First and foremost, Bubba is very cute and, as you know, difficult to photograph well, so I’m happy to show off the latest from my parents. I don’t know that I’ve seen him hugging his tail like that very often?
I need you all to know that this violet is the most important thing happening in my life right now. I don’t mean that to say that my life is in a rough place and this flower is all that’s going on for me. I mean it to say that I love it with a deep and profound love.
It is in the driveway. That is all.
Further, happy Pride! In celebration of Pride this year, I’m going to continue to be gay. I’m happy to have finally made it to June. Meteorological summer has begun and today is meant to be quite hot so I’m going to take a few hours off and go swimming because I can.
As much as I love Christmas, I have been living in dread of next winter since, you know, January. I’m trying to focus on the now, though, and enjoy the warm and sunny and green while it is here. And in that pursuit, I am also trying to go to new places. For example, I took a little drive on Monday and visited Clarendon, Vermont, to see the little gorge-y bits of the Mill River. There is an actual Clarendon Gorge State Park and that is, in fact, not where I went but instead I hiked a little trail to a lovely swimming hole and saw some beautiful (if subdued) little falls/rapids in a certainly gorge-like little crevice. It was v pretty. Too many good angles to capture well but I tried.
Additionally, last weekend, I finally made the limoncello tiramisu which I think turned out wonderfully. I am glad that I split up the preparation, though, because there are a lot of different pieces. First, a friend actually made the limoncello so it was homemade but not by me. Then last weekend, I made the lemon curd, limoncello syrup (which was replacing the coffee), and the ladyfingers. I had never made curd or ladyfingers before so that was a fun adventure, I think both turned out well.
Then on Sunday, I made the mascarpone element and put it all together. I also got to whip cream by hand, which I take inexplicable pleasure in doing even though my forearms do not appreciate it quite as much. I’m quite pleased with the final product. Very lemony (there is really a lot of lemon involved) but also light and cool and refreshing (especially handy since it was a hot day.


Anyway, welcome to summer if you’re in the northern hemisphere where that makes sense for you right now. I’m determined to enjoy myself this summer because I desperately love the green and sunny and warm and also because last summer was pretty rough at work (and therefore, in general) and I’d like to make up for it. Let’s go outside! And I always have an ear open for more swimming hole recommendations, if you have them.