Checking in

Yikes... has it really been almost 2 months since my last post?! Where has the summer gone???

Clearly it has been a busy one, so I'll fill you in on the highlights:

1. I have spent some quality time at the family farm this Summer--loads of fun, but it has resulted in an influx of giant woodticks on my dogs. I also got to spend a bunch of time with my niece and nephew (unrelated to the woodtick tangent, but definitely related to the farm), who are the smartest and cutest kids in the whole wide world. For real.
2. The garden has been successful, for the most part, and with a large stock of supplementary veggies from mom and dad's farm yield, I have eaten cucumbers and/or tomatoes in some form for as many days as I can remember. The sheer quantity of delicious veggies prompted me to buy a freezer, which is filling quickly with fresh tomato sauces, tomato basil soup, cucumber soup, zucchini muffins, and a handful of other delicious summertime treats. Coming soon: my fall favorite--chili, which will be made this year from the many platters of tomatoes currently filling my counters and windowsills.
3. Soccer continues--not much new there, except for some reason the past month or to have seemed outrageously hot, and I have been feeling excessively lazy on the field. Looking forward to crisp, cool autumn games... and a renewed level of exertion as temps drop down.
4. The new job is going fabulously--more new challenges than I ever expected, and a wonderful group of people to work with. Admittedly, I'm looking forward to feeling more like an "expert" in my area of alleged expertise, but for now--I'm learning a ton, and enjoying what I do.

So yeah, pretty boring stuff. In an effort to make it more exciting, I'm including a close-up shot of one of the freakin' ticks that filled itself to capacity and dropped right off my dog. Seriously gross.

Enjoy!