SUMMER 2021

Summer is still recognizable in glimpses. Small glimpses. In many ways, the usual imagery and associations of summer are changing: long periods of rainy weather, fewer plans to travel and socialize and the seemingly ever-present anxieties that go hand-in-hand with today: is it safe to go out, is it safe to travel, is it safe to visit a park or attraction, is it safe to swim in the beach, is it safe to get out of bed?

So much for the lazy hazy days.

We try to make the best of it, as are many other families throughout the world. We still have the heat – Houston will never be short of heat -- and the good news is we’re all getting acclimated to it. We may not have too many trips or outings planned, but who needs ‘em when you have a garden and a nice glass of sparkling water? Who needs back to back barbecues when you have wild, tangled hair and new pots to plant?

My mom recently told me about a summer trip we took to Mexico when I was younger. I remember being obsessed with hanging roses and freestanding gardens. It’s a memory I cherish, and perhaps why I am so drawn to gardening and working with the earth. I want Sebastian and Gigi to have the same memories.

So, no time to worry over what’s safe or not. Summer is here, and we will enjoy. Sebastian’s favorite color is orange, which makes trips to Home Depot even more exciting for him. Gigi love fruits and vegetables, meaning no budding strawberry or growing carrot is safe in our garden, and that’s perfectly fine. Buchanan’s Native Plants has become a second home for us. I was so surprised and delightfully overwhelmed when Buchanan’s shared and promoted my site. I can’t tell you with enough enthusiasm how much that meant to me. I guess it was a small way of letting me know I’m doing something OK.

And sure, we’re gearing up for a nice trip to the beach in August, but the bulk of our summer memories are, and will be, at home. The kids may complain about “how boring” they feel, but every day I feel a sense of peace and calm, albeit shortly, when I think about how we are spending our summer. Perhaps a bit more quite, and reflective. Perhaps we are prioritizing learning and doing rather than venturing out and eating hot dogs.

Hot dogs are best when eaten at home.

“Of course reading and thinking are important but, my God, food is important too.” – Irish Murdoch, The Sea, the Sea