Before I forget how to write a blog post, let me write a blog post. I had intended to sit down and write for an hour or more, but that feels overwhelming when there is so much life content to draw from after an almost three-month break from the blog. So instead of writing one long catch-up blog post, I am going to get back to writing practice by writing some short posts more regularly.

I was texting a friend this morning and I realized that in just two short texts, I had asked her 9 questions. I still have more questions for her because I want to know her even better than I do now. Asking questions to my friend made me think about how great it is that we get to ask questions and then get answers. And it also gave me the idea for a simple format to get back to blogging again.

Today will be Question 1.

What have you been doing this summer?

I have been staying home a lot. Staying home is my favorite thing to do, after waterskiing. My favorite days are days when I don’t have to get in the van and go anywhere. Some things that fill my days are: exercise, Bible study, drink coffee, MP and text my friends, memory work, read aloud to Story, the liturgy of the sweet potato, make omelet, read fiction (not my usual reading genre), host friends to the lake for dinner, meet friends at Tandem, make muffins for the kids, water the herbs and pick produce from the garden, waterski, cook, cook, cook, cook. I love to cook dinner each night. That keeps me sane and stable.

To me, this has been:

The summer of the hummingbirds, because we got a feeder and I see so many, and hear them too, when I sit under the grapevine.

The summer of great lake levels.

The summer of Jeopardy as a family, but now the summer of the Olympics.

The summer of getting a puppy.

The summer of yogurt-marinated grilled chicken.

The summer of country music.

The summer of realizing it is hard to meet the needs of all four children and a puppy.

The summer of Bauer getting his license.

The summer of no masks.

The summer of cucumbers.

The summer of reading novels.

The summer of getting involved in my neighborhood HOA and meeting more neighbors.

The summer of not writing until now…