i’m not really sure how to put into words my thoughts this afternoon. it is a relaxing day & i am thankful for that. no work, no real plans… just a few odds & ends here & there before our semester starts.
and as i sit here, enjoying my cup of coffee & the many {inspirations} on flickr + blogs, my mind continually drifts to where we will be this time next year.

graduated & continuing to work at the bakery?

staying another year to work on the farm together?

in arkansas & close to both of our families?

serving in americorp in some cool city?

… at this point,
i have no idea of where we are to go, what is in store for us, the path we are to pursue.

i do know that…

my heart longs for the south.
i miss my family.
i want what’s best for luke & his passion for working the land.
& the dream of someday owning some land & a farm.

looking at the photos above, i am reminded of all of this. spending a few days at our family’s homes just isn’t enough. we love {& continually long for} the company of our families, watching our brothers & sisters get older, listening to our parents’ advice, sharing meals with the friends we grew up with, & the feeling of comfort that is felt in the midst of being with family.

so, should we go back to our home, the place where we grew up & the place that feels so comfortable?

or should we start anew?… in a place yet to be discovered?

—–

the comfort of knowing that we have a year to figure all of this out keeps me at ease & at peace. thankfully, we are not the creator of our stories.

for now, i’ll just enjoy my day off. sip on my coffee. take a walk downtown. work in the garden. anticipate a visit from luke’s family this weekend. & wonder.

summer meals are by far my favorite.
i love grabbing a baguette & enjoying it for dinner with a little olive oil & balsamic vinegar. tossing a few cucumbers & tomatoes together with vinegar & a dash of salt. cooking with only what’s in season. luke bringing home a bag of produce from the farm & using every bit of it. harvesting veggies from the garden & making a summer bouquet to fancy up the table.
i absolutely love it!
i hold strong to my ideas of summer dinner… it must be casual. it must be light. it has to be fresh. for those very reasons, the meal plan {that i so fondly love in the fall & winter} & i are butting heads. in the summer, i prefer to clean out the fridge, toss some things together, make it spontaneous. i’ve kept the meal plan for luke’s peace of mind & need for order, but it is much more organic & easygoing for now. man, that’s just the way i like it.

what are some of your summer favorites?

weekend line-up:
1. rummage sales
2. painting an old church pew i picked up for 25 bucks. so excited!
3. planting some cone flowers on the side of the house
4. veggie fajitas for dinner
5. peach + blueberry delight for dessert
6. takin’ it easy

happy weekend!