Staycation

Life has been too busy to check email on a regular basis, much less write a blog entry. But today has been the slowest, most enjoyable day I have had in a very long time. My dear husband and his parents have the kids and I am home alone to do whatever the heck I want. So since a facebook status just can't contain all the bliss I have experienced today I will recap here briefly.

I came home from being gone four weeks to my vegetable garden in full production. A beautiful site to my eyes. I even have figs growing on my volunteer fig tree that really shouldn't be growing right at the water heater, but I can't bear to part with it. I have wanted a fig tree desperately for the last couple years and this one CAME TO ME, how can I get rid of it? We won't discuss the tragedy of it being hacked back last year just before the couple figs on it were ripe. But the tree grew back strong from a tiny stump and now towers as high as the house. We really are going to have to do something. I'm hoping we can somehow dig it out and salvage it, but not until after this fall.

The first thing I did when I got home was to take a shower. Then I sat in silence for 30 minutes just thinking and praying, then I laid down for 30 minutes. It was so blissful. When I got up I was raring to get out in the garden.

I picked an eggplant, yellow squash, lettuce, strawberries, sungold tomatoes, broccoli, colorful carrots, basil, green onions, mint, lavender, and a bouquet of roses. The food was so beautiful I had to take a picture-unfortunately I don't have the camera - daddy does - so it was on my phone and will not be posted here. The picture is of the brandywine tomatoes that I was very sad to leave 4 weeks ago because they would ripen without me. But another little miracle gift is that they never did! They waited for me. One of them is just starting to turn pink now and I hope to enjoy it in the next couple days. I made for lunch my improvised version of ratatouille adding only olive oil, salt, pepper, and a little cooking sherry to my eggplant, tomatoes, squash, onion & basil. I ate it over a bed of lettuce with a simple balsamic vinaigrette. Strawberries were dessert. It was amazingly wonderful to eat a meal I grew from seed. One of the most gratifying experiences I've had in a while.

I read a cooking magazine in the sun. Made mint sun tea. Made an appointment for a facial tomorrow to use a gift certificate I have. Then I read a book (Eat Pray Love) and took a nap.

I went to the store to pick up some milk and eggs and am now listening to the whir of the ice cream maker freezing lavender ice cream and straining my homemade ricotta cheese. Not sure what I'm making for dinner, but I need to use my carrots, broccoli and ricotta somehow... Eating local doesn't get any better than this. And I am not buying another food item till the family comes home.

I'm not sure how I will spend the rest of the time. But I am thinking about watching a movie and doing some hand quilting tonight.

Thank you honey! I needed this!

Bloomin

I've been enjoying the little pops of color showing up at my house. These plants that have been sitting by my doors looking like dead sticks for months are starting to bloom. I have been tempted a few times to pull them and throw them away, but with a little time, water (and some occasional coffee grounds) they've developed beautiful flowers. They made me think how God has patience with us, waters us from His word and His people, and even though we look or feel like dead sticks sometimes, He is faithful to produce blooms in our lives. My idea of what these blooms can be include compassion for others, little glimpses of His perspective on the world or people, the idea and ability to show acts of love or beauty.

Making Rainbows

I've been enjoying getting out and working in the garden a little more the past couple weeks. My poor excuse for a garden. It would be so much nicer if I just consistently watered it. So that's what I've been trying to do water and weed. While watering I've been loving making rainbows with the spray nozzle. I made a really sweet double rainbow the other day that made a complete circle - it was awesome. (I'm easily amused) While doing so I realized something I never had before - the two rainbows are mirror images of each other in the color order. I always thought rainbows only went from red on top to purple on bottom (ROYGBIV). You learn something new every day. Watering has been a very centering activity for me and I've had time to think about and consider things that the busyness of life doesn't afford. Like how rainbows are representative of God's promises (specifically His promise never again to flood the earth-but I like to think of all of His promises) and how He always keeps them. People can let us down but God never will. I also thought of promises I've made to him - my new covenant end of the bargain to love, love, love. How my promise to love is supposed to be a reflection of His, like the double rainbow. How I am so not perfect at loving and keeping promises, the way He is. And how I was made in His image. Today I was thinking of a neat concept I learned in Community Bible Study I had never heard before - part of our being made in His image is how we both have three parts. I have three parts - my body, soul, & spirit and He is the trinity of Jesus (the body), God the father (the soul) and the Holy Spirit. The most amazing part is that my spirit is also somehow the Spirit of God living in me. How I take that for granted and let my soul (my thoughts, personality, agenda, etc...) take over the actions of my body instead of letting the Spirit do the guiding. I have been given access to power that I am not usually even paying any attention to. If I did, I'm sure the loving part would come a lot more naturally.

By the way, I love Community Bible Study.

The photo above is not mine, just taken from Wikipedia.

Rainbows are one of those things that the beauty and majesty of which just cannot be captured in a picture.

A couple other random gardening thoughts - (1) We are soooo blessed to have water at our fingertips in this country. (2) Darn Adam & Eve for weeds. Childbirth I can handle - it's only a couple/few bad days in a woman's life. But weeds? come on....they don't quit!