I have had the privilege of life-long good health and strength. Chalk it up to the vigilance of a mother, who before it was “cool”, in vogue, best practice believed in the benefits of unprocessed foods, fruits and veggies, seasonal eating and cooking “from scratch”. I was a child who had avocado and tomato sandwiches on pumpernickel bread for my lunches as a school kid. Often there were prunes or dates as a sweet—items I liked though secretly longing for a “Twinkie” or a “Ho Ho” like my classmates. We ate eggs throughout the era of “one a week to protect one from heart attacks”, butter in moderation, olive oil in our homemade dressings and bananas “a perfect food” as my mother used to say. She believed that what is most natural is God-given and messing it up with preservatives can only be harmful. Hence, perhaps my years of optimal wellness.
FIRES, THEN AND NOW…
My husband of 57 years who now resides in Heaven was an expert at fire making. I never asked him if his short stint as a Cub Scout whetted that appetite, or whether six weeks of Pioneer camp when he was a preteen solidified his expertise. I only know he knew how to make a fire that initially flared hot and brilliant. And then, with special tweaking, nuance—a piece of kindling here, a new log there, an added poker proficiency—the fire smoldered and spit and crackled and hummed, giving off a comforting glow, a steady heat as long as we were able to enjoy it.
THE RICH BEAUTY OF ORDINARY TIME...
This June morning sun dapples the deck beyond my bedroom window. I hear birdsong and squirrel chatter. Light breezes ruffle oak leaves. Geranium pots shout red. It is a simple morning of good cheer, all right with the world.
On a Saturday morning like this I would relish the extra hot cup of coffee beside me, the blue berries and raspberries and yogurt breakfast. I would would be reading. Scripture, perhaps. A psalm, an excerpt from the Gospels. I would have a new memoir, a novel, or a work of non-fiction, just recommended at my finger tips. I would have checked my iPhone for email and text, the weather, world news. I might be making a mental list of errands: grocery store, wedding gift, get gas, Home Depot, the hardware store.