The Good Earth

A long-awaited warm spring day after a cold, long winter brings out...

...a pair of feminine garden boots, received as a "freebie" Heirloom of the Month from Victorian Trading Company with the purchase of other merchandise (a hat I have admired and wanted for many months).

...soil amendments to be added to garden boxes ("Mel's Square Foot Garden Mix" - 1/3 composted manure, 1/3 vermiculite, 1/3 peat moss) while wearing a pair of feminine garden boots.

...a box planted with seedlings (broccoli, buttercrunch lettuce, and Romaine lettuce), and of course some pretty flowers, with the late afternoon sun making them vibrant with color!

Viva il Papa!

I have been so moved by the images of our Holy Father these past days. It was marvelous to see a stadium filled with over 45,000 people all praying and celebrating Mass together, seeing the Pope addressing 25,000 youth and seminarians, and then praying at Ground Zero. The words of Pope Benedict have moved my soul. This is so timely, as I have been in a very sad place lately - adjusting to returning to my profession as a nurse (part-time), coping with almost unrelenting illness, and trying to find my footing and place in the world. I found the following particularly inspiring:

"Friends, again I ask you, what about today? What are you seeking? What is God whispering to you? The hope which never disappoints is Jesus Christ. The saints show us the selfless love of his way. As disciples of Christ, their extraordinary journeys unfolded within the community of hope, which is the Church. It is from within the Church that you too will find the courage and support to walk the way of the Lord. Nourished by personal prayer, prompted in silence, shaped by the Church's liturgy you will discover the particular vocation God has for you. Embrace it with joy. You are Christ's disciples today. Shine his light upon this great city and beyond. Show the world the reason for the hope that resonates within you." (Spoken by Pope Benedict XVI at a youth rally at St. Joseph's Seminary in Yonkers.)

I must remember each day the joyful instruction given by the Pope:
Have Courage!

A Quiet Evening

Last night I had the house to myself, well, almost to myself; my grandson was soundly asleep in his bed, and the rest of the family were out and about - my children all out visiting friends and Paul needed to stay late at work.

After spending a lot of time in the afternoon working on household paperwork and insurance forms, I planned on an evening of doing nothing. And it did start that way. I watched the new version of Northanger Abbey, which I enjoyed very much. When it was done, I thought I'd go upstairs and surf the net. But I was oddly compelled to "tend" the house.

You see, the house had been nicely cleaned for Easter. Add to this that we had our new sitting room furniture delivered (a sofa and love seat). And although the furniture is inexpensive (with a toddler it just won't do to buy expensive stuff, plus it was on sale!), it looks very lovely. Before it was delivered, the girls and I vacuumed and mopped the sitting room thoroughly. We also picked up and sorted through all of Tyler's toys. Earlier yesterday I got motivated to sort and neaten our CD collection, which was out of order, many CD's were "homeless" with their cases strewn about on the stereo shelves, and there was quite a bit of dust on the shelves of the CD holder.

So last night, I wanted to keep this nice feeling of order. So I got the kitchen wiped down, sinks emptied, floor mopped, dishwasher started. I vacumed all the downstairs floors (with a toddler, vacuuming only once a week just will not do), tidied the table, and generally put things right. It was not a burden; it was actually quite enjoyable.

I liked the feeling of "tending".

Monkey Picked Oolong Tea

A friend recently told me about this wonderful (albeit pricey) tea. She warned me not to go into Teavana and try a sample or I would be hooked for life as she is. So, of course, I just had to go into Teavana and try it, and yes, it is delicious. But it is definitely a tea for special occasions, not for everyday use.

You may be wondering - is it really picked by monkeys?! Sadly, no. I had these fascinating visions of darling little monkeys picking my tea. There is a tale going round that Buddhist monks long ago trained monkeys to pick tea leaves, but there are differing opinions on whether or not that is true. There is, however, one company in China today that claims to have monkeys picking tea for them.

