Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay Scenes of Summer - Part 2

Ahh...the cottage. The cottage. A trip to this secluded bit of paradise is always one of the summer's highlights. We were able to squeeze in two trips to the cottage this summer - one with Jon's family and another with our good friends Jana & Jeff. The weather was on the wet and cool side both times, but no matter. The views and the vibes remained the same - perfectly peaceful. One of our favorite spots is down on the dock, which sits in the bay and looks out across the lake. We can sit there for hours watching the natural world unfold around us... 

A spider secures her egg sac

Seagulls search for a snack

The beaver chews a birch branch

The loons perform a dance?

A water snake seeks a spot of sun

A mother merganser teaches her young

The kingfisher dives for fish

A shooting star casts a wish

(Disclaimer: I'm no poet. And I know it. But as I started to jot down the scenes we saw from the dock this year, they were coming out in rhymes. So I went with it!)

Thanks, Tom & Mar, for sharing this wonderful place with us!

We Be Jammin'

Margaret is the queen of raspberry jam. In just a few hours today, she made 31 jars of her red yummy goodness. Add those to the 12 jars she has stashed away in the basement, and I think we've got a new song in there somewhere. "Forty-three jars of jam on the wall... forty-three jars of jam..." Without a doubt, it's one of her trademarks (along with her chocolate cake and her cheesies) and one of the flavors I look forward to savoring each summer. I was lucky enough to get in on the action for the last batch, and now I'm determined to start making my own raspberry jam when I return to Kobe. I won't reveal any secret family recipes here, but I will say that I plan on jamming (ha!) a few packets of Certo Liquid Pectin into my suitcase before we leave.

Movement in K'grad

We heard today that a family from another agency received a referral for a 10-month old boy in Kaliningrad at the end of June. They traveled during the first week of July, accepted the referral, and were assigned their court date for six weeks later. This is great news - it means things are moving again in K'grad. I kept hearing from people who'd been waiting for 22 months, 29 months... and was getting worried that we might be in for a long wait. This particular family only waited 4-5 months for their referral. We still don't know how long we'll be waiting, but at least there's movement!

Northern Exposure

Our good friends - Gail and Jeff and their two girls, Kate and Little Celia - came to visit us in Ottawa this week. We toured Parliament Hill, the Byward Market, Dow's Lake, and a few other spots around town. We pondered totem poles, paddled with ducks, and played yellow-car BINGO! until it drove us to drink. It was great to see them this side of the border, and we hope to get them up to the cottage one of these summers. We owe them more than a few boat rides and dinners at the lake. ("I'll bring the chicken if you make the potato salad..." or is it, "I'll make the chicken salad if you bring the potatoes..."?) 

Into the Mystic with Los Lemleys

We met up with our good friends John and Julie Lemley for a few days in Mystic, Connecticut. It was great to see them again and to finally meet Maximo. He's going to be a little heartbreaker one day - those big blue eyes are too much! Julie's family graciously took us in while we were there and let us crash their BBQs, birthday bashes, and bedrooms (many thanks to all the Woods and Johnstones!). We kayaked along the Mystic River, made a lobster dinner, and caught up on all the FDR news. It was a great visit and we can't wait to see them again. Next summer, J&J?

Click here for more summer photos.

Scenes of Summer - Part 1

Getting out in the countryside is always a highlight of my summer, and the little town (read: unincorporated settlement) where my parents live is the perfect place in which to reacquaint myself with things au naturel. There's always something to (re)discover out there - whether it's something across the meadow, up in the sky, or under the hostas. Moments worth remembering this summer: greeting the early morning sun, watching a thunderstorm roll in, picking cherries, sighting the oriole and listening to him sing, watching the Red Admirals (butterflies) patrol their mating grounds, spying on the snapping turtle (hiding in the hostas!), and watching the family of swallows on the front porch. 

Other highlights of our time in Nebraska: visiting my parents, spending some quality girl time with my mom, playing Bohnanza (a.k.a. Bean Farmer) with my nephews, getting together with my siblings in KC (what should we do with all those Bobbleheads?!), watching my brothers play ball (just like the good ol' days minus the cooler full of Shasta!), boating on the canyon with Club 75, visiting with the Wlaschins, and catching up with friends (Gail & Jeff, Kim & Tony, and Steph & Shawn) and seeing all their kids.

It's hard to believe the first few weeks of summer have already come and gone! Click here for more summer photos.