Letter from Publisher, July 2012
This season's long sunshiny days welcome us all to spend time outdoors feeling happy and carefree.
With school out, I get to enjoy constant activities sparked by the boundless energy of my three kids. Their enthusiasms are contagious. After a full day of swimming, playing in the sandbox and generally rousting about the fresh air, I am still greeted with, "Mommy, can we eat outside?" Dining outdoors feels special, relaxes us and makes meals more fun. Afterwards, we become engaged in the simple joy of catching and releasing fireflies.
Summer also brings an abundance of deliciously fresh locally grown foods. We just joined a community supported agriculture (CSA) co-op for the first time and are happily participating at full bore. Our fortunate membership was sparked by the unfortunate occurrence of termites in my gardens of many years, so it's now in a resting mode. Meanwhile, I am container gardening what I can up my deck stairs, where the plants green up the space.
Our local CSA is amazing. Already, we have met some wonderful local people, come to know the farmers, and learned about new farming techniques. But my favorite benefit is making new dishes with vegetables that I wasn't adventurous enough to try before, or haven't had access to in such abundance. Who knew that garlic scapes can be eaten raw or made into great pesto?
Outdoor living naturally brings fitness fun, as well. This spring I signed up for my first running clinic to get me over my distaste for the sport. Over the course of five weeks I learned how to run, indoors and out. Through sheer persistence, I managed to finish, just barely, a dozen 5K runs. Having surpassed my wildest expectations and discovered how exercising outside breathes new energy into life, I have not signed up for a boot camp. So far, so great. So grab a friend and join me in making the most of the great outdoors, won't you?
Working on this July issue has been thrilling for me because it reflects who I am and how I want to live. I invite you all to jump in with both feet and every one of your five senses to try on some simple new pleasures along with your tried adn true summer indulgences. Perhaps prepare some of our fantastic simple recipes for your next picnic or barbeque and even give garlic scapes a try.
Feel good, live simply and laugh more,
- Audrey
