How does one spend a lingering summer day?

Jared and I recently spent Saturday at the lake celebrating a dear friend's birthday. It was one of the last lingering days of summer. I can't believe today is September 1. Summer feels so different now that I work every day. I still miss the "ends" that school brought. "If I can just make it through this semester!" "What are you doing this summer?" Remember statements and questions like those? I so do. Now, it's become all about the weekend. It's especially different in health care where there are no breaks scheduled even for holidays. It did not occur to me until today that Monday is Labor Day. I'll be at Bradford. I sometimes forget the smaller holidays until I'm on the road to work and can't figure out where the other cars are. I do like the cooler weather and all the sunrises and sunsets I've been catching. There is nothing more grounding and humbling to me than watching the sun wake up or go to bed. It keeps me in my place, fills me with love, and helps me remember how insignificant and significant my life really is.


Finally, I'm cooking again. Finally. The cooking really took a hiatus during the wedding planning. It went from a new recipe or two weekly to a pot of soup on the stove or a pizza. This week I made the most scrumptious spinach, artichoke, and mushroom lasagna complete with feta cheese and crushed red pepper flakes for kick. Awesome. We're also working the new grill equipment and throwing skewers around and then dipping the veggies and meats in homemade white sauce next to saffron rice or rosemary potatoes. So, friends, what I'm saying is, I'm back in the cooking business and I need eaters. Please schedule a visit and submit your requests.

Coolest wedding stuff:
1. Natalie gave me a beautiful book of quotations for being in her wedding. I used this book as the guest book for the wedding. She is the first and last signature in the book.
2. Michelle orchestrated a book filled with sweet letters from women (and my brother, Brandon) in my life. It is awesome and I couldn't even really sit down with it until I returned from the honeymoon. I was already so full of emotion during the wedding weekend and I couldn't take in or handle any more.
3. Amy B organized a game shower for me. I didn't want a lingerie party, so I got board games instead. Playing board games with me will be a requirement after eating a good home cooked meal.
4. I got a recipe book and each guest at a shower provided me with one of their favorite recipes. It is awesome!! Taco soup, delicious desserts, breads, buffalo chicken dip, corn dip, artichoke dip....you get the picture.
5. One of the guests in attendance at the wedding (Jared's grandmother doesn't know who) took the remaining tubes of bubbles to hand out at Children's Hospital. I love that.