The magic of ordinary days

To say this summer has been a whirlwind of travel and events would be an understatement. Not that I’m complaining. We’ve spent time with many wonderful folks who share our passion and love for creativity, quilting and pets and it has been a true blessing in our lives. We stopped to see some cherished family members in Ohio, done several Janome events where the enthusiasm and excitement for the machines was palpable, and we’ve seen some amazing, expansive parts of the country including wide-open Wyoming, an enchanting town in Alaska, vibrant New Jersey with a quick shopping/theater trip to NYC, beautiful Lake Erie in Pennsylvania, gorgeous, green Vermont, and a fun, family trip to Hawaii.

But being on the road so much is not without some down sides. For one, I haven’t sewn a stitch on my own projects in, well,……months. The airline travel and seemingly endless hotel rooms don’t bring the excitement they once did, and I simply miss being at home spending time with our cherished pets. But for the next two weeks, I am here. At home.

This photo was taken months ago, but we hope to do many more of these little beach jaunts in the coming weeks.

Yes, I have TONS of work to do. So many deadlines are looming I could easily let myself become overwhelmed! But I’m going to take some much needed “down time” to just enjoy the simple pleasure of being HOME. Puttering around the kitchen is bliss. Our home is quiet, calm, serene. Our tiny backyard piazza with the fountain and fire pit is the perfect combination of relaxation and stay-cation. And I’m going to enjoy these days and the simplicity of preparing home cooked meals and taking sunset Mini-Cooper rides to the beach in the evenings to the fullest. 

Along those lines…..

With the intent of a laid-back day, I visited the farmer’s market in Torrance this morning. I’ve driven by it many times but have never taken the time to stop. So before it got too terribly hot outside, I popped over and enjoyed browsing through the booths in search of fresh veggies. 

This may seem like an ordinary or perhaps even mundane thing to do, but to me it was heavenly! 

I loved seeing summer’s bright, bold, bounty on display for all to partake. The vibrant colors, fresh scent of herbs, and sounds of friendly chatter filled the warm summer air this morning. And I breathed it all in. Every bit of it!

And the home grown tomatoes! Oh, my goodness gracious! I bought enough for us and our neighbors, too!

I bought farm grown tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers and onions (for a crisp summer salad), corn on the cob and okra. That’s right: there will be fried okra (a rare treat!) to go with a completely veggie meal in the house tonight. YUM!

I came home and made homemade zucchini bread with my Mom’s tried and true, positively scrumptious recipe. 

The house smells absolutely amazing as this bread bakes! And with a little butter, fresh and warm from the oven? There’s just nothin’ better!

I love pulling out the cookbook with my Mom’s amazing recipes and making something I know she made time and time again. It’s like visiting with her. Oh, how I miss those times we would bake or cook together in the kitchen. Those times seemed so ordinary back then but now, they seem magical to me.

A recipe to share!

Does homemade zucchini bread sound good to you? I’m sharing my Mom’s original recipe so you can enjoy this fabulously delicious bread!

I hope you’ll take time to enjoy the magic of your own ordinary days because they truly are magical.

Dorothy got it right: There’s no place like home.