Thursday, March 22, 2012

New Growth

Grape tomato seedlings in my kitchen windowsill.  To the left is a photo of me with my grandmother in 1965.




My boxwood in an urn.  My urn is looking a little chippy.  I might have to pull out the black spray paint.  Although I sort of like it that way.


Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Saturday, March 17, 2012

In the Kitchen


This morning I filled the crock pot with vegetables and stew meat.  I decided to not make it a chore like I usually do.  I didn't procrastinate and say "Oh I don't have time to do all that.  We'll have that meal another day."  No, today, I decided to take my time and find some joy in the mundane.

I peeled the carrots first.  The little slivers of peel came off so easily as I slid the blade across the carrots.  It was so pleasing to see the rough exterior give way to bright orange carrot underneath. "What a pretty color," I thought.  After cutting potatoes and onions, I mixed everything with the meat and seasonings, added a can of bright red tomatoes and put the lid on the crock pot and congratulated myself for planning ahead.



I remembered the almost overly ripe strawberries in the refrigerator.  I'd better wash them so we'll eat them today before they spoil.  I took out a fresh cutting board and a clean knife.  How pretty the green leaves were against the red berries.  I almost hated to separate them.  I halved the berries, sprinkled a little sugar on them, put a lid on the bowl, and set them on the table.

We once lived in a town known for its strawberry farms and annual strawberry festival.  I learned there that room temperature berries taste best so I left mine on the table so the sugar could draw out the juices.

Hmm..maybe we need to plan a visit to our former town in May and buy berries directly from the farmers.  Until then there's a little bowl of strawberry goodness shipped from Florida waiting for us on the table.

Friday, March 16, 2012

God-Glories



As I sat down in the "reading chair,"  I noticed the view outside the west-facing windows in the living room.  The silhouettes of the trees formed a stark contrast to the graduated colors of gold and black.  Gold and black?  How odd.  Sunsets are purple, pink, orange, and red.  As the sun set further, I saw purples join with pinks to overwhelm the gold.  I tried to look back down at my book and concentrate on the words, but it was no use.  I just wanted to stare at the window.  The colors were changing every few seconds.  The phone rang.  Phil said "Go look out the front door.  There's a beautiful rainbow.  Then go look out the back door."  The rainbow formed a large arch that seemed to loop over our neighborhood.  What a pretty way to welcome the evening.

It's Thursday, but not just any Thursday.  It's a spring break night and that means we will stay up late watching various mysteries and detective stories from England.  We have so much fun trying to solve the case before the fictional detectives.

So it's been a great day...God-glory viewed right outside my house and God-gifts (my family) nestled together enjoying each other's company.