Renewal

You might think that spring is the season of renewal, and of course, Mother Nature does a mighty fine job of it then, but fall feels like a season of renewal as well.   Bring some order back from the heady chaos of summer.  The lazy days begin speeding up, guided by other-people's-clocks and the calendar fills up behind your back. 

Inspired by tara's beautiful entry in this joy+ride

what's on the nightstand:

Painters in Paris 1895-1950 (some of my favorite paintings, picked up at the Met)
Kings of the Earth by Jon Clinch (overdue library book)
The Art Spirit by Robert Henri
The Photographer's Eye by Michael Freeman (great book on composition)
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (old and utterly untouched)

and a rotating tall pile of other things which strike me just before climbing into bed. 

am loving:

my gigantic coleus plants.  not the container gardens I had planned this year at all, but the coleus is enormous
having the kids home for one more week before the grind begins
iced decaf earl grey tea
training for the Avon breast cancer walk (why does it surprise me that I need a goal to get in shape)
the noticeable buzz as the town readies for fall


summer inspires me by
Setting me loose into the world.  I love walking outside in my pjs and bare feet, garden peeping and dreaming about next year's gardens, spontaneous dips in the pool, the freedom to choose our curriculum, as it were.  Dropping my role as a chauffer and school marm for a bit inspires me to reacquaint my kids and myself with my fun and spontaneous side. 

Summer wardrobe staple that I can't live without

Has to be bare feet.  My feet can get clausterphobic when my shoes feel too hot and sometimes I feel like socks are strangling me so in the summer.  I a also love the look of a fresh pedicure even if the rest of me is a complete mess.  Plus, no socks = less laundry!

Perfect homemade summer meal
Late August corn-on-the cob, chopped tomato and basil from the garden topped with sea salt and ground pepper, salmon on the grill, a hunk of rustic bread and watermelon for dessert.  A trip to the ice cream shop later for an evening walk through town with an ice cream cone.


Three constants in my day
Public radio
Chocolate milk (I have a child who needs a 12 step program for dairy)
Dishes

the inspiration for these photos
sometimes the everyday chaos of three boys and a busy husband makes my head spin.  Shooting them helps me appreciate the beauty of the everyday moment and lets me keep them little forever (and quiet!).  My camera was stolen a week after these pictures were taken, along with a 400 new pictures.  I shudder to think of someone just erasing my memory card with two clicks of a button.