Double digit summer arrives early, three-day-old baby birds in the porch wreath, and a beach read worth packing for every summer trip ahead
Happy summer, friends. I hope you had a lovely weekend celebrating your father. My dad does not live close but we had a lovely phone call as we do every Sunday, and that was exactly enough.
It is hot. I do not think we will see any temperatures below 85 until September. Brace yourselves, because I can guarantee that by August I will be whining, complaining, possibly baking pumpkin spice desserts and maybe even pulling out the fall decor as a coping mechanism. We all have our ways of getting through.
In the meantime, from the comfort of my cool living room, I am keeping an eye on the baby birds. The nest is at the top of the wreath, so I have a clear view of their fuzzy heads and beaks too big for their bodies as they wake from their naps and listening for mom. Their eyes are not open yet. Apparently that happens around day five, and right now they are three days old. I have the next nine to twelve days to watch them grow before they leave the nest, and it is a genuinely fascinating thing to witness up close. (The photo is not the best, it is from inside the house as I am trying not to get too close to the nest.)
One last thing before we get to the good stuff. Thank you. As you know, I have been branching out, no pun intended, with longer, more thoughtful and more often midlife posts, and every time I publish one I am completely blown away by your kind comments. Thank you for sharing your stories, your lives and your feelings. I appreciate you and every single comment more than you know.
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What I Read
This week I read A Day at the Beach Hut by Veronica Henry and it is exactly what summer reading should be.
It is a collection of short stories, all taking place over one long, hot summer day on Everdene Sands, woven together with more than fifty recipes inspired by seaside life. A family enjoys their last holiday at a beloved beach hut. The tide brings in an old face and a new temptation. A proposal is planned. A celebratory evening takes a stormy turn. Veronica Henry writes the kind of book you can pick up and put down without losing the thread, which makes it perfect for a summer that involves a pool chair more often than a quiet reading chair.
If you love beach reads with real heart and a little romance simmering underneath, this is for you.
If you have read this book and need more suggestions everything I have recommended can be found on My Bookshop. Most are also available from Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, and on Libby from your local library.
What I Watched
This week I watched Love Sarah and it was the gentle, warm kind of film I needed after a long week.
A young woman named Clarissa wants to fulfill her late mother’s dream of opening a bakery in Notting Hill, and she enlists her mother’s oldest friend and her own grandmother to help make it happen. It is a film about grief tucked quietly inside a film about flour and sugar and second chances, and it manages to be both without ever feeling heavy. London looks beautiful in it, the bakery itself looks like somewhere I would move in immediately, and the relationships between the three women carry the whole thing.
Outfit of the Day
This easy outfit is a staple in my wardrobe, shorts and a shirt. I wear this like a uniform around the house, the short are comfortable and if I have to run errands the shirt is a little dressier than a t-shirt. Add your favorite flip flops, sandals, sneakers or flats and a bag.
Click the Images Below for Outfit Details
Tell me, are your summers already brutally hot where you are? And does anyone else have a nest to watch this season? Leave a note in the comments. I always want to know.
Have a beautiful week, friends.
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You might also enjoy:
Turning Towards Yourself in Midlife
Weekend Meanderings No. 115 | Happy Summer
Friday Favorites No. 691 | Summer Recipes, Books Worth Packing, and a Few Good Things
On My Radar
Tree trimmers came by my sister’s house this weekend. She happened to look at one of the branches to be removed, and there was a nest with baby birds that must have just hatched. So that tree will not be trimmed until fall. There is also a nest under construction in one of the hanging flowerpots on their deck. Strange place, near where the hummers dive in to their feeder. And the deer are jumping the fence and eating the hostas. Always something entertaining to see in that yard! lol
Lynda, thankfully your sister was there to see the nest! That would have been sad. I love seeing the birds, they are so comical. And the deer too, except when they eat everything!
Have a wonderful day!
Thanks for the photo of the baby birds and the update. It really is the little things, isn’t it? I find that to be truer than ever as I age.
Paula, it is indeed. It is a little sad that it takes aging to make or help us realize that.
Have a wonderful week.
We live on the shores of Lake Huron. This last few summers have been warmer certainly. We put heat pumps on our two cottages as it got so warm inside. (They are not sheltered by trees.)
We have been experiencing what I call “yo-yo” weather- 9 or 10 degrees Celsius in the morning and 18 by midday. Hotter by August – into the mid thirties. Climate change is real.
Thank you for your lovely blog. I enjoy it.
(We have an old fashioned B and B, hence the cottages.)
Jenny, I would love to know more about your B and B! How long have you had it and would you share the name? I am happy to share it on the blog!
I was born on Lake Michigan, not literally if course) but a few blocks away and lived a significant part of my life there. The Great Lakes are beautiful. How long have you lived on Lake Huron?
It sounds like you made the right choice with the heat pumps so that you and your guests can have a little relief from the heat.
I hope that you have a wonderful week and thank you for reading the blog.
Thanks for sharing the baby bird photos. We had a similar nest in our front door planter years ago and I worried about those baby birds for days! It has been hot here in Princeton, NJ, as well — with a string of 90 plus degree days in May. But the temperatures and humidity are now tolerable. Once we get into July and August, all bets are off, but we have long winters here and I will gladly take the heat over the cold and snow. Thanks for all the book and film recommendations. I am enjoying the Amelia Peabody books based on your suggestion. I recently watched “Midwinter Break” on our flight back home from LA this past weekend. It stars Lesley Manville, one of my favorite actresses, so I would recommend that if you haven’t already seen it as someone who also seems to love the UK.
Carol, I recently watched Midwinter break on the plane, I thought it was very good. In fact I believe that I shared it on Weekend Meanderings a few weeks back. I am thrilled that you are enjoying Amelia Peabody, they are some of my favorites.
I hope that you enjoy the weekend and a little summer heat.