A few things we are celebrating and grateful for this week:

Time with friends: This weekend I had a chance to have lunch with a girlfriend, and later to visit other friends at their home and swim with their children. At the lunch, I hugged my friend and she said, “Oh! I think this is the first hug I’ve had from someone outside of my house in over a year!” She squeezed me with intention. I looked around the small cafe to see many others doing the same. People seemed so truly happy to be together.

Swimming with the Mason boys was a delight. Their hunger to learn is constantly bubbling up around them, as they hear words in conversation and ask for definitions. “What does ‘vocabulary’ mean?” They remind me how the simple things also delight little boys. “Aunt Kelli, I just pool burped! That’s when you burp after drinking too much pool water on accident.” And so on. It was fun to listen to them laugh and splash.

Travel: I’m preparing for a trip to Croatia with friends. We leave next week. The closest I’ve been to this part of the world is Israel and Palestine, and they aren’t exactly neighbors. I’m nervous to be gone from home for a spell without Jason, but also delighted to dust off my passport. I can’t wait to see the sea.

Watching: I’m enjoying “Atlantic Crossing,” on PBS. The costumes alone are worth watching, but the storytelling and portrayal of the the Roosevelts is entertaining.

Growing: the tomatoes are starting to wind down. We’ve had bags and bags full this year, which has been nice. I’ve canned and frozen some and given away more this week to friends and neighbors. I’m reminded that once it gets over 100, it will be nice to close up the vegetable beds for a few months and not have this outside chore. The roses, on the other hand, will need more attention. They are still blooming and starting to climb up the trellises. I’ve always wanted a rose garden, so it makes me happy to see this come to life.

Here’s wishing you a wonderful week!

-KDW