Fresh Air Saturday

Had a beautiful day outside with the family today. I forgot how much I love this garden.

When people think of the public gardens in the Philadelphia area, most think of Longwood Gardens. If you're looking for a place to look at flowers all year long, that's certainly the best option, but honestly I always found it too commercialized. They have commercialized it to a science, and it feels like it.

But there's another, lesser known du Pont garden nearby: Winterthur. It's a spring garden, so even in the summer there's not many flowers to look at, but there's still lots to see.

A very thirsty butterfly | Photo by Me

That's not to say there weren't any flowers. And I loved seeing all the butterflies flitting about, as well. The kids loved chasing them. 

(No butterflies were caught or injured during our visit, although the one on the left was thirsty enough I was able to snag a pair of photos as it paused for a drink. This was the better of the two, and my favorite photo of flowers for the day.)

The weather was perfect. We'd made these plans almost two months in advance, but we couldn't have picked a better day if we'd tried.

My sister and me

It was great to see my sister, and to finally meet her fiance. She's been so busy with life and work and wedding planning, it was difficult to find a time when our schedules aligned.

I missed spending time with her. I wish we'd had even more time. (So did the kids, although they were getting tired toward the end).

I didn't get much writing or editing done today, but it's important to take breaks, too. (And on the editing side, I'm doing great! Hoping to hit a third of the way through, after the kids are in bed. Which I need to start working on, really soon. It's past their bedtime. Again.)

I'll be back to the grind tonight, and tomorrow, with any luck. I'm a chapter or two away from being a third of the way through my editing, and I'd love to finish by the end of the week. One of my editors has really helped with motivation, editing as I go along, which has been magnificent for me.

This book is going to be amazing when it's done. I can't wait to share it. I'm even more proud of it than I was after the first draft. I've grown as a writer since then, and it shows.

Thanks for all your support. I couldn't do this without you. The motivation, and knowing you care, helps so much!