pink grapefruit sorbet, take 2

my crafty boys came up with this amazing dessert

for a humid night

homemade pink grapefruit sorbet,

garnished with fresh raspberries and mint,

served in the grapefruit halves

Exploring picturesque Belfast recently, we were directed to the Three Tides, a brewery and eatery right on the water. Atmosphere totally funky and awesome, with a sailcloth awning, and a variety of lampshades strung along the upper deck.

Bocce court down below, with a fire pit and movie house seats. If you are into oysters, they have them; for myself, I prefer to stay away from food items that have the consistency of snot. There are lots of small plates to share, salads, and the crabmeat and avocado quesadilla was excellent.

The gardens have enjoyed the recent bouts of sun. These photos are from a trip down to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, rendezvous-ing with my mom to get our kids back. (Oh, did I not mention we were kid-less for three whole nights?!)

This boy is looking bigger and bigger these days. From June 5th to July 17th he grew 1.5"! And I'm feeling like I am seeing this shimmer of his teen self coming through, flickering in his expressions and his body language.

A tricky time to be a person. And a tricky time to be a mom. He still has that twinkle and for that, I am grateful.

I have a chicken in a box in my air conditioned bedroom, recouperating from a sprained ankle (or bird equivalent). This is Mavis the Bravest, always canny and smart right from when I first met her, and she's one of our new girls (about 8 weeks old). She managed to snag her foot between two boards but everything seems to be facing the right direction, just a bit swollen. She's better today, limping but perky when I took her outside this afternoon for her airing.

And stay tuned for a new favorite tee-shirt...