The sun emerges on the eastern horizon. Sun up. Official.
I should be up with the sun. But there is that delicious moment if you wait for it, when it glows golden and bright, filtered through fluttering leaves on a perfect summer morning and the curtains moving slightly against the open window.
What is this I hear in my head?
Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons? Why don’t you staaaaaaaaaaay ~ just a little bit longer…
6:37
Wait for it. Wait for it – perfection: bright, light, golden, yellow-sun, top-of-the-morning-to-you fresh, brand new, warm summer morning. Light begins dancing across the room to the rhythm of the morning song. A stretch. Oh my. That was so worth the wait.
Who thinks I did not fall behind during Heaven Fest and its’ aftermath?
Um, well, I did. And I bet you are not surprised. But I intend to eat all these words up in short order! But let’s do this (just in case anyone else has fallen behind) : start right on this week’s. That can be one beautiful meal a day. Then if you’re still hungry later, serve yourself up some July 24 or July 31 goodies. The main thing is to get the delicious sumptuousness of the Word into you; to be lavishly and abundantly filled up as if you have just had the best meal e-v-e-r! We’ll get everything we need for life and godliness, yum!
Don’cha just love how I can turn anything into a food-thing??? Well, Beth Moore started it. I once heard her say something to the effect that the Word is to be consumed like food to feed your spirit and how you can and should enjoy it like a menu at your fav restaurant. She said sometimes, you’re on the go and just need an appetizer, other times a light salad, but then you will sit down and consume the 5-course meal. And btw – you do NOT just eat once a day for your physical body. I wonder why we think the spirit part of us just needs “one quiet time” per day? I mean, come on – let’s eat! A bowl of cereal here, a soup and salad lunch, a small cone from the DQ on a summer afternoon…a steak meal there…
Well, it wouldn’t be a normal garden season if I hadn’t brought home a plant thinking it was one thing and then finding out it was another.
This year the award goes to Home Depot for selling me a “Beefsteak Tomato” that was really: {ta-da} a small yellow pear-shaped tomato, barely bigger than a grape-style tomato.
I don’t mind surprises in the garden. The plant itself started sprawling like crazy, but hadn’t really produced anything before Heaven Fest. I thought the vines were rather delicate to be a beefsteak variety. Today, I peeked into the middle of this very populated part of the plant and pulled out a couple of pints of these little beauties. Popped one into my mouth and o-my-gosh! Tangy, sweet, tongue-tingling-deliciousness!
Harvest time. Ah, yes. I remember you and why I am so stinking in love with you!
Now to determine the best possible use for my sweet love apples {another name for tomato}. On piping hot pasta with cream and fresh grated parmigiano-reggiano? Perhaps a cold combination with kalamata olives and extra-virgin olive oil with home crafted mozzarella balls, freshly grated black pepper and a sprinkling of sea salt or splash of balsamic?
I must go now, to think about this most urgent need.
The kitchen is drenched is sweeteness and chocolate today.
The Phipps fam is leaving us. Moving to Texas for 3 months before settling where the new job will place them. We are helping Stef & Wrex make yummies for their dessert (as in, they are “deserting” us) party tomorrow. There will be cotton candy, Krispie Treat Toodle-oos on sticks, Cake Pop Bon-Bon Voyages, Farewell Fruit Kabobs and way too many other wondrous {extreme sweet} delectibles.
Never one to skimp on style, Stef is directing a myriad of projects in both the cuisine and decor-style arenas.
Wrex intermittently breaks out into one of his greatest song hits, any one of the number of birthday songs he and Stef wrote and he performed for us. Makes the day interesting.
It is her birthday. And I love that girl. Who also happens to actually be a woman in her possibly mid-40s now, who is beautiful, accomplished and fun. Wish I could hang out with her more. She is a woman I admire with my whole heart.
Tami & my little brother, Tim, at the Moslander Family Reunion in June. Not a wrinkle on her face nor a gray hair on her gorgeous head of hair. She is a beauty inside and out.
The Phipps Fam.
They are leaving us. They have accepted a new job which first will take them to Texas for 3 months, then to a yet-to-be-named location which will not be here after that. And we love them so much. And Brighton seems a little less home already because they are not at the corner I have so often passed and on the farm land where we took Nativity pictures and enjoyed a summer feast with horseshoes and where Tre once lived, too. But for now, they are here, in the house with us. And that is good.
Just really so proud of them and thankful to God they came our way. And excited for their future. But **sniff, sniff** gonna miss them like the dickens!
The fruit of my labors.
The garden did not die while I was gone. Now to keep all of my post-Heaven-Fest promises. I actually have not labored much this year…yet. But it is time.
Guinivere.
