absorbing~

I've been silent here awhile.
I've been absorbing so many things.
With school done for awhile I've been reading a lot.  Some of it is for school starting in a few weeks, but also just reading for myself.
I've got a stacks, well, really several stacks, of books I'm pouring through.  Some are quick reads and just for entertainment, but many more are ones that must be read slowly to appreciate fully.  I've got books on what feels like every subject and more than I'll get through before I've got to return them to the library.  But that's ok.  I'm noting which are worth checking back out.
We also went to two book sales in the last three weeks.  One was completely free and the other was just donate as you wish.  Um, we might have taken too many.  Though the sellers were encouraging us to take even more.  That was a lot of fun.
The kids have been busy with learning to swim and I've found getting them to the lessons everyday to be a bit much.  We're done until September with formal lessons and I must confess to being glad.
I've taken two classes myself this summer one on cultivating mushrooms and the other on Holistic Land Management.  Both fascinating.  This afternoon was spent at a neighbor's who is a former art teacher.  She spent the afternoon doing art with us.
We've also been doing a lot with family and friends.  I've also picked up some work on the side and have a lot of Orchard House Farm products to put together.  I've sold out of some things completely after doing some sales from home and planning to participate in a big sale next month.  I also got a nice order yesterday for a bunch of gift baskets.  Very exciting for me!
Sweetheart and I also went away for our Anniversary weekend.  That's the first trip away just the two of us for more than a night in over ten years.  We had a wonderful time.
We actually have nothing planned for tomorrow and I am so glad.  It'll be the first full day at home in weeks.  It's weird after often going a week or more without leaving the house.
I'm trying to find the quiet moments where I can.  Some afternoons, it's sneaking off to the back to watch my friend, Skippy, from the picture above.  You have to be quiet and still to hang out with him.
Though the quiet moments can feel very few and far between, I'm relishing them.  Even this moment when the kids have run off to do something in the schoolhouse, I'm just sitting in the silence and relaxing.  It'll be short lived as I need to continue making dinner, but I just wanted to take the moment and share here in the all too quiet place.  But all is well.