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this is the view from my window in my studio. i’ve been getting away to this space more often in hopes of maybe creating something new or finding the inspiration that has been absent for sometime now. almost everytime i begin to work, i am reminded of all of the goodbyes i said this summer. five women. five friends & five mentors. five mommas who inspired, brightened, & warmed my heart. & as i am reminded of them, “be thankful” comes to mind. it really is the only thing to do.
be thankful.

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?