beautiful day

I woke up this morning feeling relaxed and well rested after such a stressful Thursday (and the Friday recovery day). The dog and I spent a good part of the morning watching woodpeckers search for bugs in the grass and ants carry food twice the size of their bodies. After a while, I decided to go to the Shadow Art Fair in Ypsilanti. And then I decided to walk. So I put on the comfy shoes and hoped for no rain as I headed to Corner Brewery.

It's amazing how the same path traveled by car a million times can look so different when you're on foot. I noticed patches of wildflowers I'd never even seen before, even though they're right outside my neighborhood. And I got to watch a ladybug feeding frenzy on a plant infested with aphids. I ran into a woman picking mulberries from a tree in an overgrown area near the cemetery. Turns out she bikes down that road and collects berries a few times a week. I would have never noticed her or the mulberry tree if I had been in my car.

It took me 40 minutes to go 1.8 miles to the fair. And it was worth every step. While there, I absolutely fell in love with this pendant by Sarah Lynne Martin. Her faux enameling technique and attention to detail blew my mind. Exactly the crafty fix I was looking for.

All of her pendants are reversible. I fell in love with the yellow bird right away, but grinned even wider when I found the dandelion on the back.

After I got home (after another 40 minutes and 1.8 miles), I drank a huge glass of water and picked the last of our July raspberries for my cheesecake. Picking the last raspberries always makes me a little sad, but if the weather is good we'll get another bunch in the fall. But by then I'll be back at school...

Today was a good day.