off to retreat

Howdy, folkies. I'm still under the weather with something-er-rather, so I'm finding myself at home again (I'd rather be there than anywhere, though!), but I think I'm on the mend. One of the reasons I'm resting is because this afternoon I leave to go to our annual women's retreat. This is the third year that I have been helping out with worship, and I need to be up-and-at-'em to do that! So please keep my feeble fingers, voice and spirit in your prayers, would you? The topics and speakers at our retreat have always been wonderful. Last year the message was about the Kingdom. So good. The year before that it was about women mentoring women - a beautiful and biblical mandate and privilege. Tonight and tomorrow we will be studying peacemaking and reconciliation. I am particularly excited about this subject because I am realizing how much I need to grow in this area. (Marriage is like a mirror, isn't it!? Especially with such a godly husband to hold up to your face.)

May God be glorified in all that we say, learn, sing, think and do this weekend.

hello, flora

Good morning, all. Today I'm out with a nasty headache and scratchy throat, so I thought I would peek in while I had some quiet moments. I think that my Maker is reminding me that I need to slow down. I have to admit that this long and lingering winter has got me a bit on the sad side. And I'm oh so ready to put some fresh-picked flowers in the vase below, but alas, there are none for the picking. But the Lord is good. He made the snow. He made the rain, and He makes them both fall. And if my God decides that be a long winter, then I will joyfully put on my wool socks, sweaters cover up with my blanket, remembering His faithfulness, and the way that He covers me with something far better than blankets--- His blood. The forecast is a minute thing in perspective of the mercy and grace of the Almighty.


I do have a bit of sunny news, though! Monday afternoon I sat with my p.m. dose of joe at B &N, browsing through my favorite magazines, and I happened upon a picture of my first cousin, flora, in Domino! I did a double-take, and sure enough, it was a three page spread on her 'green' gardening and products! She is a palm broker with a green thumb to boot, and very successful in her trade. Turns out, she's actually had multiple articles in other publications like Dwell, Garden Design, and others! I was happy to see her beautiful face, as it's been years. (I have about 40 first cousins spread all over the U.S., did I mention that?)
So here's my shameless plug for you to all go check out the march issue of Domino. Flip over to the 'nesting' section, and you will find Flora Grubb (her real name, I promise)! Check her out here. And by all means, if you live in California, go and visit!

So hello, dear Flora, and wonderful job! And, if you have any suggestions, cousin, on what to do with the yucky yucca in my front garden, do tell.

oh, yum.

I love cooking. Everything from the initial search for a good recipe, to that first taste of the final product....ahh, I'm just a sucker for all of it. When I was about knee-high, I would sit for hours and look through my grandmother's pastry and dessert books. The pictures almost made me drool. As I tried my childish hand at culinary things, my blessed momma would patiently endure all my confectionary experiments. She always sweetly reminded me that I would have to eat the end result, no matter how it turned out. I, altogether too confident for my little stature, thought that whatever I whipped up would be delectable. One time, that 'end result' was a glass of milk with a whole tablespoon of vanilla extract (would not recommend it!) and another time it was a muffin-tin full of flour, cocoa powder and oil. Yeck. But after all of that, I dearly appreciate how much time mom allowed and encouraged me to spend in the kitchen. I'm still diverging from the recipe these days, only not quite so far off! Lately I've been into salads. And this one shall be made again soon. Real soon.

(This is after we got to it, of course.)


The 'recipe:'

lots of lettuce, of course (include raddichio)
a handful of dried cranberries
a handful of finely diced walnuts
vinaigrette: olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sugar, raspberry preserves, pepper, and a teensy bit o' mustard.

on the present

"We must try to take life moment by moment. The actual present is usually
pretty tolerable, I think, if we only refrain from adding to its burden that of
the past and future."

-C.S. Lewis

so good to me

This produce hanger was only part of my birthday gift from Joshua in December. While I was out of the kitchen, he rigged a way to hang it up where I could see it. In the bottom tier was a 1 lb.bag of delicious sumatra coffee beans (he knows me well). In the middle, he placed a book he knew I wanted, and on the top tier was a dainty little bottle of shea butter soap. Pretty well rounded gift, wouldn't you say? A girl needs nothing else with something pretty and useful in her kitchen, a cup of strong coffee, a good read, and clean, sweet-scented hands. Good job, dearest.