frack

What a fracking day. If you watch Battlestar Galactica, you know that I'm trying to get away with cursing.... I was typing a blog entry when not only did my MacBook shut down, but every current of electricity in our house stopped. No lights, no A/C, the dishwasher quit running. Johnny ran downstairs and out the front door to catch the electricity guy. J. was told we'd been cut off due to a late payment. Both of our jaws dropped open. We are not the types to just ignore our bills. But lately, things have been chaotic, Johnny's been extra busy, and I like to think this kind of thing happens to everyone? At least once? Johnny quickly paid our bill via his cell phone, then called an actual person to beg, "Please turn our electricity back on today!" I watched his face fall as he was told it normally takes 24-48 hours to process a work order. Even though the electricity guy was still in our neighborhood. We prayed for the Lord to send that dude back sooner, even today if He will.

Then, Johnny called the bank to make sure his recent deposits went through - God provided a lot of drum work recently. The bank info. was not good, and cryptic, and I thought my husband might pass out. Before he flew out the door to visit the bank, we took a minute to read a Psalm and PRAY. Things were just too weird all the sudden.

I calmed down and packed my life in a few bags. I say my life because I had to pack medicine, a gazillion supplements, yeast-free snacks, blah blah. I had just finished in record time (I'm a slow packer), slipped on some jeans and pulled back my hair, when simultaneously:

-Johnny walked in the back door w/good news from the bank,
-and our electricity turned back on.

He went outside to thank the electricity guy who said, "Oh, you're welcome. It's weird, though - it usually takes about 48 hours. Y'all got lucky!" Luck had nothing to do with it.

I looked at my packed bags and knew I should be utterly grateful. I was thankful, but I was also VERY FRUSTRATED. I unpacked every single item, muttering under my breath. However, right now I am more than grateful. All the food in our fridge will stay fresh and the hotel didn't charge us. Did I mention we had already booked a room at the Hampton?

[I want to insert that my Dad is now selling inexpensive electricity: Ignite by Stream Energy, for those of you in Texas & Georgia. And if you so desire, you, too, can sell electricity w/very little effort. It's not a wacky sales gimmick; just a good company selling a basic, everyday product. I thought after today's electrical events, this would be a good time to mention my Dad's web site. Look for "Need cheaper electricity?" in my mixed links. Just a devoted daughter supporting her Dad here.]

So now, that massage tomorrow is sounding phenomenal, as is a relaxing bath in about 20 minutes. And a good TV night. Anyway, here's that blog entry I started....

Next up, we're gonna talk about some good music. But posting a photo of the tea tin inspired me to share a few more reasons why checking the mailbox is therapeutic as of late ~ beauty.

1. Lotta arrived:



Both go well with that plate, huh? In lieu of a TV tray, I use the pot holder to protect my hand from a piping hot plate when we watch television upstairs. Like tonight during Grey's Anatomy and LOST, for example.

[I could also make very good use of this big bag, this pencil case, a few of these coasters, and a cushion or two]

2. One day, Laura sent misc. paper goods and I freaked out w/happiness. Here's a sampling:



That is work by herself, simply photo, and port2port. I think it's time to update my inspiration wires....

3. Then, Allison sent make-your-own-envelope kits (thank you!), and I ordered doily note cards from Elfrida on Etsy (after Laura sent me this):





[click all of these photos to see a bit clearer]

When I was 20 or so, if you told me I'd like doilies and the colors of pink & white, I would have laughed in your face. I'm still not a "pink person" per se (other than what's found in nature), but Elfrida selected the hues of green, pink, and khaki for the doilies, and pink envelopes, and I think the whole set turned out lovely. And I don't usually do personalized items, but I like my name there in lower case letters. She threw in the printing for free.

It's not horrible to like pastels to some degree. I do want a little girl, and though the walls of her nursery will not be pink, she is bound to have a pink dress or two.

random things

OK, the light cooperated a little bit today. We started out w/thunder and clouds, but now I see sunshine & blue. I can't say my photography "skills" or Blogger cooperated, though, but you'll get the idea. The cool gift that Lauren sent is this charming, glossy tea tin:



See, I loved the same tin in red, over on Lauren's blog. I left an innocent comment of admiration, and the next thing I know, she sends the blue version! I do love all shades of blue. And tea, of course. This gift also arrived in the throes of my stomach virus. I was writhing around in bed, asking Johnny, "Am I dying?" (dramatic, I know) He sighed and said, "No. But I'll go check the mail." (since good mail days do wonders for my psyche) He delivered a package to my pitiful self - that cute, blue tea tin. I quit pondering my demise for the rest of the day.

