I would SO love to have an aqua and red kitchen!
More food in jars!!!
Two of my heros come together- Amy and Mary- to make flat out adorable.
BLUE Velvet?!! Hey, maybe I could do aqua and red velvet!
Adorable pics, but even more intriguing is the idea of a town with pianos placed at various places. Could be pure magic. Could be bad. Sounds fun.
Outside my window….. It’s a little cooler after a torrential rain this afternoon that flooded the Farmer’s Market. My heart was warmed by the way all of the farmers jump up and help each other when their tents are blowing or filling full of rain, and for the faithful customers who literally waded from booth to booth to get their produce today.
I am thinking...all I have to do over the next week, next weeks really, or maybe even next months but wanting to be fully present for K who is about to leave for college in a few weeks. And thinking that I have money in hand from my bonus to buy my dishwasher, but can’t even find the time to go look for one.
I am thankful for...the rain, for my friends, for my work which is meaningful, for my family, for homegrown tomatoes and peaches, for my neighbors and neighborhood.
From the kitchen….it still has a lingering scent of a great dinner. Egg muffins, sliced tomatoes, fresh cantelope and watermelon, blueberry lemon bread, and grilled fresh peaches with goat cheese inside.
I am wearing.. the infamous and ultimate “house dress”.
I am reading... Eat, Pray, Love….and I’m reading it as slowly as possible as I love it and don’t want to finish!
I am hoping...to get to bed by midnight. Chances are looking slimmer but it’s still a possibility.
I am hearing...some old Zoe Speaks music playing in the background.
Around the house...are piles of school supplies and new towels and other such things to take back to college.
A few plans for the rest of the week…Mitch Barrett at Kentucky Music Weekend!!! And a visit with beloved Ohio family.
Here’s a picture for thought I am sharing-
Today I have joined with other women who are choosing to linger on the simple things on Tuesdays through The Simple Woman’s Daybook
right now:
There are Tibetan Buddhist monks in a temple in the Himalayas endlessly reciting mantras for the cessation of your suffering and for the flourishing of your happiness.
Someone you haven't met yet is already dreaming of adoring you.
Someone is writing a book that you will read in the next two years that will change how you look at life.
Nuns in the Alps are in endless vigil, praying for the Holy Spirit to alight the hearts of all of God's children.
A farmer is looking at his organic crops and whispering, "nourish them."
Someone wants to kiss you, to hold you, to make tea for you. Someone is willing to lend you money, wants to know what your favourite food is, and treat you to a movie. Someone in your orbit has something immensely valuable to give you -- for free.
Something is being invented this year that will change how your generation lives, communicates, heals and passes on.
The next great song is being rehearsed.
Thousands of people are in yoga classes right now intentionally sending light out from their heart chakras and wrapping it around the earth.
Millions of children are assuming that everything is amazing and will always be that way.
Someone is in profound pain, and a few months from now, they'll be thriving like never before. They just can't see it from where they're at.
Someone who is craving to be partnered, to be acknowledged, to ARRIVE, will get precisely what they want -- and even more. And because that gift will be so fantastical in it's reach and sweetness, it will quite magically alter their memory of angsty longing and render it all "So worth the wait."
Someone has recently cracked open their joyous, genuine nature because they did the hard work of hauling years of oppression off of their psyche -- this luminous juju is floating in the ether, and is accessible to you.
Someone just this second wished for world peace, in earnest.
Someone is fighting the fight so that you don't have to.
Some civil servant is making sure that you get your mail, and your garbage is picked up, that the trains are running on time, and that you are generally safe. Someone is dedicating their days to protecting your civil liberties and clean drinking water.
Someone is regaining their sanity. Someone is coming back from the dead. Someone is genuinely forgiving the seemingly unforgivable. Someone is curing the incurable.
You. Me. Some. One. Now.
. . . . . . .
SPREAD THE RA-RA. ADD TO THE MANIFESTO. ENCOURAGE.
I stumbled upon this Manifesto of Encouragement last week and have thought so much about it. The fun thing is to read all of the comments following it. Check it out here.
Get Your Martha On has a great idea for a dollar store craft.
This variation on black and white cookies looks great!
Oh my! Someone have a party and make this! And invite me.
This quote just has to be about me, and this gal IS smart!
I love this photographer’s shots anyway, but this session with her one year old is so sweet I’ve had to look at it several times.
Now I want to have a mustache party!
Love this art journal!
Yep, gotta try these! We often have eggs on Farmers Market day just because we can’t wait to eat those delicious farm eggs.
I’d like to make one of these of my neighborhood.
I want a string of these across my back yard!
The BEST site with WW points included, and don’t these look great?! What a good idea!
Thanks to the clear and tender leading of my friend Rick in church this morning, I am in love with Sabbath tonight and with the God who carved it into the rhythm of our hearts, whether we heed it or not. I’ve been sitting here a good 30 minutes typing and clearing and typing my Sabbath thoughts and then decided it was becoming more work than pleasure, and I’m giving myself (and you) a Sabbath rest. So, here are a couple of thought provoking pieces on Sabbath.
"Our culture invariably supposes that action and accomplishment is better than rest, that doing something--anything--is better than doing nothing. Because of our desire to succeed, to meet these ever-growing expectations, we do not rest. Because we do not rest, we lose our way. We miss the compass points that would show us where to go, we bypass the nourishment that would give us succor. We miss the quiet that would give us wisdom. We miss the joy and love born of effortless delight. Poisoned by this hypnotic belief that good things come only through unceasing determination and tireless effort, we can never truly rest. And for want of rest, our lives are in danger."
