So I broke down and wore my swimsuit (nearly naked!) in front of my coworkers over the weekend at The Office Barbecue. It took some convincing, but I did it. And I swam in a lake. And went for a boat ride. And saw a turtle. And didn't mind getting rained on because I was already wet with lake. I miss nature.

I also hung out with kids and ate delicious foods and drank a little too much too early in the day. But it was fun and rewarding and a huge relief because it was I who planned the event. I feel like I accomplished something grand and magnificent and made 25 other people's lives that much richer and fuller. But it was just a barbecue. In Indiana.

I pull out my tackle box of beads and wire nearly every night now, and have at least a dozen pairs of earrings and a few necklaces to show for it. And the ideas keep coming. It is incredibly relaxing to have something productive to do in the evenings. As opposed to cooking, which is consumed and gone in a matter of minutes, making things that will be there tomorrow gives me a sense of something heavy and solid. I guess that's why I like to cook in big batches. Leftovers. A reminder of the time and energy involved.

Hubb and I received out first box of organic veggies from our Angelic Organics share this weekend, and are left with quite a few veggies to cook this week. We have some mixed greens, eggplant, basil, dill, kale, fennel, carrots, cucumber, tomatoes, corn and garlic. I made eggplant parm last night, with my own tomato sauce. It always feels good to eat homemade. I will learn to use fennel later this week. That's one of the perks, at least in my eyes, to the veggie box: I will need to learn how to cook a few new things. I'm absolutely thrilled about that opportunity. And the fact that until Christmas I'll have plenty of fresh produce around.

Heirloom tomatoes and carrots with the tops on make me happy.