Hello, August.

I know everyone always says this, but I can't believe August is actually here. I spent so much of July wishing for its end so Mike and I could visit Georgia, then for August so we could move into our new apartment. After much anticipation, it's strange to look around and see those things in the past and in the present.

We got the keys to our new place on Tuesday and promptly started moving things in. Mike took advantage of his days off moving boxes over while I was at work. Today he's in Western Mass getting the rest of his stuff from storage and tomorrow is our last push and Ikea run. I can't believe it! I'm so excited to get started making curtains and getting settled.

Our trip to Georgia was relaxing and all too quick, as usual. There just isn't enough time to split between my grandparents' house and my sister's. We did some sightseeing in Senoia where they're filming The Walking Dead, ate lots of my mom's good cooking, and played Guess Who? countless times. I'm so happy these days, so filled with love and excitement for everyday.

Hello, August. Hello our first (and possibly last) trip to the beach. Welcome, first apartment and days of just us. Dinners on the back porch, bike rides to Walden Pond, feverish sewing and settling, early mornings, a new writing routine, a farm wedding, camping, and that urgent, tugging feeling that summer-is-almost-over-let's-do-all-we-can-to-slow-it-down.

And now--and instadump.

My Day in Instagrams: Working From Home Edition

I head south of the Mason-Dixon tomorrow for the holidays, so today is spent antsy to be done with work and waiting. So excited for the days to come, for the kind of relaxation that can only happen when you are home in the company of those that share your DNA, for better or worse. I'm excited for Mike to meet my family, to have so many aspects of my personality explained, amplified. And I'm excited for my family to meet the man that has made this past year so different than all the others that came before. I'm ready, again, for the two lives I've lived to come together, if only for a while, as one, for better or worse.

This is what an antsy day of working from home looks like.

 A little midafternoon snack of cider donuts from Randall's Farm in Ludlow and hot coffee.

 Patiently waiting for water to boil. 

 My life these days. 

 Leftovers from a dinner party. 

 The late afternoon sun. 

The teapot and stove are still clean! A Christmas miracle!

Follow me on Instagram at myarbrough. 

On skies, siblings, and peanut butter

This sky woke me up this morning:

On top of that, I just received a text message from my mom (we're officially in the future, ladies and gents) that my brother is going to be in Georgia for Christmas! The last time my siblings, my mom, and I were all in a room together was over twenty years ago. I'm tearing up just thinking about it: A Christmas! With my mom! And my sisters! And my brother! Most people don't even realize I have a brother. I do have a younger sister, whom I haven't seen in as many years, who won't be making it. Still, it's miraculous.

On another note, I made this tonight:

Mike and I went to a Craft Fair in the town where he teaches Thanksgiving weekend, and a lady was selling little cups with a layer of peanut butter (I used Reese's chips), a layer of chocolate (Nestle's dark chocolate), and peanuts on top. Super easy and super delish.

Why I Wish You Were Here

I moved to Boston from Georgia in January 2007, and I haven't looked back. I've long since accepted that the northeast is where I want to build my life, but it doesn't make it any easier to be so far from those I love. Today I'm missing my family, especially my adorable niece.

Dear Mak,

Today (and most days) I wish you were here to bake cookies with me, tell me to wait my turn, and laugh when I dance like a goofball (rather than stare blankly like all these adults do). You are so filled with joy, it's near impossible not to be joyful around you. 

Lovelove,

Auntie Mel