Lauren tells me she scores such items at her local TJ Maxx. I believe her, but I don't remember similar bounty at Houston TJ Maxx's. Maybe I need to drop by again. I did find a pseudo-antique wooden desk organizer once - for like $7.00.

In other news, I've taken to spying on birds in our backyard. There is one especially pretty one, pecking around in the grass. He/she is black with a sapphire neck and head. I'll never go to the extreme of Dan Koeppel's Dad in the memoir I'm reading - To See Every Bird on Earth - but I would like to know the names of our local birds. Like the black and blue guy, or what I think are adorable brown & white sparrows. Finches?

Which reminds me, Johnny found a hatched bird egg in our yard recently. It's so fragile and lovely. Very symbolic. Very spring. I set the eggshell on a high bookshelf, out of the cats' reach. I want to keep this bit of nature around for awhile.



By the way, my body has tolerated espresso w/cinnamon all week! Obviously I'm still into tea, but drinking coffee in the morning reminds me of my old life, before yeast; when I felt more freedom, or so it seemed. God is doing something very good with my health struggles. On days like today, I know and believe. But it's nice to immerse in nostalgia, or better yet, rest in hope of what's to come. Lots of tea, but also cups of aromatic coffee, with no worries of acid reflux or other annoyances. And, I might add, more grandiose events than beverages.

OH. Long ago, my kind Mom-in-law gave me a gift certificate for a one-hour aromatherapy massage at a local spa. That is finally happening tomorrow! I'm a little nervous about the whole prospect - I've never had a massage before - but I do believe my weary body needs it. So, I'm more excited than nervous, I guess. It's not very often I receive such a luxury.

There you have my random thoughts for today....

oh my cavalier

I had intended to snap a photo of the coolest gift from my friend Lauren - she is really spoiling me w/finds from her local TJ Maxx - but the weather is not cooperating. A thunderstorm is brewing outside; too dark for a photograph. I'll take the pic tomorrow or so - OK, Lauren? Today, I'll make the most of our muted weather. You know, burn beeswax & peppermint-vanilla candles, sip espresso, and read. And find a productive, domestic activity. I've pushed myself this week to ignore aches + pains and help out a little more with chores. I think that might actually contribute to healing.

So, I'll share my newest desktop art. I like to change my desktop view every week ~ a fresh outlook when I juice up the MacBook. Currently, it is beautiful, simplistic artwork by an Etsy favorite, Oh My Cavalier!:

["Honey"]

This piece also caught my eye (Julianna Swaney's whole shop is full of goodness):

["Wing"]

That second piece would look great in our living room, Johnny....

That's all for today. I really need to tend to my bookish blog. No, really. See y'all soon.

mailing tea

Other than blogging, pondering imminent Peace Like a River posts (for my other blog), and doing laundry, I've been assembling packages to mail. I love sending snail mail as much as I love receiving it ~ letters and packages alike. First, I put together my Mama's belated Mother's Day gift, part 2. Part 1 arrived on time, from Indigo Wild. Johnny kindly took part 2 to the post office today, so my Mom should be smiling towards the end of this week.

Then, I compiled an assortment of tea for my inspiring internet-friend, Nicole. That photo won't give anything away. She knew the tea was coming. The thing is, the tea was supposed to arrive at her doorstep weeks ago. She is a patient soul, and a kind one. When I felt extra i-c-k recently, Nicole sent some Yogi Breathe Deep tea bags. Ahhh.

My photo looks [only] slightly better if you click it, or view it over on flickr.... But the sight of mail almost ready to go + Lotta labels and stationery was cheerful to me, so I thought I'd share. And Laura, please notice your name on that envelope in the wooden "outgoing mail" bowl. A letter is coming soon!

After that and a thank you note, I should be caught up on snail mail. I hope! If not, please forgive me. I've got yeast on the brain.

milo during kittenhood

Look, I know some of you are cat-haters. I used to be one myself, mainly because I grew up with minor cat allergies. But I outgrew those, met Johnny (after admiring him from afar), and he invited me over to his apartment for dinner. He not only cooked amazing Indian food w/the Bulgarian Women's Choir in the background (very cool), but he had the sweetest black cat, Buddy. Honestly, I was a little nervous - like when you meet your boyfriend's/girlfriend's parents - because Johnny & Buddy were quite the pair. Buddy was a loyal companion for many of Johnny's single years. Plus, like I said, I wasn't so sure about cats. But I knew I wanted to spend as much time with Johnny as possible, so I showed up for our date with an open mind.

