This Week at Acorn Hill
July 27-Aug 2, 2026
It’s nice to see you again.
Monday
A trip to Six Flags. Not exactly my natural habitat, but it does make me feel like a good mom. Two teenage boys happy. One exhausted mom. Nothing a cup of tea and an episode of The Great British Bake Off can’t fix.
Tuesday
I can certainly tell who is the most popular girl in the garden: Ms. Anise Hyssop. At any given time, I see at least twenty bees dancing around her. Just as I begin counting, a monarch butterfly swoops by. This is exactly the type of day I needed after yesterday.
Wednesday
There's that feeling in the air that it could pour at any minute. It’s every gardener’s dream. I open all the windows and wait for the first drop.
The birds are chirping away. I wonder what they say to one another before a rainstorm. Do they feel as cozy in their nest as I do in my home?
I can feel the humidity rising, waiting for it to be washed away. There is nothing better than a summer rain in late July.
By the afternoon it is pouring down. The fairy lights create a warm glow against the gray skies. It feels like the perfect excuse to tuck myself into a corner at Starbucks with a book. I order my first chai latte and I’m in love. Autumn is on its way. As I sit there and read about wild women, I feel content.
Thursday
Don’t know if it’s a cold coming on or allergies. Whatever it is, I’m down for the count.
Friday
Friday is houseplant watering day and each room is full of them. The pothos is climbing around the window, while the aloe pups are kicking the mama plant out of the pot. Why does this feel strangely familiar?
Saturday
The cold won’t let go of me, and I’m desperate to get back to the garden. I manage to water my plants and deadhead my calendula before I have to sit down. A bunny scurries away into the yellow loosestrife and hides. I tell her it’s okay. She’s welcome here.
There’s a house up the street that was bought and bulldozed, along with many mature trees. I walk past and see an empty bird’s nest lying amongst the rubble.
Sunday
On today’s menu:
Herb & Lemon Roast Chicken
Butter-Braised Leeks
Roasted Carrots
Arugula with Lemon Vinaigrette
Apple & Blackberry Crumble with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
I put on my apron and dust off my tabletop apple peeler and corer. It hasn’t been used since last autumn. It’s time to make apple and blackberry crumble for dessert.
In a bowl I mix Granny Smith and Honeycrisp apples with blackberries, brown sugar, flour, spices (making sure I grab the cinnamon and not the coriander by mistake), lemon, and a pinch of salt.
I steal an apple from the bowl. Delicious.
The crumble topping is scattered over the mound of fruit before the dish disappears into the oven.
Next come the carrots and leeks. Lots more peeling and chopping. I head out to the garden with my snips and cut a big handful of lemon thyme for the braised leeks and to make the compound butter for the chicken.
I find a box of stovetop stuffing in the cupboard and decide to make that as well. Because why not have all the trimmings, even if it is August?
The chicken is lovingly tucked into the oven, ready to turn golden.
James is at a trampoline park with a friend, so tonight it’s just me and Ger around the table. It feels like a little glimpse into our future when we’re empty nesters.
Until our next cup of tea,
Abby