Holy buckets, the summer is flying. But it's not over yet! Still over a month of kids off of school, and hopefully a GOOD couple of months of summer weather still on the docket. :)
Anyway, it's been a full June and July, but here's what I'm loving right now.
1) Won't You Be My Neighbor?
I grew up in a world where the only kids' shows on PBS were Sesame Street, Reading Rainbow, and Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood. I especially loved Mr. Rogers, so I was so excited when I saw an ad for this movie a few months ago. It opened on my birthday, and Dan and I made a date of it a couple of weeks later. It's so good! And it's an amazing message of kindness in a world that doesn't always feel very kind. He was an outstanding man, and the movie tells so many great stories! It's definitely a must-see.
2) My new BIKE!
Dan surprised me the week before my birthday with a trip to The Hub to get a new bike. And, bike-mechanic-in-training that he is, he's been making it even cooler for the last month or so. We've gotten to take a few bike rides in the last couple weeks, and I am already enjoying it so much and looking forward to lots more bike time this fall. (Side note, if you're in the market for a new bike, everyone at The Hub is SO great. Highly recommend them) :)
3) Colony House Only the Lonely
Okay, this isn't new, but once in a while it pops up on my iTunes or when Dan puts some music on outside, and I remember how good it is. Dan and I got to see them live with Judah and the Lion in February, and it was super fun. Check them out if you haven't yet!
4) Summer food!
Isn't summer food the best food? I mean, I love a good pot of soup in January, but I think summer food is for sure my favorite. Everything on the grill, all the produce in season, and THIS recipe for corn salsa that is so perfect now that sweet corn is everywhere. Enjoy!
Corn and black bean salsa
6-8 ears sweet corn, cooked and cut off the cob
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 red onion, finely diced
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
1 bunch of cilantro (or more if you're like that), chopped
Juice of about 3 limes
salt and pepper
Toss everything together and enjoy with tortilla chips!
(If you're an avocado lover and the salsa is going to get eaten fairly soon after you make it, chop a couple up and add them. So good.)
5) Books!
Here you go, people. A little fiction, a little non. Something for everyone. ;)
Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk was surprisingly delightful. Lillian walks all over New York City on New Year's Eve over the course of the book, flashing back to stories from her long and fascinating life.
Everybody Always is Bob Goff's follow up to Love Does, and it's just as great. He is an incredible story teller, and you'll want to be his friend. :) (Spoiler alert--stay tuned for giveaway day on August 10th to get your hands on this!)
No One Ever Asked is I think the third book I've read by Katie Ganshert, and it might be my favorite. It tells the story of a southern area's school district merging through the eyes of the various people it affects. Ganshert tackles the topic of racism gracefully and develops a wide range of fascinating characters.
I have followed Jamie Wright (known on social media as "Jamie the Very Worst Missionary") for a couple of years and was excited to read her memoir ("or whatever"). She is so fun to read, and she shines an important light on missions. But amid the thought-provoking parts, she also had me laughing SO hard. (Maneuvering the airport to come back to the US from Costa Rica with a cat they'd acquired while living there? Gold).
And Sugar by Kimberly Stuart, the perfect easy summer read. :) Charlie is a pastry chef in NYC, and she moves to Seattle to work in a restaurant with a friend from culinary school. Well, it turns out the friend is actually filming a reality show about the restaurant industry. Kind of classic rom-com in book form.
Phew! That's all for now, friends. Enjoy these last weeks of summer! Hopefully they'll drag on like our winter seemed to just months ago. ;)
