Hey wild one,

 

Summer has a funny way of slipping through your fingers.

 

One minute it's June and you're convinced there will be endless evenings ahead. Then suddenly the sweet corn is ready, peaches are everywhere, the cicadas are singing, and you realize July is already halfway gone.

 

Storms rolled through while we were in Lexington over the weekend.

 

There's something about a summer thunderstorm that always makes me stop whatever I'm doing. The air changes first. Then the wind finds the trees. The sky goes that strange shade of greenish gray before everything finally breaks open.

 

Afterward, rain drips from the oak leaves. Smoke rises again from backyard fire pits. The whole world smells like wet earth and fresh-cut grass.

 

I've been thinking a lot lately about paying attention to those moments. Not because they're extraordinary. Because they're so ordinary that they're easy to miss.

 

I think that's what I'm trying to build lately… not a perfect life, but a deliberate one.

 

One where I notice the thunderstorm instead of rushing through it.

One where dinner happens outside whenever possible.

One where books stay open a little longer before bed.

One where I remember that a beautiful life is usually made up of very small things, noticed on purpose.

 

So here's a few of mine from this week.

ᚠ From the Wild Table ᚠ

Since we spent the past few days in Lexington, I don't have anything brand new from the kitchen this week.

 

Instead, I've been making the same handful of recipes over and over because they're simple, seasonal, and exactly what July asks for.

 

Summer isn't really about elaborate recipes anyway. It's about cooking with what's ripe, eating outside whenever you can, and letting fresh ingredients do most of the work.

 

Here's what's been on repeat around here...

🍑 Roasted Peach Salsa… sweet, smoky, just a little spicy, and perfect with grilled chicken or a bowl of tortilla chips.

🍗 Smoked Chicken Thighs with Mop Sauce… one of those recipes that quietly becomes a family favorite. Smoky, juicy, and ridiculously easy.

🍹 Fresh Peach Margaritas… because if peaches are in season, they're absolutely finding their way into a cocktail.

ᚬ From the Library ᚬ

My reading tastes have changed so much lately. I want atmosphere. Women who are angry for good reason. Stories that are unsettling because the world around them is more frightening than any monster.

 

Current Read: We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer

Up Next: Tender is the Flesh by Augustina Bazterrica

Listening: Church Bells + Cicadas

ᚱ Wander ᚱ

I'm convinced wandering is a habit before it's a destination.

 

It starts by taking the scenic route.

 

By stopping when the light catches an old farmhouse just right.

 

By walking into the bookstore instead of saying, maybe next time.

 

The passport stamps are wonderful.

 

But so are the moments that teach you to notice the world where you already are.

ᛃ Almanac ᛃ

Summer doesn't last because we aren't paying attention.

Got something to say? Hit reply. Tell me what you're reading, making, planting, photographing, dreaming about, or figuring out. The best part of this little corner of the internet has always been the people in it.

Keep the wild going. Tag me when you're making something beautiful, cooking something delicious, renovating something questionable, or getting lost somewhere worth finding.