Dear friend,

My goodness — it's been so long since my last letter. Before I say anything else, I want to acknowledge that yes, a lot of time has passed and I'm sorry — in fact, I believe there was still snow on the ground when I wrote you last!

Thank you for your patience during this time of unexpected waiting...

I stepped away from social media back in April for a 10-day trip to visit family and friends out of state. Upon returning home, I ended up taking more time away from the internet than was initially planned...

During my time "away", I found myself hand-writing more in my journal and filling my notebooks designated for thoughts, musings, and poetry. I'm excited to be back online (though I'll be a bit less active on Instagram) and eager to share more reflections and writings with all of you!

Although the season was off to a rainy start, spring seemed to quickly shift into summer this year, with heat waves sweeping through the weeks of June and July. So much swimming, canoeing, gardening, and finding ways to stay cool...

Here are a few highlights from these past few months:

• Planting our garden and making a go of it with a few new vegetables (kale, beets, and green beans — we'll see how they grow!)
• Hosting a huge multi-family garage sale at our house, which ended up being a really sweet way to connect with neighbors who took the time to stop by and chat.
• Visiting my Nana in Cape Cod together with my husband and in-laws — a truly wonderful time filled with new, beautiful memories.

A few more highlights...

• Baking a strawberry-rhubarb crisp using strawberries and rhubarb from our garden — yum!
• Watching our resident pair of bluebirds nest in the birdhouse facing our bay window — so sweet and special.
• First camping trip of the year!
• Hosting my college roommate/close friend and her family for a week-long visit filled with exploring nature, sharing stories, playing games, and of course eating creemees!

• And lastly, receiving word that a couple of my pieces will be published in two different literary journals this year! More on this to come... :)

I'm looking forward to continuing this journey with all of you along this path that winds through the hills and valleys of life — this path that we don't have to walk alone! Thank you for being here.

May you have a gentle start to your weekend and find the beauty in every day.

With peace and love,

P.S. Please don't hesitate to reach out to me directly — I'd love to hear from you. Simply reply to this email, and your message will go directly to my inbox.

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