it's nice to share.

we have good neighbors ...
one neighbor in particular lives next door and has a flourishing garden. he shared zucchini and armenian cucumbers last week. i set to slicing the cukes, red onion, and garlic - then assembled the vinegars, sugars, and spices.. into a big bowl it all went, then in the fridge for a day ... then in two tall jars, one of which is already gone! yUm.

do you make refrigerator pickles? pickled veggies?

as info .. i used a recipe from the Brown Eyed Baker.
click on the green link ..

garden thoughts.

"Drop Thy dews of quietness
Till all our strivings cease..
Take from our souls the strain & stress,
And let our ordered lives confess
The beauty of Thy peace."
~ John Greenleaf Whittier

"He kept right on going because he kept his eyes
on the One who is invisible."     ~Hebrews 11:27

"In quietness and confidence

shall be your strength."     ~Isaiah 30:15

joy:
gladness not based on circumstance.
1 peter 1:8-9

.          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .

sleep was minimal at best.. finally rising at 4 to brew coffee and seek the One my soul loves, i nestled in and brought to the throne all that is on my heart and mind. it's a good thing. ♥ sunday morning our pastor encouraged us to begin memorizing psalm 103.. i'm 2 days in with 2 verses hidden in my heart at present - more to come if my noggin keeps up with my desire. puttering in the garden to keep plants hydrated reminds me my own self needs hydration .. body and soul. it's not enough to offer token sleepytime prayer then drift off .. He's not a *sugar daddy.* a conversation is give and take and no different when communing with the Father .. more so. if we are to become more Christ-like, then we ought to seek and listen more than speak ..
thinking on this today.

breakfast was a bit of plain yogurt mixed with mandarin sections, blueberries, & sliced banana. i've a piece of cod marinating in a hatch chili dressing - later to be pan seared then chunked and placed in warm corn tortillas with habanero slaw. this afternoon i'll hopefully take a nap to ward off this befuddled brain from lack of sleep.

know the great thing about leftover coffee? put it in a blender with ice and almond milk .. give it a whirl for a creamy latte. you'll thank me. and you won't have to pay $4 at whatever coffee joint you frequent. wink.

toodles for now...

me.

p.s.

"Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me bless His holy name!
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and forget not all His benefits."
Psalm 103:1-2
{read further .. in the Word .. to learn of His benefits!}

burger.

while in the sierra at what's known as the
**non-rally-rally**
for vintage trailerites, i made chili for dinner while our campy friends grilled burgers then topped them with cheese, saute'd mushrooms, and catsup etc. and placed them on a bed of lettuce and tomato ... looked so good so i decided to  be a copy cat and make it at home.
**with a twist**
i saute'd onions, mushrooms, and garlic .. a quick little pot of baked beans, and a side of horseradish cream.
sooo yUmmers.
might try a flattened chicken breast or thigh
next .. marinating it for a day or so 1st.

BIG thanks to nancy & roger for the burger inspiration!
today's their 37th wedding anniversary ..
♥ hAppy aNniVerSaRy ♥

simplicitea.

with warmer days upon us i'm trying to keep life simple.
slowing down .. working through some personal things.
making tea seemed a good idea.. and drawing the curtains
and shutters closed, fans on, & watering the veggies
morning and night. cool hose water is welcome over
toasty toes. towels and blankets on the line after a little
drift to the sierra where nights were mighty cool ..
then to the valley below where 100+ awaited.
we were not amused.

whispering pines.

one weekend in may - we found ourselves amid towering pines leading to wide open meadows then pines once more .. betwixt and between and equally breathtaking. our happy place. through. and through. ♥

just drifting along...
a coddiwomple cadence.

& in the morning.

. . . personal renewal sometimes results
from a good night's rest, even if that good rest was littered with many wakeful moments.

my father died.
may 31 at 1:35am.
at 1:57am i got the text
from one of my 431 sisters that he had passed...
waking the hubs we dressed and went on our way to the nursing home. in the car and in the still quiet
i whispered, "drive fast. safe but fast." he did and in doing so arrived the exact moment as my sister.
tearful embrace.
a somberness blanketed the car,
my father's room, our hearts.
dad's hands were still warm..
leaning in to rest on his shoulder i drew what strength
could be gathered and loved him in person one last time.
after his body was taken away we gathered his personal
effects and quietly took our leave..

my father relocated to the sacramento area after a terrible
fall that left him with great need for skilled nursing.
being that my location is middle-ground for all the sisters
to visit and spend precious time with dad, sacramento was ultimately agreed upon and i found a skilled nursing center that would meet his needs and proximity to my home. nick-named sherwood forest due to the immense trees surrounding the facility..
dad moved in july 2017.
and "moved out" may 2019.

october 1, 1929 * * * may 31, 2019

visiting 5-6 days a week resulted in restoring the years
the locusts had eaten. at age 8 my folks divorced and age 10 we (mom & us girlies) moved 2k miles away to california to begin a new life. for a very long time i didn't understand the why of it all .. age and maturity brought realization and clearer perception as to the untidy situation. our nearly daily visits weren't always pleasant .. partly due to my father's physical and health situation and partly due to a tendency toward him being a curmudgeon. ultimately i experienced that beneath that crusty exterior of this very old-world slavic man, breathed a cream puff sweetness. these nearly two years spent with my father brought a greater understanding of human frailty, forgiveness, mercy, and grace for the more difficult of days which became much  more frequent in recent months and certainly weeks ultimately resulting in days then moments of life in a very real and raw sense.

it was an honor to care for this man in what ways i was able, which brings to mind that God doesn't call the able - - He calls the willing and makes them able. i treasured time with my father and am humbled by God's goodness.


hold close those tender souls
placed in your lives..


a glimpse of my father .. so strong ..
so handsome .. so young. ♥
i love you, daddy ......................... ♥