She turned 6 the day of festival (all in her honor!). And I love her little heart, as well as her gentle eyes and drawing talent. She is my little Guini-Poo and after her Grandma and Paw-paw Kelley, who are visiting from Indiana this week (o, they are having such fun!), are gone, she and I will gather to make a Nonna-loves-Guini movie! Hers last year, was the first birthday video I ever did. I love this girl!
I have been terribly neglectful and unforgiveably & barely dutiful in my dealings with you as of late. I know I rush in to tend to the most basic of your needs. Yet, there you are this morning: fruiting, lush and green, redolent with splendor from a late-night washing. You brighten at my approach. The birds are chirping away at how happy they are to flutter about in my secret garden this morning. Neighborhood cats, protesting my refusal to recognize the anti-attack treaty they have made with Sandy-the-Dog, look longingly from their fence-top perches, also wishing to enjoy you, sweet Garden.
My deepest and most sincere apologies. I promise week after next to make it all up to you. I will trim you back and water you up. I will sing you songs and feed you something delicious. I will gather the gifts you have for me and I will give you the most precious thing I have to offer: time. Yes, I will give you my time.
Good morning, Potentilla
There is so much of summer and love left for us to enjoy.
Looooooooooooooooooooong day. Good day. Long day. I have been everywhere and back, more than once. Got to hang out with lots of cool people and enjoy the 10th day before the big fest.
But oh, nice!
Mmmm…getting in the car to come home late. No more worrying about my hair looking acceptable. Time to relax and turn the radio up while I roll the windows down and let the warm summer breeze blow wild. As I crest the hill into my little village, lightening flashes in a rhythmic show along the eastern horizon and the sky is hot pink and purple, blue and indigo alternately.
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I am tired beyond tired and yet, for a few minutes on the drive home, I am o-so-young again.
The executive directors power through a long meeting.
They break for a meal around our family table. Fitting, for they are family. Heaven Fest meetings are life-giving. They are hard work and more than you can take and too short for all that needs to be accomplished and frequent these days (didn’t we all just meet up at The Ranch yesterday morning?!?) and demanding and taxing and love. These people are beyond what we could hope or ask for. They produce a massive Christian music, worship and arts festival for the masses. They build the platform for the Body of Christ to come together to give to the poor, the orphan and the exploited. And to worship God around the clock. To be a catalyst for revival. And so much more.
Twilight approaches. There are hugs and well-wishing. The solar lights lining the backyard gardens take their cue and begin to glow. Dave turns on the twinkle lights in the trees and the uplights to give the bushes their moment on stage. The sky turns azure and the lights shine and it is romantic and lovely, a summer night twinkling happily away on an average street in Brighton.
The real lights of summer return home to their families. Yet the house is still aglow.
I thank God for these people.
Felix, and Josh (“Mr. July”), Vicki and Stephanie, Jason, Cody (+ Steve and JoAnna and the amazing interns, Chelsie and Jon)…thank-you. The 2-night-just-past-full-moonglow has nothing on you.
Hopefully it is true what they say when they say :: Better late than never. Because, this is late.
Gavin turned 8 over a month ago and I just got his video finished, for a whole slew of really valid and extremely interesting reasons. Yeah, right. It just took the Gav and I awhile to sync our schedules.
LOVE this boy. Wrote about his birthday HERE. And now, for the movie we made together using, yes, songs from the 60s and 70s because that is what I do (he wanted rock -n- roll, for sure). Gavin loves life and embraces it with abandoned fervor. That is what I hoped to capture in a few photos and a little video:
That’s right. This is the centerpiece as of late. A crystal bowl full of sidewalk chalk. A container of every-SPF known to mankind. Bug spray and after-burn potions. And a basket full of left-behind swimsuits and trunks.
It’s what’s on the table and even flowers would not be more appropriate.
Another interesting part of the season is the bathroom just off the kitchen when everyone leaves. For there I usually find tiny pairs of underwear and little socks and flip-flops and shoes, hair ties and other misc. clothing…in very small sizes. If their mamas are looking for something, I may have it.
Nonna and Amelie. A Sunday afternoon nap. On the swing. In the shade. After a swim.
Good sign.
This is what I found when we arrived home from Chicago. The sweetest message ever!
We were SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO sad our Kelley family didn’t go to Moslander Family Reunion with us this year (they are very busy and important people!), but they so kindly gave the dog room and board and took care of the house and garden for me. In fact – they took such good care of the garden it grew like a jungle and is so much more the blessed for me having been gone! THANK-YOU Steph and Tris and the 3 adorables! Love you so much and we want to tag along when you go to Chicago, soon! Pretty please?? We were thinking about you and missing you the whole time!
Gemma on a Saturday
cen·ter·piece, n.
1. Something in a central position, especially a decorative object or arrangement placed at the center of a table.
