July happenings

The month started off with a little home improvement and has steadily picked up steam.  We had a plumbing issue that required SL to remove part of our laundry room wall.  G was quick to help and discovered a new love of peeling paint.  Oh, the little pleasures.

Speaking of paint, check out the neon orange "Tequila Sunrise" paint on the entryway that I thought would be an awesome idea.  Um, NOT.  Oh, Steve indulged me and even painted over it all a few days later with a very safe, very boring "Burlap".  Live and learn, right?

The guys attended their annual Dodgers-Giants game in the city (where the Dodgers were creamed, by the way) and we volunteered at the annual Bodega Bay fireworks' show.  Laying on the asphalt parking lot at Westside Park is still the best seat in the house.

We have been picking, freezing, canning, eating, sharing & drinking our fair share of strawberries from Swallow Valley Farms (just around the corner).  I just love the produce this time of year.

We have met with friends old and new lately.  A Ukrainian student named Anastasiya is a new friend and we attended an all-American BBQ in her honor.  We've dined al fresco on our front deck with neighbors and rendezvoused in Petaluma with our Walla Walla friends, the Hartleys (who just moved to Hawaii).

Grady has been taking art lessons with a new teacher, Jean Warren, who is an amazing watercolorist.  He's finally enjoying this medium and has been keeping a summer drawing journal here at home, too.  I am going to absolutely love looking at that journal at the end of August and see all the little things that interested him over these summer months.  So far it has been birds, hillsides, flowers and Legos.

G attended a three week summer academy at his school.  Their focus was marine biology and he loved his teacher, Mr. Risley.  There has been a lot of summer learning going on in and outside of the classroom.

We have harvested our garlic and planted tomatoes and flowers around here.  Grady has taken on new responsibilities around the house and we've had him cooking & cleaning bathrooms (which he totally loves!).  He's assisted his father with DIY home projects, taken a fancy to his new mountain bike and helps me pace my morning runs.  He just completed a workshop with 15 year old cartoonist, Emma Capps, at the Charles Schulz Museum.  He was also schooled in the art of plant propagation from our dear friend and neighbor, Scott.

Food is ever present in these summer months and it's been so great to sit outside and enjoy our view and new deck heater.  S'mores have been incorporated to many an after-dinner meal around here and I made my first attempt at refrigerator pickles just this week.  We enjoyed our first heirloom tomato of the season and the blackberries are just starting to ripen on their thorny, inhospitable vines.

We attended a garden party at Patty & Charlie's last night on Bastille Day and I was reminded how very lucky we are.  Surrounded by redwood trees and dear friends.  Both very solid, beautiful and sacred.