👋☀️I'mmmmmm Baaaaaaack!☀️👋
Some thoughts about summer and boredom
It’s been so long since I wrote a monthly update that I almost don’t know where to start! The beginning of summer was so full. June brought with it the end of the school year, final farewells at gymnastics and dance, a visit from my mom, and a vacation in Cape Cod. With July came a birthday celebration, day camps, and the girls’ first experience at overnight camp. We stayed busy, but it didn’t feel too busy. Life felt full, in the best kind of way. Full of laughs, full of sunshine (and thunderstorms too), full of books, and full of memories (mostly happy ones).
Did you catch that big moment hidden in the first paragraph? My kids went to overnight camp! For an entire week! My children, who have never slept away from home (with the exception of one week at Gramma’s house last summer), went two hours away from home, to spend a week with complete strangers, with absolutely no contact with family or friends.
They had a blast.
I, on the other hand. I didn’t know what to do.
You might remember my January intention to reclaim my inner desires. To lean into my inner self and discover what it is that truly makes my heart sing. Then the first six months of the year were a blur. My desires were stuck on the road, taking kids here and there day after day. I fought for empty space on the weekends, but when I did manage to carve it out, I was too emotionally tired to think about me—or what I wanted.
So I intentionally planned our summer around having time to do nothing. You might think I’d be thrilled with a week without kids. Wasn’t this what I had been longing for? This week of emptiness meant I got to decide how to spend my time. I was completely free to do whatever the hell I wanted.
But … what happens when I don’t really know what I want?
My husband took a couple of days off work and we had grand adventures together. But it wasn’t long before we looked at each other and moaned, “I’m bored…”
I often tell my kids being bored is a good thing. Being bored is what gives us time and space to create. Boredom is a necessary part of creativity. Without boredom, we become too busy. Too busy to imagine. Too busy to dream. Too busy to listen to what our heart truly wants.
Without the ordinary chores of motherhood, I had a plethora of time on my hands. For a day or so, I filled my time with nonsense. I scrolled through social media. I went shopping for new clothes. I made a Barbie shirt with the new Cricut. I made lists of things I could do, but then laid on the couch and read instead. I read so much I got tired of reading.
It wasn’t until I faced multiple days of an empty calendar that I forced myself to sit down and face the page. I wrote about blackberry brambles in Atlanta and pints of raspberries in Boston. I wrote about moving trucks and airplane rides. I wrote about faith and social justice, about the death of a leader, about homeschool dreams and childhood transitions. I made lists of ideas for writing workshops, homeschool clubs, and women’s retreats. When I finally succumbed to the silence, my mind overflowed with creativity.
I’m thrilled to be back on Substack. This has been my happy place since I started a monthly newsletter in January 2021. Taking a break was rejuvenating and refreshing, but I’m ready to share my words with you once again.
Paid subscriptions have resumed, effective immediately. If you’re already a paid subscriber, you don’t have to do a thing — Substack will take care of it for you. If you wish to become a paid subscriber, now would be a great time to join in. A brand new Insider News will be released at the end of the month.
I read 23 books since May. These were my favorite:
In July, my book club read A Thousand Vessels by Tania Runyan and had an incredible discussion about women, faith, religion, and poetry. I fell in love with Runyan’s poetry, but to sit around the room with a group of women who have diverse beliefs about God and religion and hear their stories and perspectives was nothing less than holy.
I devoured The Secret Book of Flora Lea while on vacation. The prose is lucious, the story is captivating, and the characters are inviting.
The Violins of Saint-Jacques is THE book you need to read before summer ends. About a fictional island that gets destroyed by a volcano, it is more beautiful than it sounds. It’s not very long, so go ahead, pick it up, and get ready to travel to a caribbean island this weekend.
The House is On Fire has a slow start, but once the fire happens, I could NOT put this book down. Based on a true story, this is historical fiction at its finest.
Happy Place is Emily Henry’s newest, and best, novel. It’s the perfect beach read, but don’t be fooled - it will dig deep inside your heart and you will be changed in the end.
Homecoming is Kate Morton’s newest novel, and while it is quite the doorstop at 560 pages, it is quite possibly the most beautiful book I read all summer. It’s divine.
I cannot get enough of this Buffalo Chicken Cobb Salad. At the suggestion of a friend, I’ve been using frozen chicken nuggets instead of grilling chicken thighs, and it is like eating Boneless Hot Wings on top of a bed of veggies. SO MUCH GOODNESS!
Veggie Grain Bowls have been another go to this summer. They are easy to throw together and are customizable based on what you have in the fridge. We love to use this Fried Cauliflower as a topping.
It’s finally eggplant season! Every recipe on this list is a huge hit in my house, but the favorite of favorites is the Sauteed Eggplant with Honey and Thyme.
And for that weekly summer pizza night, my new favorite is pizza with salad on top (gifted link).
I’m still listening to our Summer Tunes playlist in the car (as well as the Barbie Soundtrack), but I’ve also fallen in love with The Porter’s Gate. It’s the perfect calming music to play in the kitchen when I’m making dinner.
I don’t always send out product recs, but I found a few things this summer that I just HAVE to tell you about.
I bought these hideous slip-on sandals to wear when I’m standing in the kitchen for hours on end and I am here to tell you they are worth every single ugly penny that I spent on them. Don’t they look lovely?
I finally caved and bought the Bug Bite Thing because I was too curious to not try it. Guys. IT WORKS! You have to use it soon after you notice the bug bite, but it is miraculous! Hubs used it to get rid of a wasp sting.
A friend told me about this cleaning cloth for glass. I ordered one while the kids were at camp, and my husband used it to clean all the windows in the house AND in the cars. That alone made it worth it.
Costco had a Scrub Daddy combo pack when I was last there, so of course I threw it in the buggy. I don’t know what it is about a smiley face sponge, but my daughters have been fighting to wash the dishes with it. No complaints here!
Three Things To Remember
by Mary Oliver
As long as you’re dancing, you can
break the rules.
Sometimes breaking the rules is just
extending the rules.
Sometimes there are no rules.
Until next time,
