I love la croix sparkling water, particularly the coconut flavor. The grapefruit flavor is also quite good but not as good as the coconut. Two years ago I could still find the coconut at a couple places around town. And then it disappeared. Whole Foods in Portland still carried it and I stocked up whenever we found ourselves in Portland. I never offered to share my supply with anyone, even Telfer. I think I did give Mendy a can on mother’s day which means I really do love her. And now, without warning, the coconut flavor is back at Target and I am rejoicing. I bought nine boxes last week and will happily share with anyone that happens to come over.

I have also taken up canning in the last couple of months. I love this book and her blog. I still have a lot to learn but so far this summer I have canned earl-grey-vanilla-rhubarb jam, rhubarb syrup for cocktails, and caramelized red onion relish with plans of much more to come. There is nothing quite like the sound of popping jars when they come out of the water. When I made the jam, my first attempt, I did not have canning tongs and about scared Telfer to death with my kitchen tongs, towels, and boiling water setup. Chris is letting me use his canning tongs so I was much safer the second and third go around.

Also, these forthcoming (end of August) Puffin in Bloom editions including Anne of Green Gables, Heidi, Little Women and A Little Princess. I just absolutely adore these. Just what I need: my twenty-second copy of AoGG. Same artist as Rifle Paper Company.

My whole family met at Chris & Mendy’s Lake House in Shelton for the Fourth of July weekend. It was a little like camping and a whole lot of fun. Three dogs and six kids and seven adults. The Duerre’s came out on the 4th for Telfer’s excellent ribs and watermelon and corn and s’mores too – don’t you love that picture of Cate and Jane and Gresh on the dock? I love watching the cousins play together. The fireworks were also quite memorable. They went on for hours. The first ninety minutes was glitzy and beautiful but by hour three we were all just done!  

I feel like I have so much to say! Here are four more pictures of our California vacation. How much do I love having these big kids that fly on planes without screaming and swim and tell us great stories and behave at restaurants and at friend’s houses? Also, I read this absolutely lovely and engrossing novel on vacation and highly recommend if you are looking for a good read this summer. Make sure you have time to just fall into it and keep reading. Don’t you love days like that? They don’t happen that often for me anymore so it’s such a gift to read something that completely consumes me AND I have the time.

We took the girls to the San Diego Zoo. We saw pandas and a baby giraffe, bears and a blue-winged pitta. Guess what Cate and Jane’s animal favorite animals were by far? This mother duck and her little ducklings. On the patio at lunchtime. Not part of any exhibit but just waddling about the zoo. Don’t you just love it?

We are wrapping up a sun-filled vacation to San Diego today and fly home tomorrow. I am just this morning at that point in a vacation when I am actually looking forward to going home. I miss George and our garden and the chickens and all the other responsibilities that I couldn’t wait to get away from a short week ago. But today we will swim in the pool and in the ocean, go to George’s for lunch and maybe even find a Sprinkles cupcake for the girls…