Pancake Dinner

Some nights I make breakfast for dinner. In New Jersey, diners sell breakfast foods hot off the griddle nearly 24/7 so it's not a ludircrous idea to have pancakes in the evening. My sister came over a little before sundown and we flipped pancakes, bursting with blueberries, on a little outdoor stove. We topped them with powdered sugar. The blueberries popped with each bite leaving a trail of bright blue juice on our plates.

Salt water

On Memorial Day weekend while visiting friends in Bayville, I leapt off the dock in their backyard right into the lagoon. The taste of the salt water on my lips brought back memories from my childhood as I learned to swim in the lagoon when I was a toddler. Dad tied my life vest with a rope to the sailboat because I had a terrible habit of jumping off the side into the water. For whatever reason, maybe ignorance, I was never afraid of what might be swimming beneath me.

Fresh mulch

Freshly laid mulch has a distinct, earthy smell and bright hue that I find to be indicative of new beginnings. Parks are prepared for the little feet of young people ready to play, and manicured lawns await the season's blooms. My nostrils perk up whenever I walk past the first new mulch of spring.

Whipped heavy cream

Whipping heavy cream for dessert is well worth the extra effort, and anything but heavy. Before serving with a strawberry rhubarb pie, I grabbed the whisk with the residual cream and toted it around the backyard. Everyone dipped their fingers for a quick taste and while not the most sanitary, it was sweet. We're family anyway.

Finding a dollar in your laundry

A dollar and some change won't drastically change our circumstances but finding anything unexpected is a treat. Whether an indication of a lucky day/moment or half way to a chocolate bar from the vending machine, it beats not finding anything in your clean jeans.