Fireside Chat
The end of June was a whirlwind of activity, and heading into July shows no signs of slowing down. With the sun beating down and the atmosphere melting us at one hundred degrees, I thought I would take a breather inside and share some bite-sized updates for you.
Heart of the Country
This past weekend, Kathryn and I drove to her parents' farm. One functional reason for the trip was to get Kathryn's car repaired. It was suffering from a broken AC, a shuddering brake, and old oil. While our wayfaring Subaru was getting doctored, we got to celebrate Kathryn's cousin's son's second birthday... which was the main reason for the visit, of course!
Ridge stands at a proud two years old now, half the age of his older sister Dawson. He reminds me a lot of myself at his age: quiet, independent, and insatiably urged to play with excavators. I privately hoped he would follow his father's path into construction as we observed him eagerly scoot around his new toy tractor.
After all my years visiting the farm, this would become my first time actually assisting with the farm work. Most of the family was tidying up the party space (which had been buried under years of memories) while Kathryn's aunt and I tended to the chickens. It wasn't the most difficult task, but I thoroughly enjoyed learning how the birds were fed, watered, and relieved of their eggs.
The New World
One of our favorite local joints is called New World Cafe. We often spend our time here sipping on a seasonal brew and munching on their refreshing entrees. Kathryn and I spent our lunch break here, and I thought I would share the experience since it was my favorite order combination I have found at the establishment to date.
The drink is a "coco berry latte", AKA an iced latte infused with coconut and strawberry flavors. This pairs nicely with my favorite entree of 2026, the "protein bowl": an açaí base with coconut, strawberry, banana, blueberry, and granola. The flavor profile between beverage and bowl had obvious synergy, and suffice it to say it was devoured quickly in the hot day.
