To Do List

I have so many thoughts...contemplations meandering through my mind. Some of them full of hope and promise--running wild with happiness and then some that drift sadly to rest at the bottom of my heart...sediment I need to shake up and get rid of. The past few days have been an emotional wake. While I tend to do well during stressful times and keep a positive and encouraging frame of mind, that doesn't mean at some point I don't need to deal with the weight that fills me up. Last Friday my mother-in-law was diagnosed with a rare disease--hardening of the lungs. Have you ever heard of this? The doctors have given her only two years at the most to live. This comes as quite a shock to us as she seems fairly healthy now, with only the average aging ailments to burden her. She's made a "bucket list," so my husband is going to take time off from work to travel with her a few places to accomplish those things she wants to do. I think we all have a bucket list, but what we don't have is a pre-determined time frame in which we need to get everything finished...well, maybe we DO have the time frame, we just don't have knowledge about it. I don't think I would want to know, would you?


There is so much to be thankful for in the every day and no matter what kind of "bucket list" we have it seems to me that our efforts should be grounded in our spiritual attempt to bring the very best of ourselves to God. If we were to lay a gift at His feet we would make certain it was the best of what we had...maybe not the best available, but the very best WE could offer. Shouldn't this be how our lives are lived? Instead of chasing quantity and training our minds to praise God for our tangible blessings, shouldn't we praise Him by the quality of time we fill each moment up with? Imagine offering Him a moment of silence filled with your own deep appreciation of all the unique observations you've been able to experience. I think He'd rather like that - knowing our capacity for love included the very experiences He gifts us with daily. It's strange for me to think about my own mortality. I naturally feel the urge to want to accomplish whatever I have let slip by the wayside or have been unable to do, but part of me also feels an acute need to just be silent and enjoy the every day just as it has been given to me. I do have a "bucket list" but I think I'd rather it be termed something more innovative and renewable to reflect the living aspect...to do for the sake of joy instead of because time is running out. The latter is a given.

Life is short. Be happy.

love that winter citrus!

I recently discovered this Asian fruit. It's very similar to a grapefruit, but sweeter and not quite as bitter and it is very juicy. It's called a Pomelo. At first I thought it was a Mexican fruit because of how it was displayed in the grocery store, but I was mistaken. I couldn't believe its size! When I looked it up, one site claimed they can get as large as a basketball...imagine! They are quite tasty (if you like grapefruit). They are rather difficult to peel because they have such a thick, spongy rind, so cutting through the membranes and slicing off the pithy areas works best. I love winter citrus...oranges, lemons, tangelos, and now pomelos...I tend to discover new things that people have known about forever, so this may not be news to you, but I was pretty excited. One can never get enough vitamin C in the winter months. Oh, and about the lemon in your water at restaurants...check this out. Perhaps it is best to add lemon to your water when you are home!

Sidenote on Homeless Project: Earl and I keep missing each other, but I now have a contact (via Craig's list) in TN helping me locate his family and she seems to think we are close. I've been told he is communicating better. I've made Valentine's Day our goal to get him home and I have his traveling expenses covered (he just doesn't know it yet). Yesterday everyone was subdued, they lost one of their own to alcohol poisoning and it was a shocker for me. Her name was Rose and when I first met her I noticed she didn't look like any of the others. Her face was not weathered and her teeth were taken care of...she was in fact a very beautiful lady. She became depressed at Christmas and began drinking, didn't stop and died on Monday. Sad story. A wasted life, and everyone will shuffle around and continue to drink. I despise alcohol, but more than anything...I wish humans weren't so weak.

Labor Day

Labor Day. I think it is noteworthy to mention that the first Labor Day was celebrated in 1882, in New York City to honor American workers who vastly contributed to the strength and commerce of the United States. For me, it's just an extra day to sleep in. It has been very hot outside and that forces me to stay indoors and that leads to cabin fever. I get out early enough to water the garden and harvest seeds for trading with my Gardenhere friends but by 11:00 a.m. I have to come inside. My house is clean. The laundry is finished. No point in starting a new book I can't finish because school starts wednesday. Too hot to bake. Too hot to knit. What is a girl to do? I would have had an amazing picture of a bright orange dragonfly this morning but just as I was easing in for a close up shot Lacey came barreling in to see what was going on. She loves to be a part of everything! Lucky for her I think she is adorable. The leaves are beginning to fall just enough to make sweeping an every other day necessity. I enjoy working outside when it's not hot so I am anxious for Fall. The kids are doing their own thing today. Kristin is studying with a friend at Starbuck's (uh huh) and Erik is playing the acoustic guitar in the next room. I love to hear the kids play music, even the screeching noises they make when they learn a new instrument. They have both recently started writing music and exploring their singing voices. They're actually pretty good. Right now they are trying to overcome stage freight so they don't sing loud enough when there are people around. They didn't inherit any of their music talent from me that's for sure. I am currently overjoyed by Erik's promise to NOT get a motorcycle for grad school. A heartfelt thank you to my friend Leslie for responding to my blog via email and sharing the story about her husband's accident last year. Her husband is very lucky to be alive and in sharing the story with Erik he reacted by telling me he wouldn't get a bike. Even though he later regretted telling me that, I know he will keep his word. What a load off my mind. This may be a good time to add that everything I have ever prayed for has been answered. True, it's not always on my timeline, but nevertheless God is gracious in His undertakings. Well I think it is safe to move on to another project, maybe alphabetize my spices or figure out how many words I can form from the letters B-O-R-E-D.

Summer Flavorites

I am getting an early start today. When I sleep in (like yesterday) I feel like I have wasted the best part of the day. I have to take Lacey to the vet this morning for her booster shot. She loves to go on car rides but she doesn't really like to go to the vet. When we come home I am going to keep Erik company while he works on his Chevelle. Kristin gets off of work early enough that she will probably hang out with us for awhile. I'm regretting not making fresh suntea yesterday. My last batch was African Red Coos Tea and none of us really liked it. I think our favorite is Black Tea and Peach Tea. Erik likes Pomegranate and I am still hunting for the Passion Fruit Tea I recently had at a wedding shower. It was quite good and I think the kids would enjoy it. If all goes well today I have a new recipe I am going to try. It's Lemon-Blueberry Bread. I have just enough blueberries left to make it. I think our blueberry craze is over. Summer is always good for letting us have our fill of seasonal flavors before everything is gone. We've been drinking a lot of iced coffee. We received our Peet's coffee in the mail but I won't let anyone open it until the current grind is used up. Erik and Kristin are my little baristas and they just about have it down to a science. Erik would think that was quite a compliment because science is his thing. We have our own little set up with assorted coffees, a nice variety of Torani flavors, an espresso machine and good glassware for just such an occasion. I always mix everything in the blender with ice because I like the blended texture whereas the kids just pour theirs over ice. In any case it is quite delicious. I have been staying up late at night trying to meet the Hardpan deadline. Last night was fairly fruitful so hopefully I'm on a creative roll that will continue through this month. I haven't been spending enough time in the garden and I'm sure it is beginning to show. Hopefully I can get back on track with that as well. For now I need to get flowers watered and get Lacey ready for her "car ride". I need to think about what I will be preparing for dinner; last night's menu included Grilled Mesquite Turkey Breast, Shells & White Cheddar (yes, from a box), green beans, and a garden salad. Hopefull this weekend I can make it by the Farmer's Market downtown and pick up some organic tomatoes. This time of year always makes me wish I had room for a vegetable garden. If I would revamp my flower beds I could have a sizable space to grow food in. Hmmm. Something to think about for next year. If you have joined me this morning, I hope that your day includes a little extra time with your loved ones. Time is so precious.