What Summer Had to Say

An anthology.

Hello there! And welcome to Dandelion Seeds, an illustrated newsletter in search of the magic in everyday moments.

One day near the beginning of June, I went on a walk through one of our local parks in Antwerp. It wasn’t officially summer yet, but already the world felt different.

I got to thinking then, about everything that had spoken to me in the spring — the daffodils and crocuses, the blackbirds and evergreens — and I said to myself:

This summer did speak to me, but not quite in the way I expected it to. 

I expected to find inspiration in the natural world once again — perhaps in the poppies that grew along every roadside, or in the swifts that filled our sky every night.

Instead, what’s most inspired me over the past few months has been learning about summer rhythms and rituals in our new home here in Belgium, and there’s often a new word in Dutch to go with it.

Strandbloemen.

Seizoensfruit.

And, my favorite word of all, vakantie.

Today, I wanted to bring my summer stories together in one place, into a kind of anthology for the season we’re saying goodbye to this week.

It’s called “What Summer Had to Say,” and if there’s someone you know who might enjoy this collection, please feel free to send it their way, too.

With love, 
Candace