a silly little thing

My Facebook status this morning read:

Agenda for our first day of summer break: strawberry picking, making jam, swimming.
Weather for our first day of summer break: cloudy and raining. Bummer!

So we didn't get to head into the acres of strawberry fields, stooping low to find those sweet berries, tasting a few as we go (ahem), and staining our fingers red.  Maybe next time.

There was a moment where I was truly worried.  I've been quietly waiting for those roadside signs, made of wood and hand-painted, that read STRAWBERRIES - 1 MILE. Two days ago my van rounded the bend and there it was - that Amish farm sign with that sweet, sweet message - the strawberries are ready!

 The strawberries are ready, just as we are preparing to leave our home and travel to the much warmer air of Texas where there will be no such sweetness this time of year.  There will be water, lots of it.  And family and cousins, and relaxing, and swimming.  But my stubborn mind was anxious to put away freezer jam before this short berry season passed us by.

I did manage to buy 4 quarts of berries this morning and was able to get jam loaded in the freezer.  And, the kind lady at the farm stand assured me the berries would still be ripening when we return from our vacation.  

How silly to fret over a few jars of jam.  How silly to worry that we'd miss the season.  Sigh!

So I'm moving from my silly, but very yummy jam, to packing, laundry, packing, and... did I say packing!

May you know the seasons and all their blessings in every ounce of your being and may you have the sense to stay rooted in this very present moment!

a cold spell

(No, I'm not writing of my absence in this space that could be aptly named with the same title as this post.)

A low of 32 degrees. . . .a freeze warning. . . .followed by a frost warning for the next two nights. . . .

Yep, it's a cold spell.  Exactly one week after some documented "last possible frost dates" in our zone.  Hmph!

And, exactly one week after we introduced all of the starter plants to their new habitat.  Hmph x2!

So, we donned our winter coats and headed out to protect those little plants.  It was quite a sight to see our garden space look as though we had tucked our plants in for the night.  Of course, this effort required a little creativity, a little ingenuity, making useful the many rocks we've been picking out of our soil one-by-one, finding new uses for tent anchors, buckets, empty pots.

Funny how this simple act of nurture offered such a parallel example for much of life.  We are not in control.  We can sow seeds, we can water, we can provide food, but we cannot offer sun and warmth or protect completely from cold.  We can hope and have faith, but in the end, Mother Nature will do as she must.  

We can only respond in openness to all she gifts us.  

And, yes, this cold spell will bring with it benefits that we cannot see or understand.  Yes, this cold spell will force us inside to snuggle with our children.  Yes, this cold spell will cause us to slow, if only for a moment.  And these precious moments are gift enough for me to exert the necessary effort to protect those vulnerable plants and rest in the knowledge that life will go on.

maple sugaring

We took the kids maple sugaring at the environmental education center at a near by state park.  Mr. Man and I did this last year (the temperature was 75 degrees!) and thought it would be great to bring the whole family.

It felt so wonderful to be outdoors, breathing the crisp and fresh air (the year's temp 31).  They showed us how Native Americans originally discovered, collected, and stored maple sugar.  They demonstrated the evolution in maple sugaring technologies.  They taught us how to identify, tap, and care for maple trees.  This was truly a wonderful event.

Of course, our favorite part of the day was smelling the sweet syrup boiling and steaming,  Not quite the sugar shack of old, but it did give off such a yummy smell. And, we can't leave out the tasting.  No double dipping, they told us.  It was sooo tempting!

This day, connected with nature, is a day I'm thankful for.  It's amazing how a simple day and a little learning can put the world back in perspective.  It's amazing how my children can appreciate it as well, despite the whining about the cold and the disconnection from technology.  I am simply thankful for the sweetness of it all!

needle in a cornstack

My mother has no sense of direction. Go ahead!  Ask her which way she thinks you should go.  I promise you'll get lost.  How do I know?  I've tried to follow her directions. Not pretty.

So when we found ourselves alone in a corn maze, I thought "Oh great. This ought to be fun."