After Indian food, we settled on Johnny's futon to watch Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid, and Buddy sat right between us - to chaperon. He looked at me and purred and that was it. I was sold on cats, though I think the catch is to raise them indoors, be affectionate, and not expect them to act like dogs (I love dogs, too). When Johnny and I wed, Buddy adopted me. A few years later, putting our cat to sleep was one of the most traumatic events of my life. I drove us all to the vet that day against my will. I was in physical pain. I've told Harley and Milo several times, "You are not allowed to get sick until you are at least 20. I am not driving any of us to the vet [for that reason] any time soon."

After Buddy's passing, we waited a bit, but not too long, then adopted Harley when he was nine months old. Then, of course, our friend Amy found Milo under her backyard shed when he was a mere two weeks old. He chirped like a bird and broke our hearts. I didn't know if we could keep him alive, but God helped us - that's for sure.

Please bear with me here. We are pretty proud cat owners. Our cats can be nuts, but they have the sweetest personalities, and provide endless entertainment. Back at our newlywed apartment, we had to keep Milo in a big, bedside cage for awhile. He was too small to interact with Harley, and we had to make sure Milo was virus-free. When we let him out, he pretty much acted like this (and he still does):



Part of Milo's craziness is due to not being raised with his brothers & sisters, but he's our funny little guy. And he's still pretty little. But when I really watch him, or look in Harley's eyes, I think, "Goodness, God made them. He makes all things well. Adam named them. Caring for pets is quite an honor."

coffee + cupcakes

[photo by yours truly]

I've been craving coffee something fierce lately. I adore tea, yet even so, my heart's been yearning for French Roast. Coffee is technically on my yeast-free diet, but lately, it's too strong of a jolt for my weary body. I've been on good behavior coffee-wise - ask Johnny - but this morning I reached my good-girl limit. So, my personal, handsome barista prepared an aromatic espresso topped w/cinnamon. I thanked the good Lord aloud, "Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things: making thee young and lusty as an eagle." [Psalm 103:5] I inhaled the aroma (isn't coffee the best smell in the world?). I admired a recent mail delivery: a yogurt notebook. It surprises me how much I like the color white these days. The mini notebook's cover sports shades of white linen, a cup of plain yogurt, a cup of berries, and a wooden spoon. Very meditative. I miss yogurt a lot, but it is something to look forward to, and I do.

You would think a yeast-free diet is always difficult for me, but I'm rather accustomed most of the time. And there are foodstuffs I love such as refried black beans and cedar plank salmon (not served together). Yet every once in awhile, I'd give my favorite book to be able to walk into the kitchen and whip up cinnamon scones or blueberry muffins. Or cupcakes. Alright, I've also been craving cupcakes. Like right this minute.

[photo courtesy of In my tiny kitchen...]

A few weeks ago, I had several crazy dreams - some of epic proportions, it seemed. In between cinematic dreamscapes, my sleeping brain spun reels of myself eating no-no's. Here is one: I was eating a cupcake, and rationalizing. There were two cupcakes in front of me. I thought, "One little cupcake can't hurt. Come on, how much yeast can it really feed?" I picked up a cupcake and took a luxurious bite. I focused on the icing (my favorite part). It was good, but not as good as I remembered (this dream was rather realistic). Then I started to panic, and I woke up relieved. These dreams make me paranoid!

The truth is, as much I miss certain desserts or entrées, I'm not tempted to cheat on my diet during waking hours. When Johnny brings home Ben & Jerry's, sure, I could take a few bites, but such a dietary slip-up would feed unwelcome yeast in my body and make me feel even worse. Ice cream is just not worth it. However, I still want a cupcake! I read about them everywhere, see cute photos.... Thank God, I ran across Elana's recipe for vanilla cupcakes (using coconut flour) w/chocolate frosting.

That recipe is gluten-free. The irony of my diet is that in terms of strictness, yeast-free makes gluten-free look like a bountiful cornucopia. For example, no agave nectar for me. No honey or sugar of any kind. But in the next week or two, I'm gonna tap into my creative side and play with that cupcake recipe. As far as I know, grapeseed oil is OK, but I'm more familiar w/coconut oil. I'll use that and erythritol, and unsweetened baking chocolate or raw cacao powder. I think I'll try coconut cream, too ~ for both chocolate and vanilla frosting. When it's vanilla icing, I'll sprinkle coconut flakes on top. Mmm, this will be a fun project, don't you think?

