Thursday, May 31, 2012

behind the scene


Remember the day I was
dipping my toes in?

Well...
I glanced at the corner
of my yard across
from me...

the unsightly
neglected
ugly...

(I really hate it)

corner of my lot

when something shifted inside of me.


I saw the beauty that
 I never recognized before.

Functional Beauty.

Real Living kind of stuff.


Fire pit for yard debris...
storage for extension ladders...
lots of weeds...
compost pile...
wheelbarrow hangout...
rakes leaning
against the shed...
and a whole lotta dirt.

With all those strikes against it
I finally understood
why kids gravitate to this
corner of my yard.



It's not organized...
maybe a little dangerous.

A spot where one can
be a little wild and
unpredictable.
There are no cute flower beds
to distract
from the camp-out feel of this locale.


A tree house to explore!
Not painted in a pretty palette
or cleaned in years...
we're talking
about places where
good stories are made.

Probably of the ghost variety.


Rustic...
natural...
gonna get dirty
kind of
real.

Like the milkweed growing
like crazy in my
front garden.

Sure I could pull it out
spray weed killers...
show that pest who's boss...
and control..
CONTROL
my little acre.

And if I did that...


Where would the Monarch
lay its egg?

In its cycle of life it needs
the precious, ugly
milkweed to
survive.


Life can be messy sometimes...
correction...

most times.


If we focus on the chaos
we will miss the beauty
it holds.

Even the potential
 beauty.

Picture perfect.
Blog worthy.

Pretty and breathtaking
are so overdone
that we forget to notice
the
real stuff.

After all...
that ugly caterpillar
must eat and eat and get uglier
and fatter
(come on...you've all read Eric Carle)

before

becoming
the beautiful butterfly.

Today...
celebrate the ugly parts
of
real living.


Wednesday, May 30, 2012

community


Backing up
Ol' Blue...
loaded with spades, buckets, and
tractor tires?


Welcome to
St. Luke's Community Garden.
As you can see
it is still in its grassroots stage.

Pretty little boxes...
all in a row.

Then along came
the Thompson Girls...
oh, and their volunteer
muscles.


Mom's hollering...
"This didn't end well for Scout!"

But,

You can't put cousins
and a big tire together without
expecting a few
antics.


"I got this...I got this..."


Or not!

"Move it over...
big bro is gonna show you how it's done!"

With the satisfaction
of holding on for
the complete rotation...
we put them
to
work.

Moving dirt.


We set up our camp
in the back corner
of unclaimed property.


The garden has yet to find
its true mission.
Sometimes churches...
aka people...
are reluctant...uneasy...just plain
afraid to share their new toys.

For now...
the members are planting
and giving their
bounty to
organizations that need
fresh produce.

That's cool.

But if you look beyond
the yard in the above
pic...
you will see an
apartment complex.
Hmmm...
Wouldn't it be nice for those
dwellers to have
their very own gardens?
Maybe meet a few new friends
along the way.

Just sayin...


Planted our little
herb garden.

What?
All those pasta dishes we serve
will now be made that
much tastier
and
healthier.

But wait!
The water towers are
not filled...
yet.

"Boys...
could you go to
grandma's
for a water run?"

Pretty please?

We paid them up front...
in food.



"Thanks, guys!"

Water.
Precious water.


Just like that...
the community garden
got some personality...
a little spunk.

Urban funked...
or would that be
rural junked?

Regardless...
it is beautiful.

I am envisioning that portion of
chain link
getting traded for a picket
of many colors...
sunflowers blooming
happily at the borders.

It's true what they say...

It does take a community.
Thanks, boys.
:)

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

in answer to the question...


What did you do this weekend?


Planted a garden.


Walked my yard.


Snipped some basil.


Looked at the cute.


Cleaned up the yard...
or rather,
watched those that did.


Prepared vegan friendly foods.


Admired my frig.


Stocked up on iced tea.


Monitored pool temp.


Applauded those brave enough
to take a swim.


Laughed along with them.


Drew flowers on the
walkway with my
grand girls.


Took a ride with my guy.


Snapped an artsy-fartsy shot.



Shopped at the Farmer's Market.


Bought some organic lettuce.


Took a picture of it...
to pay my respects...
before eating it.


Puppy sat Buddy's brother, Troy.


Gave some love to tuckered-out Zoey.


Dipped my toes in.


Basically...
things that made me smile...

like that!


What did you do this weekend?



Friday, May 25, 2012

this moment


Joining Soule Mama and her many friends in this Friday ritual.
A single photo...no words.
Capturing a simple, extraordinary moment from my week.
 A moment I want to pause, savor, and remember. amen.

Won't you join us?

Thursday, May 24, 2012

in my kitch

Welcome.

"No matter where I serve my guests
they seem to like my
kitchen best."
--A plaque that was in
my mom's busy kitchen.

This is my work station.
I spend quite a bit of time on
that 11 x 7 swatch
of floor.


It isn't glamorous...
and after looking at these pictures
I can say with confidence
a little updating wouldn't hurt...
but...
it's mine.


The door leads to the basement
with a handy 2-step down landing.
Just the right spot for
shelving.


Rubber coated shelving
that holds my growing
whole food
pantry...
and other essentials.

My husband installed these
years ago...
and they were the gathering place
for everything from
batteries and light bulbs
to doggie treats.

Now they are an extension to
my kitchen...
when I open that door
the bright yellow light
floods in.


Easy access.
That's been an incentive of mine.

Like many, I have found myself
asking...
Why do I insist on putting
items I use daily in drawers?

The answer to that question
is taking shape
as I "remodel"
my space.


Just wanted to show my viewers
how cute May has been.

Way to go Warren Kimble!
Such an improvement over
ugly fish...
don't you think?

While visiting my kitch
let's see what the bitch has been up to.


Introducing kale to the family...
sneaking it in salads...
it's green so they didn't mention
a thing.


Tossed with other fresh
ingredients...


Blended together for a
good long time...

to create the
Green Breakfast Smoothie.


I find I only enjoy smoothies
during the warmer months...
this one was a surprise.

It tasted fresh and clean...
not adjectives I use to describe food
very often...
but as I travel this month long vegan path
I find they are the perfect choice
with so many
fruits and veggies
on my plate.


A glass for now...
the rest for the 4 pm zone-out time.

My one honest complaint with this recipe...
I was hungry an hour after
eating/drinking it.

Where is the protein that
holds me over until
lunch?

Not to be found in this one...
but I did enjoy it midday.

Make sure you have an audience as
you drink this bright green fluid...
they will ask oh, so many
funny questions
that will have you asking...

Would you like a taste?

Thanks for visiting my
 kitchen today.
You're welcome back anytime.