my week

Fair of Face
- Good, sort-of unexpected news
- A late night walk

Full of Grace
- The Melting Pot; dipping sauces are my favorite part.
- prayers at night
- family & friends enthusiastically supporting my organization

Full of Woe (nah, just full of autumn)
- thrift store fall skirt
- cooler weather for husband

Far to Go
- yes this will be true tomorrow

Loving & Giving
- we'll be with friends, heading toward an outdoor weekend

Thank You, God, for Your good gifts and the eyes to see them.

deep down

Tonight I'm simply thankful for a new gathering of people that fed us dessert and tea, spoke openly about their lives and marriages, and asked good questions. Earlier this week, at a retreat, I stood up and shared some things about the crappy state of my heart, and people acknowledged that and loved me...this is how I feel about the whole larger group of people we are getting to know:

"Deep down there was an understanding, not of the facts of our lives so much as of our essential natures." (May Sarton)

People here love broken people. Thank You God.

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And after that thoughtful thought, I just have to add that my husband just walked in with a fart machine app on his new iPod, and I am in tears I am laughing so hard. Yeah. Almost nothing has made me laugh so hard in a long time, don't know what that says about me. But, Farting Preacher, anyone? Now that is some humor I am thankful for.

i say, you say, i wanna an icee juic-ay

1) My husband found a juicer at a garage sale, and got it for free! It is virtually brand new, and it is SO much fun watching newly pulverized & dehydrated beet/carrot/lemon/kale/apple fibers shoot out the back in bright colors. The juice that came out the front was, hmm, interesting. I think I'll leave the beet out next time. But check out the cool color:

UPDATE: Carrot/apple juice is much better. Next up, green lemonade.

2) Got to talk to three college friends in different states/countries this weekend. Beautiful.

3) Yesterday, I called in to my favorite radio program on the way to work, told a funny story about my neighbors, and won $100 in gift certificates! Sweeeet!! I don't think the neighbors heard, either, because we haven't had any angry knocks on the door yet. But really, who puts a unicorn in their front yard without expecting to get a few laughs?

right, here

Not even 70 out.

Windows open.

Grey autumn light from all sides, all windows.

Library books in a stack.

Steaming Mayan chocolate in a mug.

Garden zucchini re-warmed, reminiscent of its adventure with olive oil on the grill last night.

Sunday, with no place to be but right here.

This feeling reminds me of mornings in Peru or early noons at L'Abri. How life is supposed to be lived.

home things

Well, here I go posting about food again. Can't help it.

First, I'm thankful for the memory of sweet, farm-fresh creamed corn made by my great-aunt months ago. And thankful for the occasion to try to recreate it myself. My version went way overkill on salty butter tonight, but I can always try again.

Second, I'm thankful for the bread maker my husband picked up at the thrift store for $4.99! He's already found the manual on the net, and printed it out for us. First up, a simply honey whole wheat bread, assuming the machine really works. If it does, I'm sure I'll have a post on the warm, cozy result.

Third, I'm thankful for the motivation--whatever it may be, I haven't quite figured out--that is prompting me to actually wash the dishes after dinner every night. Who knew a clean(er) kitchen could bring such satisfaction? Not me, until now.

Thank You, God, for your good gifts and the eyes to see them.

fall is arriving...

and that is all I need to make me happy today.

Thank You, God, for the softer lighter and cooler air, and the senses to enjoy it all.

the other good things

The other good things from yesterday that I didn't get to mention:

- watching a movie outdoors with thousands of others, cheering and singing and booing at all the right parts. And glancing up every once in a while to see the stars clear overhead.

- the opportunity to win a VitaMix on Jessie Hawkins' blog. She has written a book on herbal medicines for the family, and has a great natural, holistic perspective on life. Green smoothies are my favorite way to get a full bag of spinach in my body--in one sitting, no less--so I'm really hoping to win!

- being almost finished with a big house project, just in time. And with that, the anticipation of a long-awaited relaxed weekend. Woohoo!

So I did.

Oh man, today was so great. I actually got some sleep last night, so I was ahead starting out! I woke up and got to hit the alarm a couple times while scooting closer to my husband and letting the sunlight wake up my eyes. I put on my work clothes that I reserve for meetings out of the office--actual professional ones--that I think help me get more work done in the office too. Something about feeling compelled to live up to my clothes, and happy to do my best at it.

During a daytrip for work, I followed a colleague up some back roads, through farm fields framed by mountains. The site sure put my soul at peace. And right near my work-destination, there was a honey shop that I've been wanting to check out. It was mmm-yummy smelling.

Now here is the best part.

On the way to the honey shop, I saw a field of sunflowers. Right past the field was a dirt drive, with a sign: "Sunflowers, $1. Come on in."

Well, nothing and nobody was at the end of the drive, except a VW van, and a sign that said pay a dollar through the van window, and go cut yourself a flower. So I did.

With bees buzzing and sun shining, and flowers reaching up in response, I took a pair of scissors and my fancy office shoes on a tromp through the sunflower field.

Then I carried my prize around with me for the rest of the day in a water bottle with the top cut off. It was beautiful. I was just smiling and singing in my car, holding on to that flower and looking into other car windows on the highway to see if anybody wanted to trade smiles with me, or check out the flower that was as big as my face.

Other good things happened today, too, but this story is enough for me, for now.

Thank You, God, for Your good gifts and the eyes to see them.

This past weekend, I got to travel to the wedding of a close girlfriend that I've known for most of my life. I got to reconnect with friends I hadn't seen in a decade. And I got to have my soul refreshed by Jesus through some of the most giving people I've ever met.

I approached the father of the groom after the rehearsal dinner, introducing myself and thanking him for his convicting-yet-encouraging words on marriage. We talked for a minute, and I could feel that my eyes were saying much more than my tongue.

The next evening, the wedding and reception were glorious, full with a God-infused sense of celebration. More than ordinary happiness, this place was joy-filled! And as we all headed out the door to send my friend and her groom on their way, I saw the father of the groom flagging me down. "Becs," he said, "I was praying for you this morning, and though some doors have been closed for you, this weekend marks a new start in your life. I pray you are refreshed this weekend. Some verses came to mind for you. Here you go." And he pressed into my hand a scrap of the wedding program, with three passages written down, just for me.

I was so humbled. I was FLOORED. Here, his son is about to walk out the door with his new bride, and this man is intent on loving me. I had never revealed any details about my life, yet God had spoken to him that I was in need, and so he had prayed for me on his son's wedding day, had spoken words of truth and encouragement to me--a stranger--at a moment most would be solely focused on themselves.

God, would you make me as intentional as the people I was surrounded by this weekend.

God, thank You for Your good gifts. Give me the eyes to see them and the heart to share them.

a single track

I just noticed that every single post so far, save the one that just quotes Psalms directly, either mentions food or is entirely about food. Ha. I think I am quite thankful for food.