Lemonade Stand!

What is summer without a lemonade stand? I remember having these when I was a little girl, though I can't say the lemonade was that great--Koolade I pilfered from the kitchen cabinet, and sometimes mixed without the requisite sugar--yick. Ada's a bit more savvy than I was. Hers was natural lemonade, made with freshly squeezed lemons and real sugar.

In any case, I always loved starting a little "business." When I was Ada's age, the perfect business was selling lemonade and cookies on our driveway. The summer I was 10 (yes 10!), I started a mini daycamp with a girlfriend, to which we invited three toddlers for several hours a week. What a saint my mom was to let us do such a thing and supervise all of us--campers and councillors alike! I got more sophisticated as a teen, getting together with a group of girlfriends to make and sell splatter-painted tee shirts to neighbors and at a local craft fair. As I recall, the making was more fun than the selling itself, but it was a great lesson in planning a project and working with others.

Ada's first business venture went very well. While we sold things at our yard sale, Ada was a top-notch salesperson at her stand, selling $15.00 worth of lemonade, iced coffee, and brownies. She earned every penny, making perfect change, and giving out lovely napkins with each purchase. We were all very proud of her. And she was proud of herself, too. What will she come up with next?

A Recent Visit

We went to visit our friend Alex the other day. Look what she has in her yard! Lovely, lively! Rhode Island chickens--well, chicks, sort of. They are just at the stage where you can see their pretty feathers, but still small enough to pick up easily.
Esme was a bit timid at first, but she decided she wanted to hold one herself.

Ada--well, let's say Ada's not a fan of holding livestock. True to form, she kept us safe by lecturing us on the dangers of salmonella, and rightly so. We washed very well after this, I promise.


Alex has just finished a fairy cottage for her girls. Esme gave it rave reviews, saying, "Mommy, I LOVE this room!" Me, too!

When she's not raising kids or Rhode Island reds or the walls of a cottage, Alex is painting--take a peek at her website to see some of her beautiful work. I picked up a few of these things for myself.

My Summer Reading List

It's that time again--the air is thick and sweet with the beach roses, salt, and oysters, and I've got a heap of books ready. I said it last year, and I'll say it again: there is nothing like the feeling of getting lost in a book, and quiet summer afternoons and evenings are some of the best times to do it. How I love naptime/resting time for the girls!

This entry merits two separate posts--one for the books I've already gotten into this summer, and one for those awaiting me.

First, the books I just finished:
A few weeks ago, I finally got around to reading Julia Child's My Life in France. It was well worth the wait--I was completely engrossed in her adventures in France, where she discovered cooking and her passion. Of course, she mentioned working with a young chef called Jacques Pepin, and I was off to find his autobiography, called, The Apprentice, My Life in the Kitchen. It did not disappoint. I made some lovely meals that week, among them a French-style sauteed chicken breast with garlic and herbs. Yum.

Anyway, I switched gears to more mystery the next week, with The Book of Air and Shadows, by Michael Gruber. I was, I admit, a bit doubtful at the outset. I was looking for something to get lost in, and I was a bit worried that I wouldn't "get into it." Ha. This book was a real thriller, not just because of the intrigue of seemingly tame bookbinders, but really because the characters were so vivid and sympathetic. It was one of those books I didn't really want to end; I found myself lingering over the last 30 pages just so I could keep the characters with me for a bit longer. It's definitely worth checking out for a weekend read.

Finally, a book to put on the shelf next to Wallace Stegner's beautiful stories of families and moving West. This book is called Peace Like a River, by Leif Enger. It's been on the best seller's list, but it took me some convincing to pick it up. Why?! I kicked myself for waiting so long to read this! The writing is beautiful, and the narrator is loveable and convincing. When I finished it yesterday, it left me in tears.

Up next: The big list of books yet to be read...

Welcome, summer!

The strawberry patch is the perfect place to start summer. Ada is an expert at choosing the best. Now to make some strawberry jam! Maybe next week...I have a feeling we'll eat these well before then.