Summer Musts

"In December, drinking Horchata...."

Vampire Weekend

First in line for "summer musts" are Vampire Weekend albums. I know of no other music quite so summery. I enjoy the song "Horchata" quite a bit, although I have no idea what they mean by "you'd still enjoy it with your foot on Masada." I have actually been to Masada. I admit, a Horchata would have been nice at the time. It was very hot, and we were told a very sad story about a community of Sicarii- a band of Jewish exiles vehemently opposed to Roman rule. They held out against the Romans up on Masada as long as they could, but then the Romans pulled out the battle rams, and they knew they were done for. So they all killed each other. It was sad, but not as sad as becoming Roman slaves by a long shot.
You may be wondering what this has to do with pink ruffly swimming suits. As you hike down Masada, you come to the Dead Sea. You will need a swimming suit. These are my two favorites! Although I will most likely be swimming in my own 4 foot community pool this summer, rather than the salty Dead Sea. But style is style, at home or abroad...

As usual, my kitty is cracking me up. I made this little backdrop to highlight a recipe I made for Lickable Spoon, the oh so fun cooking blog. Pan immediately spotted the stylish place to rest her paws, and posed for the camera forthwith. It reminded me of my nephew Finn, stretching out in front of the bathtub when my mom was trying to get a shot of me and my sister-in-law bathing in our swimsuits. Yes, I took a bath with Lyndsay, in our swimsuits. She called it "serious Jr. High bonding time"- but I never got to in Jr. High! I missed that right of passage. 

 Here is the recipe I plan to post on Lickable Spoon. So stay tuned. 

 I think this is Pan's favorite pose or something. So profound, like she is thinking about the Sicarii at Masada, or maybe just sipping some Horchata while floating on the Dead Sea... in a pink ruffly suit like Hello Kitty would wear...

 No summer is complete without filling up an entire reusable grocery bag with books. My advice? Read something you discovered as a teen. This is one of mine- The Moon by Night. It is about a girl named Vicky, and it has just as much for me now as when I was a teen. Vicky's family is taking a cross-country trip from Connecticut to California. She describes each state in its' unique splendor. She is chased by a Bad Boy, certainly a right of passage for every teen girl. Highly romantic, if not highly recommended.
I love Madeleine L'Engle. I love her desperately.










"Everybody knows that diaries are just full of... crap." 
~Bridget Jones' Diary