100 moments of summer - (no. 38)

“Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.”   ~Charles William Eliot
"We read to know that we're not alone."  ~William Nicholson

“Do not read, as children do, to amuse yourself, or like the ambitious, for the purpose of instruction. No, read in order to live.”   ~Gustave Faubert

Not a day go by that I don't have a book in my hand.  No matter what the day may bring, I always find time to read. Books, magazines, newspapers....from the bookstore, or Amazon, or borrowed from the library or from a friend...in winter, spring, summer or fall.

Words that come to mind when I think of reading and books...

magic
comfort
light
love
discovery
growth
life
hope
peace
happiness
friend

home.

100 moments of summer (no. 37)

“When you wake up in the morning, Pooh," said Piglet at last, "what's the first thing    you say to yourself?"

"What's for breakfast?" said Pooh. "What do you say, Piglet?"

"I say, I wonder what's going to happen exciting today?" said Piglet.

Pooh nodded thoughtfully. "It's the same thing," he said.”   ~A.A. Milne

Breakfast of Champions...in our pantry

Honeynut Cheerios (with peaches on top)
Kashi GoLean Crisp! (triple berry crumble)
Bear Naked granola (added into vanilla greek yogurt)
Nutri-grain bars (blueberry, strawberry or mixed berry)
Granola bars
Peanut butter (to put on top of whole wheat mini bagels)
Pancake mix & syrup (with chocolate chips, of course)
Nutella
...and a box of Poptarts hiding in the back


* Thanks to Susannah Conway for her August Break prompts!

**You can follow me here on Instagram

100 moments of summer (no. 6-36)

"A life is measured by moments like these."  ~Maggie Stiefvater

"Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year."
 ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

"All that is important in this one moment is movement. Make the moment important, vital, and worth living. Do not let it slip away unnoticed or unused."  ~Martha Graham

August? Already?  How can that be? 
Time flies by...just as it always does.
It leaves moments and memories in it's wake.
Moments captured in pictures.
Memories captured in words.

Those precious summer moments.

...of clear blue skies
...of sunrises and sunsets
...of cooking together (pancakes and pasta salads and pizza)
...of trips to the beach
...of flip-flops and bare feet
...of collecting shells & driftwood
...of walks and bike rides
...of fresh produce from the farmers market & roadside stands
...of books being read on the deck, or on the beach, or at the pool
...of beautiful flowers in bloom
...of gorgeous morning light and bright afternoon shadows
...of birds and butterflies
...of boardwalk french fries
...of quiet moments
...of afternoon naps
...of rainy days
...of cups of hot tea (and glasses of ice tea, with a splash of lemonade)
...of holding hands
...of hugs
...of shopping trips
...of phone calls and text messages with friends
...of laughter
...of new friends
...of new traditions
...of music
...of trips to the local ice cream shoppe
...of learning new things
...of remembering the past
...of simplicity
...of celebrations
...of family

100 moments of summer...on my bike ride (no. 5)

"Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of a bike ride."  ~John F. Kennedy

 

 

 

 

 

a gentle breeze...birds flying overhead...a beautiful sky...ripples in the water...peace and quiet.
enjoying the ride.

100 moments of summer...rainy afternoon (no. 5)

"The best thing one can do when it's raining is to let it rain."
~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

"The best kind of rain, of course, is a cozy rain...the rain that falls on a day when you'd just as soon stay in bed a little longer, write letters or read a good book...take early tea with hot scones and jam and look out the streaked window with complacency."  ~Susan Allen Toth













 

A rainy summer afternoon.

A cup of hot tea.

A good book.

A little nap.

A feeling of peace.

 

Every day doesn't have to be sunny to be nice.

 

100 moments of summer...baseball (no. 4)

"I see great things in baseball."  ~Walt Whitman
"The other sports are just sports.  Baseball is a love."   ~  Bryant Gumbel                 

Today was the last game of the season.
It started in September with fall ball.
Two teams (varsity and rec).
Then to winter workouts.
Next came March and spring training games in Florida.
A championship won.
Lots of sunflower seeds.
Some superstitions thrown in for good measure.
Many loads of laundry.
Games where it was raining.  Games where it was freezing cold.
Wonderful coaches.
Good times spent with great friends. 

And in 3 months it will start all over again for one more year...

100 moments of summer...cooking together (no. 3)

“Cooking is at once child's play and adult joy. And cooking done with care is an act of love.”   ~Craig Claiborne

"I think preparing food and feeding people brings nourishment not only to our bodies but to our spirits...feeding people is a way of loving them..."   ~Shauna Niequist

One of the great things about summer is that the kids have less of a schedule and more free time.  It's so nice to use some of that free time to cook together.   We keep it simple & easy...like this Buffalo Chicken Pizza.  We used a prepared pizza crust...topped it with blue cheese salad dressing and shredded mozzarella cheese.  Then added cubed chicken that we cooked on the stove in hot sauce.  Next we cut up some red onion.  Drizzled some more hot sauce over the top and baked it in a 450 degree oven for 8-10 minutes until done.  Very yummy! 

The best part was just spending time together...going to the store to buy the ingredients...preparing the food in the kitchen...and sitting down at the table enjoying the meal.  It doesn't have to be fancy & gourmet to be fun!