Yesterday I was chatting with a friend. The type of friend that you go to for common sense when your feeling down. The one you call for encouragement. And the one that will always "show you the light" when your walking through the shadows of that long hallway you call life. But the tables were somehow turned this day. She was in a funk! I know! I was thinking the same thing - "How dare her!" She is supposed to be the one that I run to. Selfish pride put aside, it was my time to listen. Funny thing is that when we were done chatting, I still felt blessed and encouraged by her lovely ways.
I just love that about good sister friends. They always come through, like a ray of sunshine pushing through those clouds that insist on covering the sun. I love how we circle ourselves with just the perfect girlfriends. I distinctly know which one I can call on for whatever I am going through. Just like girlfriends, I have that same ability with food. Now, I'm not saying I am so obsessed with food that I call on it when I am depressed - well OK, maybe in a sense I do.
When I am feeling blue, I can make something warm from the oven that takes me back to happier times as a child. When I am frustrated with a situation, I can take a recipe that looks complicated, yet, when followed correctly, will produce exactly what it says it will. When I am feeling under the weather, I know that a bowl of tortilla soup will perk me up. When I feel like I have put on a few (ahem!) extra pounds, I know that I don't have to settle for a plain tossed salad as there are so many healthy low-cal versions that are delicious too. And lastly, when I am needing comfort from a hectic day, I know that my dear husband's simple omelets show love in a way that only the two of us know. Don't get me wrong, a delicious meal NEVER takes the place of a dear friend, but... isn't it nice to know you can call on your taste buds too? I'm jus' sayin'
Friday, October 9, 2009
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Memories Old and New
Low and behold my birthday passed and October snuck up from behind with a blast of cool breezes and some welcome rain to perk up all my withered plants.
So many beautiful things occur during October. When I was little, I used think October was all about costumes, candy, caramel apples and cider. Now, as an adult, I realize that my palate has not changed much - except that now I can add so many more things to that list. I love how God created the different seasons, nature's cycle of refreshing itself, all the while astounding us with it's beauty. Just when we are through with the sweltering heat of summer, a leaf will slowly take flight from the security of its branch and fall ever so gently to the pile at the floor of the earth. The first sign of what's around the corner!
Farm stands will beckon me with colors and flavors of crisp apples and buttery squashes. Crimson pears will beg to be matched with a ripe blue cheese in a salad of Autumn greens. Pots will be bubbling with soups, stews and chowders. I will exchange ice tea for a pot of hot cider. I'll bake cobblers and pies and take warm cookies from the oven. My kitchen will be filled with the smells of vanilla and cinnamon. Warm blankets will make their return and I'll drape them on our couches or comfy chairs. Candles will again burn as the sun sets earlier each night, filling our house with a sweet aroma and warm glow. I will take trips to the farmer's markets and trips to the pumpkin patches. I'll clean up my garden and get it ready for winter. I will adorn our front door with chrysanthemums in hues of gold, hay bales and spooky ghosts. Pumpkins, too, wait to be carved and lit for all passersby to see. I will watch kids jump in a pile of leaves and ponder to myself if I should jump too. I will curl up to the ones I love and slowly watch the flames in the fireplace dance to an Autumn tune that says "Welcome cool weather... come stay for a while!" I will help my daughter create a costume that comes from her whimsical mind. We will try to slow down because we know this is our resting spot before the busy holidays take over. We will take off those flip flops and put on those boots. We will feel the comfort of those warm, bulky sweaters. We will replace ham sandwiches in the lunch box with chicken soup to warm our souls. And decorate our hearths with gourds and all things orange, brown, and green. I will do all these things not because I am pressured by "Martha" but because deep down inside, I love how warm they make me feel. Enjoy this month and take the time to pause and remember those little things - the ones that trigger a special memory. Without those memories, how are we suppose to create new ones? I'm jus sayin'...
So many beautiful things occur during October. When I was little, I used think October was all about costumes, candy, caramel apples and cider. Now, as an adult, I realize that my palate has not changed much - except that now I can add so many more things to that list. I love how God created the different seasons, nature's cycle of refreshing itself, all the while astounding us with it's beauty. Just when we are through with the sweltering heat of summer, a leaf will slowly take flight from the security of its branch and fall ever so gently to the pile at the floor of the earth. The first sign of what's around the corner!
Farm stands will beckon me with colors and flavors of crisp apples and buttery squashes. Crimson pears will beg to be matched with a ripe blue cheese in a salad of Autumn greens. Pots will be bubbling with soups, stews and chowders. I will exchange ice tea for a pot of hot cider. I'll bake cobblers and pies and take warm cookies from the oven. My kitchen will be filled with the smells of vanilla and cinnamon. Warm blankets will make their return and I'll drape them on our couches or comfy chairs. Candles will again burn as the sun sets earlier each night, filling our house with a sweet aroma and warm glow. I will take trips to the farmer's markets and trips to the pumpkin patches. I'll clean up my garden and get it ready for winter. I will adorn our front door with chrysanthemums in hues of gold, hay bales and spooky ghosts. Pumpkins, too, wait to be carved and lit for all passersby to see. I will watch kids jump in a pile of leaves and ponder to myself if I should jump too. I will curl up to the ones I love and slowly watch the flames in the fireplace dance to an Autumn tune that says "Welcome cool weather... come stay for a while!" I will help my daughter create a costume that comes from her whimsical mind. We will try to slow down because we know this is our resting spot before the busy holidays take over. We will take off those flip flops and put on those boots. We will feel the comfort of those warm, bulky sweaters. We will replace ham sandwiches in the lunch box with chicken soup to warm our souls. And decorate our hearths with gourds and all things orange, brown, and green. I will do all these things not because I am pressured by "Martha" but because deep down inside, I love how warm they make me feel. Enjoy this month and take the time to pause and remember those little things - the ones that trigger a special memory. Without those memories, how are we suppose to create new ones? I'm jus sayin'...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)