A few weeks back I shared a photo of our tiny green tomatoes just beginning to make their appearance on the vine.  What a difference a few weeks of sunshine makes.  In case the former image of my tomato plants isn’t burned into your memory, here are our little beauties from last month:

What were once hard, pale little buds of life, are now sweet, bright bursting little treats that we walk by, pick off and pop in.  There is nothing–OK, seriously, nothing–quite like a perfectly ripe home-grown tomato, still warm from the sunshine in my smiling mouth.  Ahhh…

Despite my type-A efforts to kick off summer with a BANG, due to some factors beyond my control we’ve been keeping a steadily sultry (and admittedly unproductive) pace these past two weeks.  It took me a while to recognize that the universe was telling me to chill the heck out; a request to which I have now surrendered my will.  I guess this is what my family and I need right now, and I as I am hardly one to argue with the universe, we shall go with it.

As this school year came to an end, we–OK… I was more tired than I thought.  Rather than start on my grandiose first draft of the book I’m dying to write, rather than rearrange the wall of photos I’ve been meaning to tackle, rather than redoing some of the details of my recipe pages on this blog, I have, uh, taken two naps this week while my kids watched TV. 🙂 I have also walked every morning at 6:15 for the past 10 days straight with two girlfriends.

I have touched up my roots.

I have pet my dog.

I have savored a perfect nectarine.  Alone.  While the house is still quiet.

I have added a touch of vanilla to my cup of coffee in the morning while I take a moment to breathe.

I have watched my tomatoes grow.