Today, I am...

     This is a post format I saw often on my mom's blog. There was no single topic, no specific focal point; it was just a glimpse of daily existence-- a peek into the candy bag of thoughts in her mind that day. 

    I really had the hankering to write something today. I am working on a number of drafts about a few different things, but while those are all in progress, I wanted something I could publish quickly, so I figured I would sprinkle some random thoughts on the digital page today!

   Today, I am....    

    -quite looking forward to dinner tonight. I'm making sourdough pancakes with maple sausage and raspberries. (My sourdough starter has been so much fun to play with in various recipes! And, my stomach is thanking me for it. It has allowed me to enjoy banana bread without the stomachache.)

    -grateful for my job. Even in our busiest seasons (such as now, preparing for the new school year), getting to call myself a librarian and to have dozens of books in my hands every day is a blessing I admittedly take for granted quite often. I am also blessed to have many tasks on my to-do list; it's nice to always have something to do.

    -drinking water out of a Bragg Organic Apple Cider Vinegar glass bottle. (Yes, I washed it.) The label is still in pristine condition; it does stick out like a sore thumb amidst the various tumblers and water bottles being used in the office today, but it is the perfect size and shape to be a water bottle. And it is kind of fun- as well as resourceful!

    -enjoying a slightly cooler few days. The temperature is dropping about ten degrees for part of this week, and it feels like a foreshadowing of autumn. (I am not complaining about summer, though. A point of maturity I thank God for is that He is helping me to realize that complaining about the weather (or anything outside of my control, for that matter) is quite silly and sinful. I am so richly loved by the Creator of the universe; to gripe about heat and sweat, such temporary things, is to hold such a low view of His purpose for me on this earth and the eternity of glory to come afterward. Thank you God for summer-- a time to practice patience and to remember your creation is so good!)

    -wondering how I could go about making a pumpkin spice latte with my Moka pot (when the time comes, of course.) I will have to look up a recipe for the pumpkin flavoring.

    -thinking rather fondly of playing four-square with Riley and my siblings at my family's house this past Sunday. I haven't played a ball game like that in a long while; the heat, sweat, shouting and laughter were good for me. We worked up quite an appetite. The sun was almost down by the time we finally went inside, where Mom had pancakes and bacon waiting for us, which we ate while watching "My Cousin Vinny". I always love an evening spent in my old home. 

That will be all today; hopefully soon I will finish one of the many drafts I am working on. Have a lovely day, and remember to go outside!

Gallery of June, 2025

 Now that it is July (!!!) it is also time for my monthly gallery. June was lovely, as all months are if we learn to realize that God has adorned every day with mercies and lessons and beauty. 

Here are my photographs!

A seashell full of pearls by candlelight. This is on our bathroom counter and it just looked so lovely one night I had to get a picture. 

Just a handsome lad. (My brother Bennett. This was sent to me by one of my sisters. Glad to know nothing has changed since I moved out:) )

My upward view during my lunch break one day. I use this time to quiet my mind and observe God's creation. It really turns my heart around for the rest of the day.

Me and my Riley at the Prairie Fire in the Padre Hotel where my dad's band, Bad Modem, played a fantastic set of glorious 90s covers.

Breakfast for dinner at my in-laws' house!

Me and my sister in law Emily

Bath time. Lately I have been slicing lemons and putting them in the water; it makes the steam smell fresh and bright. 

My husband at his home workbench, with a clock movement. He is teaching himself clock repair and is already astonishingly proficient for how little experience he has yet built up. I love to see and hear his passion for the trade.

A painting I spontaneously did one Saturday. I sat and painted in a freshly cleaned apartment, accompanied by a fresh cup of coffee from my Moka pot and the music of Garoto, a Brazilian guitarist from the 1930s whom I've recently discovered. It was a very mind-nourishing afternoon!

Me and Riley after I cut his hair BY MYSELF. It was a very scary process and for a minute I was petrified because he was starting to look like Dwight Schrute-- but then he washed and dried it, and it has looked wonderfully handsome ever since. Now we know I have the ability to cut his hair, and we can save $25 and a trip to Great Clips.

Lunch break with the trees! (Do you catch my silver hairs?? My grays are all growing in straight/wavy, by the way. Audrey pointed out one time that the curly hair might have only been a phase, and now I am wondering if I'll have straight or slightly wavy hair when I'm fully gray. I guess we'll see!)

The bathroom windowsill at night. We brush our teeth by candlelight every night and there's something whimsical about it that I adore.

So, June is over! It was a busy and marvelous month, full of sweetness and the ever beautiful settling and flourishing into our home together, every day becoming more in love with each other and with Christ. (That is something I always thought was an exaggerated fairytale myth, whenever I heard it: "every day in marriage is sweeter than the last". Well, I am now comfortable telling you it is wholly true. If you both love the Lord, you will love each other, and it actually does deepen every day. It is, like Paul said, a profound mystery. And I am almost in disbelief that I've been given the gift of this mystery to live through every day until death parts us. I think, "I am already so in love with him; how can this become any more beautiful?" And each day is proof that it can and it does. Thank you Jesus for my marriage.)

I look eagerly on to July. This weekend will be sweet: Independence Day on Friday, and the Westchester parade with family that morning-- celebrating with friends in the evening. Saturday, bright and early, Riley and I are off to Santa Barbara. We will return Sunday night and begin another week of work. 

Good day, friends!