Letter writing is my jam. I put something in the mail everyday. It’s how I stay connected and how I send my love. This month I discovered a new thing. Taking boxes from my recycle bin and turning them into postcards! Just cut out a fun part of a box to 4 x 6 inches, slap a 35¢ stamp on the back and you are good to go. (There are Forever postcard stamps, just ask at the post office.) Is there someone you can send a giggle to by post? I sent these to all the kids on my mailing list. 

I’ll admit when the Fourth of July came and went without fireworks I was sad. I love fireworks, not the explosions, I love the spray of sparkles and spectacular patterns in the sky. My face hurts from smiling up at them. I missed them this year. And then when my holiday offered no barbecue either, I felt like a big piece of summer was missing. That is till my big brother came to the rescue! My brother is a chef and a good hunter of online recipes. He found a delicious barbecue rib recipe. These did not disappoint. They are done in the oven, but hear me out they were AMAZING. I highly recommend you give them a try. It makes a lot so we had them for several days, but what the heck. Enjoy!

Knitting has been my stress release during the pandemic. I spent the first two months of lockdown making my son an afghan. It’s not exactly what he needs right now in the middle of the summer. But come winter he’ll be ready to get cozy under this. The repetition of this pattern was very soothing to me. I have been a knitter for years and tackled some complicated projects. This afghan was a rest for my mind and fingers. The pattern is called Meadow Lane. You can make it all one color or mix it up. I made stripes, each one on my blanket was one skein wide, no counting. It produced a bold asymmetrical design.