memories? Leaving work early to take your kids to the pool, or burning some marshmallows over fire? ... Maybe even accidentally drop one into the blaze and watch it morph into a black sugary mess?

Have you?
Cranked your AC as high as you think it will go?
Jived out to some Beach Boys?
Seen Super 8? (please say yes?!)

Are you intentionally, deliberately, on purpose, enjoying your summer?

Today, you've flitted onto this blog again, and I'm sure you've noticed how I've been quiet.

Last Friday, my mom and I, along with my little M, took the 8 hour trek south to see family here:

source

I wish I could say I spent the week outdoors and enjoying the mountains, but instead I've spent it on this little Macbook, working the days away. To-do lists and bills to pay have to sometimes override hiking trails and forest wandering (notice I say sometimes.)

But it's ok, because we've been shopping, coffee-drinking and back-porch rambling. We've made microwave s'mores and soaked in the late summer evenings on wicker and by candlelight. My little M blends into the family as they entertain her in my waning moments — games, movies, books and yards to run. I'm grateful for family that grows and opens arms when mine feel weak and weary.

And not to be a broken record, but on Sunday, we leave for the Outer Banks where I plan to put away my to-do list and be with the family on the beach for a week. A house on the shore will accomodate all of us (28) and we'll own our little piece of sand for a week.

So... that's a lot of rambling and words to say — unless inspiration strikes, this place will be relatively quiet for the next few weeks.

It's just the time for summering,
staycationing,
vacationing,
swimming,
cooling and such.

The internet will destroy my summer if I let it. This is the season I longed for about 4 months ago, so it's only fitting I go enjoy it.

In the meantime, here are some summertime links I'll recommend for you...
— this album. Bon Iver just made some magic.
— this video. I want to say this to you about whatever it may be that's eating away at you.
—this image. It just says it.
— this book. One of my beach reads.
— this site. Love this nostalgia and stories many chapters later.