Wolfpeople: 365 | hearts rolling in, taken back on the tide; we're balanced together, ocean upon the sky

Monday 18 July 2016 | My mother briefly had this boyfriend I hated whose birthday was exactly a week after hers, the 18th of July. I loathed him, and I resent the fact that I think about him on this day every year. Here is a photo of a caterpillar species destroying my tomato plants.

Friday 22 July 2016 | Literally drove out to Franklin Street to fill out a job application in person. Dressed up all funky/professional, sweated, presented myself well despite the sweat (I thought). Never even got a call for an interview. This is the thing about looking for jobs I find just soul crushing--the massive amounts of impersonal rejection.

Saturday 23 July 2016 | I can't paint my nails because dirt.

Sunday 24 July 2016 | Shirtless Summer Bubba Babies.

Wednesday 27 July 2016 | In the evenings, I've been sitting with Mads on the back deck and we both paint. Neither of us have the skills (he: yet, me: never) to paint much more than brush strokes, but I've found smearing these colors on paper to be incredibly therapeutic and meditative.

Friday 29 July 2016 | What I really wanted to ask at the end of this interview was, "Is this place haunted?" I thought better of it, though.

Thursday 4 August 2016 | Morning.

Thursday 4 August 2016 | Afternoon.

Saturday 6 August 2016 | No summer is complete without a day by the lake.

Wednesday 10 August 2016 | The view on our open-air rickety birthday train ride. Mads spent much of the ride telling me, "Mommy, I don't want to do this again." Today is my father-in-law's birthday, and I wish we could spend the day with him.

Friday 12 August 2016 | Took Mads on a long walk as the sun was setting, and I admit I was downright spooked by the time I'd made it back to the car. I've read too many stories--I'm both drawn to and frightened by deep, dark woods. (And these ones are not even particularly deep or dark.)

Tuesday 16 August 2016 | It is Sierra's birthday, but that didn't keep Ella's dollies from misbehaving.

Friday 19 August 2016 | This guy appeared early in the morning, stuck to the outside of Martigan's window. We see toads (of varying sizes) out in the yard all summer, and I catch and cup them between my hands to show a delighted but wary Mads. I've never before seen a little green frog like this one on our property. It seemed a good omen, and frog medicine has much to do with healing and rebirth, which I've needed more than I've let myself admit.