goldie on a summer afternoon

Is there such a thing as too many vegetables on your dinner plate? Maybe. The plan had been for me to make a salad in the style of the Nicoise (beans, tomatoes, potatoes, etc). But there was lettuce too, so there was that. And Ed chose this evening to pick peas, so I had peas to include.





Too much? Maybe. But it's all coming to fruition now! How can you say no to any of it?


Backing up to breakfast: on the porch. Despite the continued heat.





Work then. Until late afternoon.






The Fitchburg farmers market finally pulls me out of the steamy seat out on the porch. Lots of flowers there as well. And our baguette shop's actively (and happily) cooking up a storm. Who needs Paris!











From there, a sidestep to my daughter's place where Ed helps with some house repairs and I study Goldie, the cat.






Blasted adorable. Loves chasing flies. When she succeeds in catching one, she eats it.






But, we do stuff in the garage that kind of freaks her out. When that happens, she scampers to hide. In the bathtub.






Who knew cats could be so ... funny?


At home, I make supper. The one with too many vegetables. Or not. Depending on your inclination. Ours is -- not too many. Just right. Especially the peas from the yard. Coated with a dab of melted butter.

still hot

...and still humid and despite it all, we eat breakfast on the porch. A little rotating fan moves the air back and forth, shaking off a bit of the heaviness, the humidity, the oppressive quality of a steamy day.






Two weeks have passed since we returned from Europe. Two weeks?? Well then, it's  time to look forward and not look back, to make plans for the next twelve months and to stay on track.



 

And here, I should note two important realities:

First, I cannot resume let alone finish my Great Writing Project this summer. With a big new course to teach at the Law School, I am resigned to work for most of the remaining days of the summer. The new goal is to fully take on the Great Writing Project on January 3, 2014. More on that when we come to January 2, 2014.

And then -- most every summer, I think about trips that are before me. And so what's before me? I do not know. Maybe lots of quick hauls. Maybe ones at irregular times. Maybe something altogether different. It's odd for me not to know yet, but there you have it -- ever since my father died and ever since I started thinking in terms of longer cycles of time, the past predictability of trips -- always to Poland in December, and elsewhere with Ed in January, and Sorede in June -- all that is completely wiped out as I start now with a fresh slate. Which right now has many questions and proposals floating in an unsettled manner around it.






Let me add a few more notes about this hot, still very hot day: despite the weather, I agree to join my older girl on the Capitol Square for an evening concert and a picnic. To prolong the event, we meet up ahead of the concert for one of those cool and refreshing drinks -- one that fits so well in a summer mindset...






And then we stretch out on folding chairs to listen to music, except only slightly so.  Concerts on the Square aren't really for the serious music lover in you, they're for the communal, social impulse resting within us. We come together to sort of listen and to eat foods and sit back and tap tap tap with the foot and when, as in today, the summer throws one of her best evenings, you think -- life is quite the good thing, isn't it....


After the concert we walk back along the lake to my girl's place (where I left good old rosie, who is now over her hot flashes) and the night is gorgeous, truly gorgeous...






In the final stage of the day, rosie and I ride home and when that breeze hits me in the face as I pick up speed on the country roads, I think truly not much could be improved upon.