It’s the weekend!

After a very busy work week, I’m looking forward to some relaxing time at the beach and a good book.

Enjoy this last weekend of July. Stay cool.

Tom and I have an added incentive for taking our lunchtime walks. We’ve been stopping along the way to pick wild blueberries. There’s nothing like a handful of fresh summer blueberries.

Here’s what I have for you this weekend.

• I’m a Short Afternoon Walk and You’re Putting Way Too Much Pressure on Me — Speaking of walking, this might make you smile. (McSweeney’s)
• Last week I gathered enough blueberries to make a batch of Blueberry Sourdough Scones. (Sea Salt and Sailor Stripes)
• Sharing two books I recently enjoyed reading:
  • My Kitchen Year — Ruth Reichl takes us on a journey through the year after Gourmet magazine suddenly closes and Reichl finds herself out of a job. As she tries to cope with the loss of her job and former colleagues, Reichl cooks her way through her grief and deliberates her next career move. She shares her recipes along the way. I can’t wait to cook them. (IndieBound)
  • Beach Read — This was the perfect beach read! Two writers with writer’s block spend the summer living next to each other. One writes rom-com, the other writes darker fiction. They make a deal to each write a book in the other’s genre and to take each other on outings related to those genres – think drive-in movies versus interviews with former cult members. (IndieBound)
• How to Read: A Guide to Getting More Out of the Experience — Tips for getting the most out of reading. (The Guardian)
• Oxygenate the Family Unit — I really get the idea of “oxygenating” the family unit. When our son was young, we were lucky to live next door to Tish and Bob. Their home was filled with laughter, music and fun. As an only child of two older parents who worked a lot and had a somewhat quiet life, Louis was able to spend many happy hours with a family that played games, served great home-cooked meals and laughed often and boisterously. We loved going there too! (The Cut)
• Almond Overnight Oats — This is an easy and delicious summer breakfast. (Sea Salt and Sailor Stripes)
• Goodness: She just got accepted to medical school. She’s 13. — What an inspiration Alena is! (The Washington Post)

About the photo: Wild blueberries picked from our blueberry bushes.