Monday musings

 

 Even though I feel that I have less to share than usual -- the hot humid weather has likely addled my brain -- I wanted to pop in with a brief Monday musings post just to touch base with everyone.

Yes, it's hot and humid here these days.  Last week we had a couple of nice cool days that were just wonderful.  Sunny, but breezy and cool.  I really wouldn't mind if the rest of the summer turned out to be just like that.

My hubby and I stayed at our little camp again, to catch every available breeze and bit of coolness through the night.  This morning we enjoyed coffee and our quiet time by the campfire.  We hope to stay at our camp one or two nights each week, and to make one of the mornings a leisurely one like this.  (Photo below is from a previous summer in our own back yard.)

We always loved having our devotional times outdoors when we were camping, and tried to do so on some Saturday mornings at home, but often there wasn't time to build a campfire.  Now that we are retired, we can enjoy something like this more often -- maybe once a week or so, as life is still very busy. 

Last evening our daughter and the 4 kids came over (some walked, some biked) and we just enjoyed a nice visit outdoors where there was a bit of a breeze under the trees.   We've brought over some vintage wooden (and other) lawn chairs and and a wood glider from Tractor Supply that's been on our porch for years but was seldom used.  It will get a lot more use at the cottage.  Now we have outdoor seating for a crowd.

Anyone else finding it tiresome to cook on these hot humid evenings?  We are eating a lot of sandwiches and salads. Alfresco Bean Salad  is a wonderful healthy side for any sandwich.  

I recently made a large batch of this, along with a simple pasta salad, for my friend Jenn who just had a baby.  It was a hot week like this one, and she loved having cold foods all ready to eat.  You can find the recipe for the pasta salad in this post: Supper on the deck.

 Saturday we attended a graveside service for an extended family member.  We were blessed that the rain held off, the day stayed overcast (it was so hot and humid the sun would have been brutal), and that we could see so many of Mr. T's siblings and their families.  It was a blessing to see the outpouring of community support for the family.

Speaking of Mr. T, he has been working hard on the project of insulating and installing a ceiling of matched pine boards at our little camp.  I have no photos of this endeavor, though I think our daughter got a few with her phone the other day when Josiah was helping with the project.  It's looking good!  He plans to install a window in one end and also a floor and ladder.  This loft will be a fun and functional spot for the grandchildren to enjoy.  Below you see it as it was last summer:

I'll leave you with a view from one of our camp windows.  All of that green is so soothing ... and there is a green view from every window!