My last thought has nothing to do with dining, but we're rather proud of our blooming lilies (since we normally have black thumbs). A few more popped up yesterday:

[photo by Johnny]

hymn #210

I figured I wouldn't blog again 'til next week, but I didn't know that I would wake up so inspired today. Inspired by hymn #210:

"Deck Thyself, My Soul with Gladness"

Deck thyself, my soul, with gladness,
leave the gloomy haunts of sadness,
come into the daylight's splendor,
there with joy thy praises render
unto Him whose grace unbounded
hath this wondrous banquet founded;
high o'er all the heavens He reigneth,
yet to dwell with thee He deigneth.

Now I sink before Thee lowly,
filled with joy most deep and holy,
as with trembling awe and wonder
on Thy mighty acts I ponder;
how, by mystery surrounded,
depths no man hath ever sounded,
none may dare to pierce unbidden
secrets that with thee are hidden.

Sun, who all my life dost brighten;
Light, who dost my soul enlighten;
Joy, the sweetest man e'er knoweth;
Fount, whence all my being floweth:
at Thy feet I cry, my Maker,
let me a fit partaker
of this blessed food from heaven,
for our good, Thy glory, given.

Jesus, Bread of life, I pray Thee,
let me gladly here obey Thee;
never to my hurt invited,
be Thy love with love requited;
from this banquet let me measure,
Lord, how vast and deep its treasure;
through the gifts Thou here dost give me,
as Thy guest in heaven receive me.
[words: Johann Franck, 1645;
trans. Catherine Winkworth, 1863.
music: Schmücke dich.]

As much as I love Indelible Grace (a lot), I don't think hymn #210 needs changing one bit. Well, I sing it one octave lower around the house because I can't quite reach the highest notes. But the melody is beautiful ~ you can hear it here, but just know that's a very basic midi file. Our Church is blessed with gifted musicians who create a much warmer song that makes my heart ache with joy. Yes, Johnny plays percussion, but we also have a pianist, guitarists, singers, and the like, and the music is lovely.

The lyrics of #210 are so rich, and very meaningful to me. All through these many months - my body weakened from fighting off a candida overgrowth, my adrenals fatigued, my thyroid low - I've discovered that I'm very prone to depression. It's hard for me to keep my chin up; I don't suffer well. On one such day, Johnny pointed out the first two lines of hymn #210 - "Deck thyself, my soul, with gladness, leave the gloomy haunts of sadness." And why? I read the entire hymn and nearly wept. It's the most beautiful song and this morning, I wakened w/the melody in my head. On Sundays, I'm often fortunate enough to walk up to Communion as our small choir sings this hymn. It is a worshipful, moving experience.

Today, I was also inspired by Psalm 50. Johnny & I prayed together, he read a Psalm, and I read #50 - another song in its own right. As I spoke each word, I felt my troubles slip away, one by one. The Lord is in control of every single little & big thing. Not me. Why I struggle with worry, I have no idea:

"The Lord, even the most mighty God, hath spoken: and called the world, from the rising up of the sun unto the going down thereof. Out of Sion hath God appeared: in perfect beauty. Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: there shall go before Him a consuming fire, and a mighty tempest shall be stirred up round about Him."
[Psalm 50:1-3 ~ from an old English prayer book]

That He, in all His power, awe, and beauty loves and forgives me is a humbling, peaceful realization.

Another inspiration was a Lotta mug full of Sencha green ginger tea. During the stomach bug, I didn't even want tea. Can you believe it?? Another clue I wasn't merely dealing with overzealous yeast. But today, the aroma of Sencha and the therapy of ginger were perfect.

Lastly, I've been pondering scenes from The Kite Runner. We watched it yesterday and just loved it, though there are a few heartbreaking/disturbing scenes (as in the book). But it got me to thinking. Sometimes we need to be disturbed. Our hearts need to break. These scenes were veiled enough so as not be too graphic, but they revealed enough for me to partially cover my face and say aloud, "Oh no! I forgot this part from the book. They can't do that to sweet Hassan!" But they did do that to Hassan. If you read the book or saw the film, you know what I mean. Or the contrast of Amir & Hassan's childhood Afghanistan to when grown-up Amir traveled back to his broken, Taliban-infested country. And so on. I don't want to give too much away. It is such a wonderful story, and after so much evil, there is redemption, thank God. Johnny and I were misty-eyed at the end, our hearts relieved.

