postcard

Hi from Cannon Beach.

halfway

Here we are at the halfway point of summer. We've settled comfortably into a rhythm...simple pleasures, unstructured time, later nights, later mornings...

how it happens

So here I am at the Museum of Flight with the boys; a favorite destination of theirs. In the evening I look through my photos, such as these, with Alexi, and tell him the day's stories. It's a great way to unwind and catch up with each other.

(at the Museum of Flight)

Fort Ebey State Park

We camped over the weekend at Fort Ebey State Park on Whidbey Island. This park has much to offer - hiking and biking trails, a long stretch of beach, a pond (that can be fished), big open grassy spaces (very windy; great for flying kites)... an ideal spot.

joy

been camping

possibilities

I've been resistant to buying Star Wars paraphenalia - toys with weapons - for a long, long time - since Abbott first heard about Star Wars at school (and became instantly obsessed), really. His interest has been so intense and so sustained - and he pretends even his hands are weapons, so would a toy really make it any worse? - I decided to buy him one Star Wars ship, just to see how it would go. And you know what? His weapon type play is virtually all channeled into the toy now.

We just got a lego catalog in the mail, and now he really, really wants more. So for the first time ever he's gotten curious about money. How to get more? How much do I have? He's counted up his spending money, and sought out ways to earn more.

We've come up with laundry folding and watering the garden. (The boys get allowance without strings attached. They can earn extra money for doing extra chores.) And he's talked Cal into doing extra chores with him so they can pool their money and buy a new toy together, sooner.

He made this sticker of a Republic Attack Shuttle to show what he's saving up for.

collecting

Just after cleaning up from dinner, we head out on our evening walk. By the time we get home, the boys have collected an array of treasures. They then sort and organize them, in all their randomly colored beauty. And so a summer day ends.

state of the garden

A couple of months ago we planted a garden.

I love stepping outside to water. It slows me down, gets me breathing the fresh ocean air, acknowledging the connectedness of the universe that we're part of. I love that about having a garden.

So far, we've used our herbs to cook with, and are just starting to eat some of our lettuce. It shouldn't be long for the other vegetables, I think.

on the water

We spent Saturday with friends on their boat; it was a perfect day for boating, swimming and picnicing. I particularly enjoyed the white bean and tuna salad our hosts made.

Leora's White Bean and Tuna Salad

The tuna is so easy, there's no real recipe.
For each can of cannellini beans (I used to cook them from scratch but no one seems to notice the change so there you have it):
I rinse them in cold water, drain them well, and put them in a bowl. I add one can of tuna IN OLIVE OIL, drained, and fork-separated. I think it's so much better than with the water-packed. I usually use Fishing Vessel St. Jude Mediterranean Style that I get at the market. Or the Portuguese "As Do Mar". Then I add a healthy dose of good extra virgin olive oil, a healthy bit of kosher salt, finely minced fresh garlic, and tiny diced red onion. If I have it, I add finely chopped flat-leaf parsley because it freshens it up a bit and makes it look pretty. I just add all the stuff to taste. If I'm making a three can batch, I usually only use 2 cans of tuna.

If you're cooking the beans from dry, I soak them overnight, add cold water to cover, and simmer gently with a couple of cloves of peeled garlic in the pot. Then I don't need to add garlic when I'm dressing them. But then you need to use more olive oil because the beans seem to really soak it up. (drain them and only use them once they're at room temperature or they'll REALLY soak up the oil).

my new obsession

Almost every night this past week, we've walked the mile or so to our neighborhood ice cream parlor for dessert. (All that walking takes care of the calories, right?) The sweet peas we see en route are staggeringly beautiful right now.