The past few days have been normal ones. I find myself liking some things about the normalcy, and disliking others. I don't like how normal it is for unpleasantlness to arise in our house. I don't like the cross words and the unkind behavior I see so often... But I like to be at home, and there is some security and comfort in the normal routines. I enjoy the cooking and baking I do, which is almost a sort of therapy. I like the meals I can prepare with taste and beauty. I love the colours... the colours are beautiful.
I love the produce which has been so abundant from our garden. Tomatoes are gathered every few days, and the harvest looks like this:
There's a peacefulness in the husking of corn... To sit outside and listen to the birds and cicadas chirping... To fill bowl and pot full of corn cobs, and to layer up the stack of corn husks and silk for compost, after being sufficiently played with by the youngsters...
Cookies... Baking... Such enjoyable things for enjoyable people. Something I love doing: baking for people. Not only for my family, but for others...
The days are full of things like this... full of teaching the kidlings how to work and have fun...
.... of staying up late to finish projects (and this certain project resulted in at least eight quart bags full of corn in our freezer)
...full of canning extra produce, such as the tomato sauce seen here...
Made me so proud, my first canning nearly alone, and with only minimal help.
Special memories, of making Baked Blueberry Oatmeal at four in the morning so that it can cook in the crockpot until seven o'clock, then topping it off with hand whipped cream, skimmed off the top of a gallon of fresh Jersey milk.
...of children playing, pretending to be asleep for the picture, then scrambling back up, giggling...
...of sterilizing mason jars for canning...
....of washing cucumbers to make pickles...
...of peeling red beets while they're still hot, and making my palms exceedingly hot.
...of feeling responsible, and oh-so-satisfied! of my work....
Thank you, God... thank you.
