Blue skies smiling at me, nothing but blue skies...........

Thank you, Rebecca, for letting me use this awesome picture! I really love it.

Last night was a great night - I thought I would share about it. Sosie and Sage had friends over. The younger kids went swimming while the older kids hung out. We all watched a thought provoking show and then relaxed together and watched HGTV before bed. Simple but yet great. I went to bed feeling immensely grateful for my world. I am not rich. I do not live in the biggest house with the biggest and bestest toys but I am so grateful for what I do have.

I saw this on Facebook recently. It comes from various websites (the-open-mind.com being 1) and I think was written by Jade Small. This seems like a more reasonable definition of success and ones I am still working on at 43 years old for sure.

You are actually living a good life by recognizing these 25 signs:

1. Your relationships are less dramatic than they use to be.

2. You may not have as much money as you want but you live a rich life.

3. You're not afraid to ask for help and support.

4. Where you live feels like home.

5. You’ve raised your standards.

6. You let go of things that don’t make you feel good.

7. You have moments where you appreciate who you see in the mirror.

8. You're working on limiting your inner critic and consciously choosing more positive thoughts.

9. You’ve learned that setbacks and failure are part of self-growth.

10. You have a support system that includes people who would do anything for you.

11. You hear “I love you” often, from friends, family or a partner.

12. You've accepted what you can’t change, but change what you can’t accept.

13. You don’t complain much, but instead focus on solutions.

14. You don’t blame your parents, and accept them for who they are.

15. You stopped caring about what others think of you.

16. You're happy for your exes when they move on.

17. You can celebrate others' successes.

18. You allow yourself to feel your feelings and are comfortable sharing them.

19. You have passions that you pursue.

20. You're able to accept compliments without deflecting.

21. You have things to look forward to.

22. You have goals that have come true.

23. You have empathy for others.

24. You feel connected to your work.

25. You love deeply and open yourself up to be loved by others.

Last night, we all watched a bit of the Jane Elliott, A Class Divided documentary. If you haven't seen it, it is absolutely worth the watch. The link I posted on Facebook is 55 minutes long but the crux of it is about 15-20 minutes. If you are not a Facebook user, you can go to You Tube and type in what I wrote above. Worth every minute. I have seen this documentary several times and I never cease to be amazed by the courage of the teacher, Jane Elliott, the tough lessons learned by the students and the lasting impressions she made on them. The girls and I have been having many conversations lately about race and this video fit in very well with those conversations. It is a video that inspires discussion with adults and children alike.

Time to put on The Boxer, version by Mumford and Sons and get cooking!

Last night I made this soup and we had grilled paninis along with it. YUM!

Green Minestrone, from Bon Appetit in June
6T, olive oil, divided
1 leek, white and pale green parts only, chopped
1/2 small fennel bulb, finely chopped (I used all)
1/2 small yellow onion, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
4 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth (I used 5 cups chicken broth)
2 small carrots, peeled, thinly sliced lengthwise on a mandolin (I used 3 carrots and chopped)
1 cup fresh shelled peas or fava beans (from about 1 lb pods) or frozen. (I used flash frozen fresh peas)
kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup fregola, ditalini or other tiny pasta
1 1/2 cups (lightly packed) fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves (I used 2 cups)
1/2 shallot, finely chopped (I forgot)
2 red pearl onions or 1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced
Shaved Parmesan for serving

Heat 2T oil in large heavy pot over medium heat. Cook leek, fennel, yellow onion, and celery, stirring occasionally, until softened but not taking on any color, about 5 minutes.

Add broth; bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are just tender, 10-15 minutes.

Add carrots and peas and simmer until carrots are just tender, about 5 minutes. season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally until al dente.  Drain and add pasta to soup.

While pasta is cooking, process parsley and remaining 4T oil in a food processor to a coarse paste, transfer to a small bowl and mix in shallot. Season pesto with salt and pepper.

Serve soup topped with pesto, onions and Parmesan.

Enjoy and have a really happy day!!!