Five Things To Be Happy About #2

We are starting to get into our summer groove here.  Or trying to, anyway.  My oldest daughter is volunteering at summer school for the elementary level kids in the morning.  She's the assistant teacher in a class called Helping our Community.  They plan and implement service projects every day.  Right up her alley.

 My youngest has found some books she really enjoys and has been doing "science experiments."  I have started my summer tutoring schedule.  When we aren't busy doing our own things, we have been enjoying the extra time together.  We've done some baking, gone on bike rides, gone out for ice cream after dinner, planted some new flowers ( hard to resist when they are all on clearance at the garden center! )  and played some games as a family.

I have been making slow progress on a few projects in the sewing room, but I'm not ready to blog about those things just yet.  Hopefully the next few days will bring me to that point.  For today, I'm content to share with you the things that have been making me happy this week.

Fresh picked strawberries.  We weren't able to pick them ourselves this week, but we found time between activities to swing in to the closest berry picking patch to a buy a few pints.  They were delicious!

And if you've got strawberries, might as well make a cheese cake!  My younger daughter has been asking to make one for a while.  She did most of it herself and did a great job!

My patio herb garden.  It's finally showing some growth!  The first sprouts got nipped by the birds, so I had to start over a few weeks ago.  I love having basil, cilantro, oregano  and chives (which wont grow this year!) to use in summer and fall.  The peppermint is new this year.  I love how it smells, but I'm not sure how to use it.  Any ideas?  (The plastic forks are an attempt to keep the birds out!)

Our small town library.  It's not much to look at, but in the summer, it becomes the social hub for many families.  I am there three days a week, tutoring, and I can't believe how many friends, neighbors and students I see.  The library has a ton of activities for kids and parents alike, all summer: craft days, book clubs, chalk drawing contests, Lego builds.  Yesterday, there was a magic show in the alcove, and the place was filled to the gills!  The staff is fantastic.  It's amazing how such a small place can make such a huge difference in our community!

A baby on a quilt.  This is Miss Emma, enjoying her quilt.  Chubby legs.  Baby toes. That smile!!


I hope your week was full of happy!  Please hop over to Gypsy Moon Quilt Co. to see Five more smiles from the week, and be sure to check out the comments.  Lots more bloggers are joining in on the fun!  Stop by the linked up blogs and let everyone know that their happiness makes you happy, too!

Next week I'll be back with some posts about my first t-shirt quilt, and about some international quilting projects I'm taking part in.  They are both really important and close to my heart.  I look forward to seeing you then!