-Wayne Muller, from his gorgeous book Sabbath: Finding Rest, Renewal, and Delight in Our Busy Lives
Check out the Sabbath Manifesto-
01. Avoid Technology.
02. Connect with loved ones.
03. Nurture your health.
04. Get outside.
05. Avoid commerce.
06. Light candles.
07. Drink wine.
08. Eat bread.
09. Find silence.
10. Give back
I love this quilt, love this blog, but most of all love her sweet heart and her great idea. So, buy a net and take a chance.
I LOVE Hydrangeas, so I loved this and this!
I love the video and I love her post, and I embraced imperfection a long long time ago!
Oh, I love this little summer quilt!!
Something so sweet about these little hoops of color.
It’s been a while since I have mentioned any treats on a stick…….
Or any cake wrecks……
Or tents……
And you know I love food on a stick, cake wrecks, and tents!!
My neighborhood has a new website. Check it out here.
Links will be up later, hopefully today. Just too too tired last night to make that happen.
Okay, so yes, I do cry every time I watch Mama Mia when all the women throw their many chores and cares and responsibilities aside and run singing and dancing into the streets on Dancing Queen.
And then I saw this, and for some reason I cannot fully describe, I cried all the way through. All of those beautiful young women, so strong and so uninhibited!
Then I saw the video again on Andrea’s blog and was sort of relieved to see that she too cried. Anyone else have this reaction?!
Check out these cotton candy cupcakes at Cookies and Cups.
If closets weren’t at a premium around here, it would be cool to do this.
Wish I had done some of these when the hands around here were little.
These are fun, aren’t they?
I somehow didn’t get caught up in the World Cup frenzy, but I loved watching this video.
I don’t care for coffee, but maybe this Vietnamese coffee……I mean, sweetened condensed milk with just about anything……..
I would SO love to have one of these chairs!
Check out the before pics, and then click on the link to the ezine.
Yes, I can do this, and yes, I will do it!
How adorable are these?
Maybe in the absence of scrapbooking time, I could at least pull something like this together, which would still give my kids a visual history…..
Outside my window….. it’s so hot, and I am begrudging all of the porch sitting that this heat has cheated me out of! I’m missing my neighbors and their stories!
I am thinking...about the Phoenix Hill Farmer’s Market tonight. When the market opened up several years, it was the fulfillment of a dream and a lot of groundwork that some of us had been involved with for years. For the first year, and maybe even the second too, every time I pulled up there my heart just swelled. I loved seeing all of my neighbors and I loved getting to know our farmers and having that connection with our food. Not sure if it’s been because of the weather, or if there are just sooooo many farmer’s markets this year, but our traffic has been so very slow and it makes me worried for the farmers and for the future of our market. I’m hoping it’s just a lull due to weather. I encourage everyone to buy locally grown food, build friendships with the amazing folks who work so hard to bring that great food to the market, and strengthen the bonds of your community. And if you are in or around Phoenix Hill, get to that market on Tuesdays!
I am thankful for...my home and my own bed! I had a lovely visit to Grand Rapids this past week but boy was I happy to see DH at the curbside waiting for me upon my return!
From the kitchen….I can smell the big bowl of fresh peaches I bought at the market today. I just had to have one as soon as I got in the car, and it was sooooooo delicious and sooooooo juicy that when all was said and done I had gotten it not only all over my face and chin but my clothes and steering wheel were covered as well.
I am wearing.. the mumu. I mean, it is after all Summer!
I am reading... My Life in France by Julia Childs. It’s very interesting and good.
I am hoping...for a break in this weather. Maybe then I would get out and make some half-hearted attempt at taming the wild things growing in my yard and flower beds!
I am hearing...my little Herbie dog barking. Every night K brings him into the office and puts him in his bed and goes to get his water bowl. Every night he carries on to no end, certain that she is going to forget his water bowl which she never ever does.
Around the house...I have piles of projects in every room I think!
A few plans for the rest of the week…My good friends are coming in for a visit from North Carolina. This weekend is Urban Goatwalker Coffee House weekend which I always look forward to.
Here’s a picture for thought I am sharing-
Had a retreat here on Saturday and will return there for a big church gathering on Sunday. I highly recommend their bright creative space.
Today I have joined with other women who are choosing to linger on the simple things on Tuesdays through The Simple Woman’s Daybook
My mother turned 80 on Thursday. I was out of town, but didn’t want an opportunity to pass to say a little something about her. She proudly announced yesterday that from now on every birthday will be her 80th, leading me to think maybe 80 is the new 39. You would probably not guess her to be 80, especially if you saw her schedule. One of the many wise things she has done has been to always have some friends who are younger than her. She has a delightful circle of young (relative term) friends who keep her hopping.
I’m grateful for the many wonderful threads of her woven into the fabric of who I am. The best in me, I got from her. One of the things I most remember about growing up was the way she would find reason to celebrate our smallest victories, and I’m hopeful that I have continued that tradition in my own home. My mother’s love language was food and she was fluent!
Happiest of birthdays to my mother on this her first 80th birthday, and for all of her 80th’s to come.
