To Amuse and Delight

Monday, May 23, 2011

After the Rain


It has been raining here a lot. A whole lot. Like every day. I found myself slipping into “snowed in” mode. For me that means not leaving the house, reading, sewing and baking. That’s alright when it really is snowing. But it’s Spring. I should be out there planting, wandering, foraging, smelling Spring, being dazzled by the colors. Finally there was a break. We were sitting at the table reading. I was thinking about what to bake and out it came. The sun! I said to the girls “We need to get out, now! This might not last long.” We ran off immediately for a woodsy walk. 
I am so glad we did. It seems we were not the only ones rejoicing in the sudden break in the rain, all kind of critters were scampering around us. The birds were shaking the water off their feathers and singing. So many mushrooms had popped up everywhere. Even a snake seemed to be enjoying the sun, stretched out relaxing so close to us I could touch him.
My advice is to get out there and grab the blessings while you can. When it rains again you will wish that you had. 

(The photo is of my little one playing with some interesting clumps of mushrooms. She was making believe that she was the "Mushroom Lady",  that her umbrella was a giant mushroom and that she was causing the mushrooms to grow. )

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

I love Easter.

I love Easter and Springtime. Flowers that I planted years ago come back to surprise me. I seem to have forgotten them. Now they amaze me with their colors and scents. New life is everywhere.

I look forward to baking my Easter babkas.
And eating them.
The lamb cake is always fun.
I make ready the clothing for little girls to be in their ‘Easter best’.
I collect treats and hide them so they can find them.
I love Easter because Easter is “real” to me. Because my Savior rose from the dead to show me that one day I can too. I will follow him. If I didn’t believe this these little things I do would be futile. I prepare good things for my family- I plant, bake, sew, arrange. Things to delight them, to make them happy. I create with the intent to bring joy. Why do I do this? Because this is what I was made to do. Because I was created in God’s image and this is what he does. As I prepare my surprises I am reminded how Jesus after his resurrection went on ahead to prepare surprises for us. Things that I cannot begin to imagine.
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms, if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”
John 14:1-4