Good Evening Friends!

I hope you all are doing well. How is your summer going? Around here I have been soaking up good books, cooking up delicious food, and basking in the slow pace of summer. Here on the California coast PRIDE month is in full swing and in our house we go all out for PRIDE! (Daddy is non-binary, I am non-binary, and our kiddo is lesbian so needless to say… we are a very rainbow household lol!). This past week I have been able to relax and reflect on the meaning of love. We express love in so many ways. We share love and compassion in many things big and small. In honor of PRIDE month here are some ways I have been feeling (and giving!) love around me this past week:

🌈I enrolled my daughter in an 8 week course (that she had been so wanting to complete) over LGBTQIA+ studies with a Sociology professor. It was expensive and she was expecting me to say no. But I said yes and watched her eyes light up as I showed her the accepted enrollment form.

🌈Normally the chickens on the farm eat pellet feed. But today I gave them a watermelon and sat there as they relished the sweet, juicy fruit. It made me smile.

🌈Daddy and I finally figured out how to keep the sugar ants away from the Hummingbird feeder. In his own little way, Mr. Hummingbird flew right up to our open window and gave a soft click of “thanks” as he hovered right in front of us. It made us swoon.

🌈Heading into the bank I noticed an older woman racing towards the door. I got to the door first and held it open for her. She blinked in surprise at my kindness and then smiled. “I’m in such a hurry!” she muttered before dashing inside. I was happy to let her go ahead and make her day a tiny bit brighter.

🌈Browsing in the library this morning a little girl came up to me and complimented my rainbow hoodie. I smiled and thanked her before complimenting her on her own purple, “Tangled” shirt. She grinned and ran back to her Mommy. “You raised quite the young lady” I said softly to the Mom. The woman beamed in pride at me and nodded her thanks.

🌈Rolling into the car wash with Daddy we always enjoy seeing the splash of rainbow suds against the car windows. This time I cranked up the music to rock out as the machine washed our car clean. We had a blast together!

Love is all around you. I encourage everyone to slow down and enjoy those magical, little moments that make life so worthwhile. How have you felt love around you lately? I’d love for you to comment and share your own experiences!

This afternoon I was nestled up with the family as we watched, “Street Food: Asia” on Netflix. All of us were (admittedly) drooling over the freshly cooked food. We wanted to leap through the screen and taste the Cebuano treats. As the woman on the screen fried pork lumpia I pressed pause on the remote control. “That’s it” I declared, “we’re going to the Filipino market to get some lumpia”. Daddy and kiddo looked at me. “Now?” they asked. I nodded, and everyone scrambled to the car to head off on our spontaneous adventure.

Little did I know that a vintage car show was going on in the beach town next to ours, so as we came closer towards the Filipino market all of the roads were blocked and detoured, creating a chaotic mess! There was no way we could find parking and get the lumpia. “Shall we head home?” Daddy asked. I shook my head. “Let’s head to the beach” I said, “I’m craving some adventure”. Now, most tourists who come to our town always make a beeline for the beaches. And the beaches are great, don’t get me wrong, but there are small, local-only spots that really stand out here on the California coast. One such place is my favorite harbor tucked away on the Northernmost part of the coast. It’s a harbor that is known for sailing (not sunbathing).

With the windows rolled down, a cold, ocean breeze on our face, and the sun shining brightly we made our way along the single two-lane road towards the harbor. Sailboats anchored to mooring balls dotted the deep, blue water. My daughter always loves to point out each boat and ask me what type they are. Today was no different and the Captain was grinning as he listened to the banter.

Kiddo: What’s that one?

Me: A monohull

Kiddo: What’s that one?

Me: A fishing boat with trolling poles for nets.

Kiddo: What’s that one?

Me: A catamaran

Kiddo: I didn’t know we have PIRATES here!!

Me: …. huh?

Sure enough, it was as if The Black Pearl had anchored in our harbor just as we arrived to see it. With my mouth agape I looked over at my Daddy and saw him shocked and ecstatic too. We snapped a picture for you all to see.

“That DOES look like a pirate ship!” I said to my daughter and we both had a belly laugh. We walked along the pier and watched pelicans fly overhead. My eyes twinkled as seagulls soared overhead before landing on a tied up dinghy, as if claiming it for their own. But the thing that makes this harbor so special is that it is the place where the giant harbor seals come to hang out!

Oh how they were barking and flopping along the work dock! We stood on the pier giggling and admiring these adorable creatures. While I was “big” on the outside, I was definitely “little” on the inside as I was surrounded by the place I love the most: the ocean. I have come to learn how to feel both big and little at the same time. There are moments when you will need to be in your adult headspace and unable to regress, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t tap into your inner little and experience the pure joy, innocence, and wonder that your inner little feels. For me, being out on the water with the wind in my face, always makes my inner little feel happiest. I hope you’re giving yourself plenty of moments to feel both big and small and embrace your beautiful, unique self! 🌈🤩

Alright my friends, that’s it from me for this post. I hope you all enjoyed it. If you did, hit that like button and let me know. Smash that follow button if you’re new around here, and I will see you back here for the next topic.

Much love,

~Penny x