At any rate, today the name Monkey Picked Oolong means the finest variety of Oolong tea. Oolong tea is the type of tea often served in Chinese restaurants. It is lighter than black tea. The differences are in how the tea is processed (it is called fermentation, but not the same fermentation as one would find with alcohol):

• Black tea: When tea leaves are bruised or crushed, enzymes in the leaf cells are exposed to oxygen and a chemical reaction (oxidation) takes place that causes the leaf to darken, or ferment. When tea leaves are fully fermented, the end product is black tea.


• Oolong tea: The fermentation process is stopped prematurely, once the leaves are slightly yellowed. When steeped, Oolong tea produces golden or light brown tea with a very delicate flavor resembling neither black nor green tea.

After a very hectic week and weekend, with both of my daughters dancing in a show, I felt it was a good day to have my Monkey Picked Oolong!

On Grandparents Raising Grandchildren

...or in our case, helping out as much as possible with our grandson who, with his mother (our eldest daughter), lives with us.

Here is how it all came about:
We sent our daughter off to college. She had always been the "rebellious one" of our children, distant, almost impossible to reason with at times. We got the news in early 2006 that she was pregnant. It was one of those moments that seem to stretch an eternity, when I felt God watching and waiting - what will you do? For Paul and I, the only right, loving, and moral possibility was for her to continue the pregnancy and to keep the baby with the family. We promised her that we would do everything possible to allow her to continue with her hopes and dreams, while helping to raise the baby.

Adjusting:
It is a very odd thing to raise a baby again after your youngest child becomes a teenager. Interestingly enough, I did have this thought in late 2005 that I would love to have a baby again, and even briefly thought about adopting. I am quite sure that this was God's way of preparing me for my new role: A grandmother helping to raise a grandchild. The adjustment has not been easy. I have been dealing with some health issues, and it was all just such a topsy-turvy change of lifestyle. I had different plans and dreams. It made for frustration and often depression, even feeling trapped. I had to remind myself long and often about the bigger picture and that I was working for a greater good.

Nowadays:
However, in spite of the difficulties, our grandson is a complete blessing. I am so grateful that we are managing to do what we set out to do - help raise Tyler and help Julie achieve her dreams along with it. Some things that have helped are having family therapy, getting needed rest, and eating properly. Finding a new doctor that is addressing my health issues has also brightened the horizons significantly. The most wonderful change has been in Julie. The once rebellious teen is turning into a lovely young woman, a good mother, a loving daughter, a sibling who is also a friend, and a grown up. Our life has altered quite a bit. I also am needing to reassess working. As it is now, I am doing a lot of baby care while Julie works part-time. But Paul and I discussed how since I am a Registered Nurse that I could earn more in the same amount of time Julie is working, allowing her to be with her son more. We have spent time in prayer, asking for God's guidance on this issue.

The Important Thing:
It can be done. It isn't easy, but God gives us the strength. When Julie was pregnant and considering adoption, I was so dismayed. I didn't want to lose this precious family member, however lovely any adoptive family could be. Even in my most depressed times, I have never regretted our decision to keep Tyler in our family and home.

He is a blessing. Thank you God.

Without The Dark, There Is No Sunrise

Today I was in my doctor's office getting treatment. I have been down and out with a sinus infection (that finally required antibiotics), and just in general poor health. The snows in our area along with the long days of winter have also deflated me. But the doctor said that he never looks at the winter in bad terms. He feels he can't truly enjoy the spring and summer without this season of quiet and rest. He said to me, "Without the dark, there is no sunrise." This made good sense to me.

I walked home today because my daughter needed the car and dropped me off at the doctor's office. It is a somewhat long walk, but today I welcomed it. It is a comparatively warm day, with the huge snows we have had recently beginining to melt. The sun was bright. I was grateful for the sun and fresh air and exercise. My doctor had given me a hot cup of green tea to go, and I sipped it all the way home. I paused only once to look at one of my favorite home gardens along that pathway. I often walk past this neighbor's house to admire the beauty of his garden vision. Once home I soaked my feet in a hot bath.

Simple pleasures on a winter day, knowing warmth will come in its time!.

Feeding Mama Blueberries

A favorite time for Julie and Tyler: