Deliciously Hot Day

Spring has been cool. The plants know it and we have been waiting

for "real" summer to get here.

It got here.

The temps since yesterday are around 90, and will be for most of the week.

We are all melting. I am glad for the sun, but still, it is hot. Last night, the heat had drained my energy and I felt exhausted by suppertime, but still had to fix a meal for everyone. By bedtime, I was feeling like a worn out rag. Pretty droopy.

So today, I got up and cooked in the cool of the morning. I boiled potatoes, eggs, and pasta so we could have cool salads for supper tonight. Yeah, I am going to fix potato salad, pasta salad, and tossed salad. I love cool, salad-based meals on hot days. I'm making big salads so they'll last a few days. Yum. I think this will work. (-: It's going to be nice the next few days to have food prepared ahead for meals. It will save me a lot of work on these hot days.

June 22, 2009

It's summer! Officially, finally and truly summer. Yesterday was solstice, and while we were celebrating Father's Day I barely noticed that it was the longest day of the year! This week is going to be sunny and hot -- very summer-like. Ahhh... finally, it's summer.

I'll have to put up a new banner. Not right now. But I will get to it. I kind of like the spring one I have up now, so... no rush. But I will find something to replace it soon.

Happy summer, everyone!

Question of the Day

If heat melts fat, why doesn't laying out in the sun make us skinny? Just askin'. We could get tan and lose weight in one easy step. Wouldn't that be cool?

(pic: We went to the beach last week.)

Rain

Things the rain brings that I love:

156. Sitting and watching the raindrops fall gently

or...

157. Gathering with the children in the living room during thunderstorms, opening all the blinds and curtains wide, and watching the lightning show!

"OHH! Did you see that one!!"

"Oh, that was bright!"

"So beautiful!"

"Wow, that one surprised me!"

158. Hearing their guesses as to the storm's distance as judged by the number of seconds between lightening and thunder.

After the rain...

159. Raindrops on clovers, catching the sun's sparkles and throwing them back.

And,

160. Raindrops on flower petals...

...so pretty!

And of course, the farmers are thankful for...

161. Refreshment for the earth and its crops. (And I am too.. that's my food in their fields.)

Rainy days slow us down and help us remember to relax, stop the hurrying and the flurried fretting. It's good.

Drumming at Festival

Festival here in Our Town is so great! It's a city-wide celebration of the Arts. Thousands of people come, and everyone seems so happy, relaxed, and friendly.
We come partly because we love the Arts, partly because we love the food!

I love drumming at Festival!


Here we are, my drumming friends and I.

These two men are the ones who have been my drumming instructors, Sunny on the left and Josh on the right.

Sunny was born in Nigeria and had a group there which traveled all over Africa and Europe bringing drumming and African dance to audiences. He's great. He began to teach me African drumming, and I loved it. He is also a great friend.

Eventually I began learning with Josh instead, and still am. He teaches Afro-Cuban style drumming and I enjoy learning with him.

Can you tell that I love doing this?

I really do.



One of the fun things about festival is the Audience participation. This
little participator was adorable.

"Sticks up",
Josh shouted to everyone involved, in order to give them a chance to listen to the instructions.

OK, there we go. That's better! Once everyone was together,
the people loved trying out the drums.



Meanwhile, I sneaked out my bubbles and started blowing them all over. It was good...
Jen, one of the more experienced drummers, grabbed one of the bubble wands and ran back and forth across the stage area, creating bubbles everywhere. We all loved it!
I was very glad I'd brought them along.

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(Pics were taken either by Amy or KatyBeth... I don't know which are which. Thanks to both of them for handling my camera wile I was busy!)

Bubbles!

I love bubbles... rainbow-colored, floaty things that they are...






















They are just so much fun!

Really! So fun! (Look at Dustin back there grinning for sheer joy!)

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These pics were taken by my good friend Amy at Festival this past weekend where I drummed and we all had a great time! Amy takes good pictures and I love how she captured my mood in these.

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