Summer of 2013, we went to see my mother-in-law while she was staying in the Poconos. I remember having fresh-baked keks (Russian sweet bread) and watermelon out on the back deck while giving peanuts to  the chipmunks and watching the birds

The photos below remind me of the day I made this mushroom soup. I remember one moment vividly – looking at the clock, seeing it was 4:30 pm, and thinking, “Really? How did that happen?” I still needed to take a shower,