The sun is waning, the tourists are gone, and i'm starting to enjoy living on the Cape again.


As anxious as i am for fall to arrive, i can't bring myself to begin celebrating it just yet. Pumpkins and candy corn are already lining the shelves in stores, but i'm resisting the urge to indulge. Their time will come, but not now. Not this year.


This year, September is a month to reflect for me. A lot has happened in the last year of my life. I left my apartment in Plymouth for one a little closer to my dreams on the Cape. I married my best friend. I got pregnant. And then there's all the inbetween stuff, like planting a garden, trying out new recipes, buying my first tent, rearranging the furniture in our house AGAIN, and bringing home more sea glass, shells and rocks than any two people should ever amass in a lifetime, nevermind a year.


Unfortunately, much of the inbetween stuff never gets photographed. I think this is true for most people, and i find it sad somehow. Most of the things we capture on camera are milestones or major events like birthdays and weddings and vacations. But these aren't the things that make up who we are. And these aren't the things that we will be remembered by when we pass away. No one will remember that amazing margarita we drank in Mexico, or that we swam with dolphins in Anguilla. They won't remember what hor d'oeuvres were passed at our wedding or who won playing limbo at a party. What they will remember is the smell of our skin after we've been hard at work in the garden all day, the way we made them laugh during bedtime stories, and that there was always a warm, sweet confection mysteriously waiting for them at home after a bad day at school.


Like anyone else, i might never be able to capture all of these kinds of moments on camera. But some of them do turn up, and in the spirit of reflection, here they are - snapshots of summer 2010.



Jeremy at a Red Sox game



Just one of many amazing treats we've discovered at our favorite bakery, Pies a la Mode. This thing is so good that i don't even remember what it's called. One bite and you'll instantly forget all your problems!



A handful of peas from Mom and Dad Brown's garden. We also scored a truckload of pickles, peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes and asparagus from them!



Our front door, and a great "free chair to loving home" chair that i ransacked from my favorite antique store, Salvage Chic Antiques. It hasn't done much since i stuck it there (aside from providing a lovely place to drop things like mail, groceries, etc. while we struggle with finding the right key to open the door), but i think you'll agree that it looks very happy in its new home!



A harvest of cucumbers from our own garden - SO much better than store-bought! We were also able to grow a few tomatoes, a zucchini and, currently, an acorn squash. Not bad considering our planting conditions!



This just says summer to me.

Dear Abby,

This weekend a hurricane passed through Cape Cod. Thankfully, we weren't affected much. There was a lot of wind and rain that night, but you remained blissfully unaware. Instead of being afraid of the storm, you happily indulged in your very first pomegranate - my first of the season. Pomegranates are best in November, but this one was still pretty good. I LOVE pomegranates. I also love Autumn, and i'm waking up more easily these days just knowing that it's almost here. My favorite season. I can't wait to share it with you.

You are moving around a lot these days. So far, though, you've been gentle with me. It doesn't hurt when you kick, and you seem to be resting enough. I am still fascinated every time i see my belly pop up and down with your movements. Daddy has been able to feel them, too, which makes me so happy. Usually this is in bed at night. During the day, it is harder to enjoy your antics. Every time i lift my shirt or remove a blanket from my belly to show him, you stop moving. It's almost as if you're doing it on purpose - like a game. Are you playing hide-and-seek with us? One thought that i had was that maybe you don't like the quick transition from darkness to sunlight. I think you rather enjoy being snug and warm in there. One of my co-workers suggested that you might be shy when you arrive into this world with your own personality. Whatever the reason, you are certainly keeping me entertained!

Right now you are the size of a papaya. The rate at which you are growing astounds me. It seems like just yesterday we were calling you our little blueberry! I don't know why the world likes to compare babies to fruit, but i'd much rather consider you a peach or banana than a rusty nail or a telephone! They are nice examples. Still, i wish it were possible to get an ultrasound of you every time we see our midwife. Nothing compares to watching you stretch and swim on that screen - except, i imagine, seeing it all happen in person. Daddy will tell you, i am very anxious for this. We both are. There has never been a more exciting wait for anything in our lives than this wait to meet our little girl.

I pray for you every day. I hope you are safe, healthy, and happy.

Love,
Mommy