As we prayed this morning, I found myself praying for Afghanistan - for the Gospel to pour over the land like honey, and rescue for orphans in similar horrific situations like the character of Sohrab. I realize it's a fictional story, but the author - Khaled Hosseini - is from Afghanistan. He knows his country, history, and current events well. As his book and movie also teach, fiction is not a waste of time. We can learn a lot from well-written stories.

This reminds me of Mars Hill Audio, volume 90. One of the interviews discussed why books and stories should be important to Christians. Have you listened to it yet? Get to it! Kate and I still want to have a discussion (right, Kate?). I'm thinking Ken Myers' intro., and the interviews with Dana Gioia and Eugene Peterson.

[photo from Time Out New York]

sick

[toilette plaque by rae dunn]

As I mentioned on books for calvin, I've been mighty sick the past few days. We thought Johnny had food poisoning, but it turns out he picked up a stomach virus at a recording studio. We know this because I started to run fever, shake with chills, and puked once, and those are not yeast die-off symptoms (nor is food poisoning contagious). All in all, I think Johnny had a worse case, but I've felt just awful. I never thought I'd prefer die-off, but I think I do. At least there are a few ways to tame that beast when it gets too hard. However, a stomach virus must run its course which is agony. By the way, I now feel quite strongly that nausea is absolutely worthless unless you are pregnant (I'm not). I know it feels equally gross when you're w/child, but at least it's for a good cause. I loathe nausea.

Today is the first day I've felt a little hope, seen a slant of light. I'm still weak and exhausted, but I'm sitting upright on the couch vs. reclining in bed. I'm eating scrambled eggs which is a major accomplishment, even if I am eating s-l-o-w. This is not without many prayers and God's ever-kind, listening ear (thank You).

I thought posting that toilette plaque was funny - in light of the stomach bug - but I also think it's a lovely piece of art. I'd hang it in our bathroom in a second. rae dunn creates all kinds of beauty:

[home sweet home plaque]

[mini bowl]

[baby birth plaque. Whenever I am pregnant, and nausea is worth it, I've already decided to hang one of these in the nursery. I like the baby foot or crown decorations.]

Speaking of beauty, our lilies are going nuts outside. Last year, we only had three blooms, but this year, we have 8+ blooms (a few are close to the ground):

[photo by Johnny]

I probably won't blog again 'til next week. Both my brain and body are worn out. But I'll have things to share: some thoughts, great mail days, new music, bits of nature, a recipe, and the like. And if I owe any of you snail mail, it is coming soon, Lord willing.

God bless you with good health this weekend, I pray.
[and pray for me, please]

P.S. - I'm unable to see a few of the photos I posted on my blog. If you have time, would you scroll down and see if they show up on your screen or not? Thank you.
[I think I fixed the problem....]

clothesline

I've been lurking on Etsy again:

["Out to Dry" by Erin Lang Norris of yellow canoe]

The yellow canoe shop has long been an Etsy favorite of mine. That particular piece of art cheers me up lately. I just click the above link and my heart does feel lighter. I'm sure someone will purchase "Out to Dry" before I can justify $44, but at least I have the photo on my desktop.

Speaking of clotheslines, I've also been admiring this flickr photo; and this one, too (by our friend Allison). Both are beautiful photographs reminding me of an item on my to-do list: hang a clothesline in the backyard.

I imagine it would be therapeutic to dry laundry out back. I'll have to hang my trusty wasp catcher, first, though. I call our backyard "wasp country" which is accurate. Bright orange wasps even tap on the living room windows, taunting me. They know. I conjure sci-fi scenarios - mutated wasps able to melt through glass. I get cold chills.... Since I'm obviously scared silly of hornets, working with a clothesline poses a challenge. But with the blue glass catcher to distract (and kill!) errant wasps, I should be good to go. Hopefully our clothes will pick up a gardenia scent; we noticed this floral perfume in the air as we ran to the drugstore last night to restock on Pepto and Imodium AD.

Did I mention Johnny contracted food poisoning on Saturday? He's doing a little better, but he's had a very rough time of it. I hate to see him so sick. I surely don't enjoy illness, but for me, it is much worse to watch Johnny suffer. That may sound mushy, yet it's true. There's not much I can do for food poisoning other than pray and hand him glasses of water and Gatorade, but whatever I can do, I'll do it. Well, of course I researched natural remedies, too. One is charcoal capsules which we actually have on hand, but J. hasn't tried 'em yet, mostly because he's doing better where charcoal would help. It sounds gross, I know, but activated charcoal absorbs all kinds of digestive toxins - a good, natural first aid item (not to replace the ER when needed, though). And since food poisoning is caused by bad bacteria, I've been rubbing Thieves oil on Johnny's feet and tummy. You might laugh, but he isn't puking today; he's keeping liquids and Saltines down. Thieves is another staple in our home. It smells amazing, too.