We actually entered the corn maze with 4 children who sprinted off in a different direction and my husband who was smart enough to follow the kids.  Meanwhile, my mother and I were still trying to get our bearing.  

There we were, the two of us, still a little surprised at how quickly things did not go as planned.  We headed down a path we thought would eventually meet up with the children only to find rather quickly that it would never lead us back.  Hmph!

She had the map and made an attempt to read it.  Again, my internal thoughts were not optimistic.  We looked together, discovered that the large opening in which we found ourselves looked to be the cow shape opening on the map and decided to find the maze stations that were strategically and educationally placed throughout.  

We checked off the first station and filled in the clue on the crossword puzzle that accompanied the map.  

Then the next.  Each time, she examined the map and offered her analysis of where we were headed.  I led.  She followed.  This was getting exciting.

We continued through each station, gathering clues and my mother gaining confidence in her new found skill. 

Lest you should think she would now be safe to let loose with a car and map, at each station she looked up from the map with a puzzled expression which revealed she had no clue from which direction she had come.  Baby steps, people, baby steps.

Regardless, what she and I discovered in that maze that day - working together makes even the least likely of things doable, supporting one another makes giant leaps possible, and being lost in a corn maze is a great way to spend uninterrupted time together - was a lesson I will not soon forget. 

May you be gifted with new discovery shared with the ones you love!

autumn weekending

We've developed a wonderful autumn weekending tradition around here - visiting an apple orchard, corn maze, climbing haystacks, eating donuts and cider.  We've been so fortunate each year to find glorious weather aligning with the various fall festivals at farms in our area.  

I so love this tradition.  I love the warm sun and beautiful blue skies.  I love the chill and the crispness in the air.  I love the smell of hay and cornstalks.  I love the stickiness of apple-themed treats.  I love the celebration of another harvest.  I love the community brought together.  Oh, I love it all!

Here's a glimpse at our autumn weekending:

a place of peace

I've been searching for a place, an inspiration, hope, a renewal.  

It happens, now and again, that I begin to doubt my way and find myself retreating from life.  It happens, sometimes, that I get frustrated with myself and my response to the seemingly endless sense of being overwhelmed.  It happens, often, that I spend my internal thoughts dreaming of the places where the grass is greener, where I might find contentedness and peace of mind.

In those dark and inward times, I find myself searching for a place which might slow or shift my thinking.

Thankfully, today, I remembered our pond walks from the summer.  We took a few of those walks with the cousins around our backyard pond.  This place...this quiet little place.. is one which causes me to pause.  It beckons appreciation for all that is life. It encourages curiosity.  It quietly whispers 'Breathe.'

So for a moment today I'll pause to remember that feeling, that safe space away from the busyness that is life.  I'll feel protected.  I'll sink into the security I find there.  And I will breathe a breath that connects me to those little ones I shared this time with in our very special summer together.

Namaste...

this moment {sunset}

Linking with SouleMamma and many others:

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Wishing you a beautiful skies weekend!

watching mama

There is a new Mama in our neighborhood.  In fact, she is right in our own front yard.

One beautiful morning my mother, my children and I watched this new Mama for almost an hour.  She marched back and forth from the high grass to her burrow, preparing the nest for her littles.  Yes, I said high grass.  Right. in. my. front. yard. Ahem.

Mama rabbits usually run when they know humans are nearby.  But, this Mama had a job to do.  She looked us square in the eye as if to say I'm not leaving and Watch over my little ones.

She was even being eyed by another friendly creature who had taken shield behind the utility box.  Every time Mama wondered his way, he would duck underground.  Then he'd pop back up to observe her.  He was really too cute.  I wouldn't mind him too much if he wasn't tunneling under my house, my porch, my patio, and probably in my attic.  Sigh.

Over the next few nights, we've seen Mama return to feed and check in.  She's reliable, consistent and confident.

Now we wait anxiously for sight of those baby bunnies when they grow just a bit bigger and stronger.  Patiently, yet excitedly . . . we wait.