Hullo, August

Even though I hate to see summer speed by, I'm still a bit relieved that July is over.  The entire month bustled.  There were back-to-back vacations that sent half of us to the lake and all of us to Long Island, broken-down vehicles and a finicky boiler, doctor's visits and sick babies and sleepless nights, a giant birthday celebration for Annika (pictures to come later), the county fair, and fireworks.  As if that weren't enough, July then heaped up regular chores, weeding, swimming, and smaller adventures to spill over the edges and pool onto the floor.

Whew.  And now August.  We're beginning to enjoy a few garden fruits-- peppers, beans, summer squashes, sugar peas, and enough lettuce for all of Watership Down.  We dried a ton of wild mint and harvested the garlic, and we fried up eggplant from other growers while waiting for the rest of the garden to ripen, which, in these days of plentiful sun and rain, will happen in a blink.  Rich purple echinacea and sunny yellow lilies fill the vases, and all the reds, pinks, and creams have come into their own, turning everything heady with color.

Today we began a bit of h'learning to tie up some loose ends from last year.  Plus, with Little LaBolt arriving at the tail end of harvest, right before we usually begin to h'learn, every little bit will help (I proclaim hopefully). Today I'm even calling the doctor to set up a prenatal appointment!  As John said yesterday, "You'll get less of a lecture now at 32 weeks than you will if you arrive at the hospital without any doctor in place."  I'm glad to have this wise man.  The next couple of weeks look relatively quiet, a brief lull before we welcome back the bustle with arms flung wide.