This and that.

1. Things I love:

The lake we visited the other day
Cicadas
Lighting sections in hardware stores
Notebooks
Birdsong
Breezes
Noodle shops
My oldest son slinging an arm around my shoulders to reassure me in the scary parts of a movie ("Are you okay, Mom?") 
Leafy asking me, as his first question of the morning, "Mom, what is Ro's current hair color? I forget" and me answering, "Blue."
Isaac in the morning, a revelation every time

2. Sometimes I don't know how much my friends want to be the subject of my writing, so I don't write about them to the degree that they are in my life. We have a community, we work together to make the things we do. They are in my life, very much, woven in. 

Leaf, Winnie and I sat together last week and talked about the kitchen project that we're working on at Shekina Garden. I'm buying us a new stove and fridge, and figuring out how to resurface the concrete countertop. Winnie is working on getting the carpenter to put new grass on the roof, and she will paint the floor. Leaf is a fairy of organization, everything loved and in its place. Later we'll paint some designs on the concrete. 

Sitting and figuring out work and plans together is full of joy. They are both kind and wise women. 

3. The hot season isn't nearly as bad as last year. It is hot, but so far, under 40 degrees Celsius. Dry leaves skitter across the hot ground. I try not to be out in the middle of the day. Cicadas screech from the trees. My friend Brendan told me they peed on him, little drops of water as he drove his scooter under them. We can barely see the mountains through the haze, but still there is a kind of pastel, smokey beauty to everything. So poignant I can barely stand it.

4. My trip to share and guide workshops is funded, but my family and I are asking for help with funding our trip home to visit our families in Canada and the US. They will meet me there at the beginning of June, if all goes as planned. Our GoFundMe campaign lives here: Thank you for sharing and helping.