300 Days of Sunshine

Happy (unofficial) summer!  While we're still a few weeks away from the solstice, this feels like the start of summer in a lot of ways.   The weather was gorgeous this weekend in Santa Fe, tourist season is in full fledge now that many travel restrictions are lifted, and things are feeling pretty hopeful for the time being.   We even had our first pool day of the season at a friend's house this weekend!   Last week we went out to eat as a family for the first time this year!  I admit I was a little nervous to be indoors with the kids, knowing most patrons would be maskless, but it went smoothly and it feels like a big step toward reemerging into society.  We have a handful of visitors coming next month and we look forward to exploring around town once again.      I also took the girls hiking on a new trail this weekend -- Grasshopper Canyon, just outside of Santa Fe.   Ady is at a weird age for hiking because she’s not very enthusiastic about walking long distances, but she’s t

Happy May!  The weather was gorgeous this weekend and I think we can safely put away our winter boots and ice scrapers.  Almost everyone in my close social network is vaccinated, so it's really feeling like the world is opening up again and the next phase of pandemic life is beginning!  A few tidbits about life lately: 1.  I had lunch at a cafe for the first time in ages, and not only was it AMAZING to eat a delicious meal prepared by a real chef and have someone else wash my dishes, but I didn't realize how much I missed people-watching.  There should be a word in the English language for the contentment that comes with sitting alone in a room full of people, overhearing casual conversations, and just being anonymous in a crowd.  There are so many little things that we forgot about during the first year of the pandemic. The Japanese Bowl at Opuntia Cafe 2.  Speaking of things I didn't know I missed... latte art!  I sat down in a coffee shop for the first time in over a yea

This has been a really weird spring, for many reasons, not least of which is the weather.  After a really mild winter, we've had an unseasonably dry and warm spring.  While I love the sunshine, the pollen in the air is unbearable sometimes, and just having lunch on a patio makes me feel congested for days.  It also hasn't been great for my garden.  The bulbs started to come up a little too early and my tulips never fully bloomed.  Even the gorgeous flowering trees around the neighborhood are looking a little desperate for some moisture.  A very "blah" winter with not nearly enough snowfall has led to a kind of boring spring.  (But maybe boring is a good thing after the year we just had, right?) Some languishing tulip bulbs in my front garden And speaking of "blah," a friend recently shared an article with me about languishing, the feeling so many of us are experiencing right now of a general aimlessness, monotony, like we aren't fully flourishing ( "