In The Pipeline

How’s your week been? I spent the day timing hurdles at Sports Day (aka Field Day in the US). It was first time I can remember ever wearing Uggs, a scarf and mittens on Field Day. But I kept having to take my gloves off to push the timing button. I’ve been home now for an hour with a hot water bottle in my lap and my fingers have almost thawed.

Also, Simon hated the whole day because here’s the thing about Sports Day: It’s mostly for people who, you know, like sports. We’ve only got one Chino in the house who likes sports, the organized kind. The rest of us would rather just go for a walk.

But no worries because Y’all! Simon and I are leaving this weekend for Mauritius!!!

(Pinch me, please!)

Seriously, I am headed off to a place that a year ago I did not even know existed and that I still know very little about.

But here’s what I know. THEY HAVE SUNSHINE!

Is it possible to O.D. on Vitamin D? Because I am TOTALLY going to stay out in the hot sun for every possible minute of every day. And I understand if you need to unfollow me for the week on Instagram and Twitter because you know that every time I have internet, I will be all, “OH MY GOODNESS, THE SUN. AND THE BEACH. AND THE SUN!”

I cannot wait to wear a skirt. And short sleeves. And my chacos!! In Arkansas it already the season for being almost naked for most of the time and I’m sitting here with my chin barely showing in jeans and a fleece.

Anyways here are some links for your weekend! Quite a few of them are vacation-themed, which was just my subconscious working.

The lead photo for this post is from a fellow travel blogger’s recent post about Mauritius!

Swooning over these images of a long lost honeymoon in England (via skimbaco)

Y’all know what a sucker I am for a free trip contest! Here’s one I would LOVE to win.

Here’s another one for New Zealand (Ben’s dream destination. How great would it be to win this for his milestone trip!)

Let’s all go to Georgia, the country.

I already know I love long walks, but now I’m curious about long bike rides? Here’s a few tips from someone who biked all the way across the US.

A great essay on my very favorite book on writing by Anne Lamott. (I used quotes from this  essay in my story this week!)  And speaking of Anne, she left the best post ever on her FB page last week about letting go of what people think about you. One of many favorite excerpts:

Oh my God, what if you wake up some day, and you’re 65, or 75, and you never got your memoir or novel written; or you didn’t go swimming in warm pools and oceans all those years because your thighs were jiggly and you had a nice big comfortable tummy; or you were just so strung out on perfectionism and people-pleasing that you forgot to have a big juicy creative life, of imagination and radical silliness and staring off into space like when you were a kid? It’s going to break your heart.

I PROMISE you I will be swimming in warm water next week without a second thought about my jiggly thighs!

Also from Brainpicker, a beautifully illustrated edition of Song of Myself. I should totally get this for my kids because we all just finished reading Paper Towns.

My husband currently inhabits a world full of mostly men in the divinity department at Kings College, so I appreciated this take from the brave woman who studies among them.

This stresses me out but I’m not sure what the solution is. Ditto this.

My friend Jacob Slaton has started a Behind the Scenes youtube series on how he edits his photos. Watching them has given a new mad respect for the art of photography, about which I actually know almost nothing. Seriously.

Happy Official First Weekend of SUMMERTIME!

PS Are you planning a fun holiday weekend camp out or cookout for Memorial Day?  Or perhaps someone just asked you to bring a side dish?  Might I suggest a few things?  Here are some past recipes and menus that would look great on your picnic table on this opening weekend of summer!

Camping Menus: A week’s worth of great food to make on the go.  Adaptable to picnics as well.

Tailgate Menu: I know it’s not football season, but hanging out at the lake and tailgating are VERY similar.  This menu would work for either.

Side Dishes: Cole Slaw, Colorful Summer Salad with Peppers and Edamame, Sesame Kale Salad, Crunchy Church Picnic Salad, Chop Chop Salad, Lemon Basil Garden Salad

Fancy Hot Dog Party or a Front Porch Hot Dog Picnic.

Oh and while you’re outside, you might want to fight off the bugs with your own Homemade Insect Repellent!