Raising children is a lot like eating a dark chocolate bar studded with nuts and nibs and lots of bumpy things. It’s a delicious, savor-worthy, bittersweet experience that’s not always smooth sailing. Yesterday my husband and I dropped our daughter off at college. What a beautiful, exciting day! She’s completely ready to enter this new phase of life, and I am beyond delighted for her. She’s pursuing her passions and ready to take on the world. It’s anybody’s guess when she’ll join us again for “TV time” in the evening or leave her dirty pots and pans on the stove, and that feels a tiny bit unsettling. Don’t get me wrong…I’m not going to miss cleaning up after her, but I will really miss her buoyant, girl boss energy and her ability to crack me up on the daily the way few other people can.

Our teenage son (also a yummy human) is still our housemate, and he will most certainly do his part to make things seem normal for me by leaving a few dishes around. This is oddly comforting. Today she FaceTimed us, all bubbly and excited to tell us about what’s new since last we saw her. Life is good and I am grateful.

Moms and Dads who’ve been through this before are offering me encouragement and praise, and I know that this is exactly the way I hoped things would go when I brought home that tiny baby almost nineteen years ago. It all seems very weird and wonderful right now, and I thank you for the good vibes I feel you sending me as you read my news! 

From its inception, I’ve referred to Barometer Chocolate as my third child, and I wonder now if part of me created it with so much love because this is the one child that can be my baby forever and ever, even as the human babies grow and leave the nest. All I can say is thank goodness for chocolate, which reminds me, I’ll need to send my darling “Little Bird” (yes, that’s what I call her) a lovely craft chocolate care package in the next week or so…

Now, how about you? How has your summer been so far? Do you need a care package? Though I’ve been super busy with mom life for the past few months, I have brought a few new items into the shop such as the Limited Edition bars from Fruition: Dominican Nacional 74% and the Bolivia Beniano Tranquilidad 66%. There are also the chocolate enrobed almonds and dried cherries from Dick Taylor.  

Stay tuned, my friend. As the weather starts to cool down, I look forward to welcoming a lovely lineup of bars from craft chocolate maker Goodnow Farms. Are you familiar with this magnificent small-batch chocolate made on a 225 year-old farm in Massachusetts? If not, I hope you’ll give it a try!

Do you have a favorite dark chocolate bar or treat from my collection? If so, please give it a shout out and tell me why you love it. The first Barometer Chocolate care package to my vegan daughter will be a compilation of customers’ favorites!

Wishing you and yours smooth sailing ahead, if that’s what floats your boat, with just enough dirty dishes scattered about to keep things real and homey!