Simple Summer Garden Salad Thoughts

The past three months, for me, have been--how shall I put it? Is "neurotic" too strong of a word?

I think maybe not.

I live in Wisconsin, and in 90 days of time I have: 

• sold a condo in Illinois
• packed and moved all contents of said Illinois condo to Wisconsin/Goodwill in two days
• cleaned this condo the following weekend
• closed on same condo
• resigned from and wrapped up my two school libraries
• had my stepson graduate from high school
• vacationed for a week in Puerto Rico
• bought a house in Boston
• ferociously (not an overstatement—ask Chef Reiton) prepped our Wisconsin house for listing
• listed our Wisconsin house for sale
• attended a week long family beerfest reunion in NC
• sold the house in Wisconsin

Seriously, I don't know that I have ever been more physically and psychologically exhausted in my entire life...

Thank God for my garden.  

Every morning I sit on our newly redone front porch with my coffee (yes, that is what I look like in the morning, and that is my freaking adorable momma's boy),

and then I do the next most relaxing thing I can think of: water my plants.

There is something incredibly calming and therapeutic to the act of watering a garden.  It takes mindfulness and observation in order to not make a mess or drown your plants, and in doing so, you begin noticing the momentary details of each flower or shrub or vegetable.

Like how today, the bumblebees were all over the snapdragons and the Russian sage.  And that bud on the rose bush that I noticed two days ago? It is now in full glorious bloom within 48 hours time. The really old zinnia seeds that I haphazardly scattered in random parts of the yard before leaving for NC? They are taking off like mad.  I may actually get to see some of my favorite flowers before we move. And the lettuce? The lettuce has gone from shrub-like to tree-like in a matter of days.  So—this is what I've been eating every night (lettuce and cucs from the garden; still waiting on the tomatoes):

God, I love summer.  

Summer and veggies and freshness.  

And the reminder the three of them collectively give me to love the simple things.