My adventures in yeast die-off mimic food poisoning to a certain degree, so J. and I have been quite the pathetic pair. We've napped a lot, snuggled, watched TV, read, moped, talked/complained, and prayed. I've always said that when contemplating a spouse, be sure to picture illness - either one of you or both - and just sit with that for awhile. If you don't think you can swing it, I'd say hold off on engagement or move on. Love & marriage require caring for each other, and ignoring your own discomfort to do so.

I should say here that as I've observed Johnny handle food poisoning, I've come to a startling conclusion. I am a WIMP, a whiny-baby, and Johnny is a real, live saint. Part of my wimpishness comes from battling a candida overgrowth since July '07 - that's a long time to try a girl's patience. Yet food poisoning is horrific - you know it is - and last night as we drove home, Johnny (weak, exhausted, and nauseous) said, "God has been so merciful to me." I said, "Yes... But I'm desperate to hear exactly how." Johnny then proceeded to list specific details (ones you might overlook during food poisoning), and I was humbled to the core. I married such a great, faithful man. When my faith is snuffed out, his inspires me, encourages me, teaches me.

It is my great honor care for Johnny. I'd have it no other way.

pretending to see mountains

Today turned out to be lovely. I feel slightly better than yesterday. The sun is OUT. And my thoughts are of mountains. This started with Kerry's gorgeous photos of Mt. Diablo (in CA), taken on a hike with one of my favorite companies, Juniper Ridge. After her photos, I increased my incense-burning; sweetgrass in particular - a vanilla-like scent. And well, I confess - I watched Oprah yesterday. I was already upstairs, watching Grey's Anatomy which I DVR'd. Afterwards, I recalled Kate's post about Oprah. I, too, used to watch O. with the same morbid fascination. She bugs me so much, but I used to study her show wondering, "What IS the appeal?"

Yesterday, Oprah's show opened to the most beautiful vista of snow-capped mountains and aspen trees. Like my husband, I love aspen trees. My heart ached to be right there. The location was TomKat's home in Telluride, Colorado. At first, I honestly watched only to see more of that Colorado scenery and their massive house. It is big, but very simply decorated and rustic. I was impressed with TomKat's taste and the little playhouse nook under the stairs for Suri. After the hour-long interview (yes, I watched the whole thing), I decided:

-Oprah still bugs me.
-Scientology is wacko.
-Tom is a bit nutty, but he does have a likable side when he's calm (he was yesterday).
-I do believe he is Suri's real father.
-Suri is adorable.
-I've always found Katie Holmes to be very charming.
-If TomKat ever move out of that house and Johnny and I come across millions of dollars, we'll buy it. J. and I don't need such vast space, but the sun is bright enough today that if I close my eyes and flip on my imagination, I can see TomKat's mountains outside of our Houston windows. Man.

....Johnny's at a recording session with Donna Stuart, for her upcoming album. Other than pretending to see mountains, the cats and I have kicked back today, up to this and that. For instance, I interrupted Milo's nap on a kitchen windowsill for a photo shoot:









He went back to sleep, I looked around, and thought, "Wow. We've acquired too much clutter in the kitchen. Mental note: clean up soon.":



Part of the clutter is a set of beeswax tapers. I wish you could smell this photo ~ natural beeswax smells amazing, like honey:



I ordered the tapers for these bamboo holders in the dining room:



However, I stupidly ordered the "fat boy"-sized candles. I did so because we have two standard, natural-colored beeswax tapers that are too small for those holders. But now I know - "fat boys" don't fit, either. Johnny thinks he can whittle down the tapers and make 'em fit. I hope so; the blue color sure is pretty.

And now, it's time:
-for a cup of tea & a snack,
-to post on books for calvin,
-to read,
-to make serious plans to whip up Kerry's mouthwatering April 2008 Monthly Meal (minus the sweet rolls). Macadamia nut-encrusted mahi mahi. Steamed asparagus (one of my favorite veggies). I can even tweak that coconut ice cream recipe (no agave nectar for me yet)!
-and lace up my sneakers when Johnny arrives home. We're gonna hit the walking trail and discuss a road trip to Colorado. And take pics of our Easter lilies blooming outside. They're a tad late, but I'll take Ascension lilies, too.