Wow, what a summer. It was full of all the
things that make you excited to wake up each morning. Evenings around the campfire, amusement parks, farmers markets, swimming, bike rides at sunset. It was a dream. If this was my last summer on earth I would feel fulfilled
In June Todd and I arrived in Wisconsin. We were immediately pulled into a swirl constant human connection. After living in isolation for three years it was pretty shocking. Every Sunday is spent at my Grandparent's farm with my aunts, uncles, and cousins. We have a family dinner, talk, and play games. The rest of the weekdays I helped plant the garden and maintain it along side my grandma, mom, and sister. My soul, skin, and hair feel rejuvenated playing in the dirt and sun first thing in the morning.
In the afternoons, I would come home and begin on client work. My summer has been busy non-stop. I will admit that I have had a couple episodes of burnout. Because of this I have not had time to create any new art. I am hoping to carve out time this fall for #CreepyCuteOctober on Instagram hosted by Shannon Snow!
Last year when we were in Wisconsin visiting for the summer I witnessed my very first tornado. It was forming right in front of us on the road on our way home from the grocery store. It was stunning to see the clouds swirl so quickly. There was lightning and rain and the temperature was 93 degrees. We were actually trapped on the road. If we went backwards we would just be trying to outrun it. If we drove forward we would run into it. The only option was to pull into someone's driveway and knock on their door. We hid in their laundry room until the tornado passed us by. Since then Todd has been eager to be indoors when the weather starts to turn. Unfortunately for him, on our first week in Wisconsin there was a massive wind storm that turned into a tornado. Again there was rain, thunder, and lightning. The power went out. The sirens were blaring, first responders zipped by with their lights flashing. We passed our time playing Phase10 in the basement. Once the storm passed we took a tour through town. The entire county was out of power and it would stay that way for a week. Luckily we had access to a generator to keep the refrigerator running and we had plenty of batteries for flashlights. The damage at my grandparents farm was minimal compared to some neighboring farms. Two trees fell and we spent many weeks sawing, clearing, and burning.
When we were in Oregon I did not own a bike. Occasionally Todd and I would rent the city bikes and ride around on city bike trails. This was one of my favorite things to do, the feeling of the wind in your hair and cruising through nature is *chef's kiss* Upon arriving in Wisconsin I immediately took advantage of my sister's little blue beach cruiser. I rode to the library, around the block, and down country roads. I could go farther than I could by foot, this is how I discovered The Beaver. Here's the story.
When we first arrived in Oregon I had a goal to see a beaver in the wild. Despite spending numerous hours outdoors I did not see a wild beaver, until our last week. I had totally given up on my goal, but while we were driving to the coast one day Todd spotted a beaver on the side of the road! As roadkill...I jokingly said "Maybe this is our sign that it's really time to leave Oregon." Fast forward to the beginning of August. It had been exactly two months since arriving in Wisconsin. Moving here still hadn't felt real. Todd and I still didn't (don't) have a clear vision of what our future would look like here. On a warm evening we took the bikes out on a bike trail that leads to a small wooden bridge over a creek. I pulled over to watch the water bubble over the rocks. That's when I noticed something moving in the water. I pointed it out to Todd, "Is that a beaver?" We watched it swim for a moment, a bundle of sticks and weeds in its mouth. I said "Well if this isn't a sign that we need to be in Wisconsin, I don't know what is."
Our first summer was perfect. Now the seasons are shifting and we are getting ready for fall. I wore a jacket for the first time since May and even bought a peach cobbler scented candle! I have high hopes for the coming months and where life takes us!
1. The new HBO series Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin. I was obsessed with the 2010 version, so I am curious to see how this new series will go!
2. Maurice Sendak. I recently started my own vintage children's book collection and the illustrations by Maurice have been my favorite. If you follow me on Instagram you can find a Reel that showcases the books!
3. Strawberry picking. This has been a favorite summer activity of mine since I was a child. My family has been going to the same farm for as long as I can remember! We freeze the berries and eat them all year long.
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