A Big Dose of Today

Skyline of the Great North Coast



Two very happy beach-goers



The waves were perfect...and lots of fun to walk through



Caleb could have hung out here all afternoon

Evan, still mostly dry at this point

I told the kids yesterday (on Mad Monday) if we could get all our indoor work out of the way, we could spend the next seven to ten days enjoying what the local weatherman is promising... absolutely perfect weather. Can I just say, "It's about time!" We've had so much rain that even my impatiens were getting water-logged.

So this morning, on a whim, we hopped in the car, picked-up my sister-in-love and her two younglings, and drove to the beach. It was a picture-perfect day with a back drop of sapphire skies and wonderful warm sunshine. Oh, did we ever need a big dose of today!

There's something to be said about hearing the surf constantly breaking on shore. I found it to be so comforting. I think I could have parked myself on a blanket and stayed there for hours on end. It was only about 70 degrees today and the water temperature was 65...not exactly great swimming weather, but fantastic walking-in-bare-feet weather. The kids have already asked if we can go back tomorrow.

While walking on the beach, a fairly sizeable inlet had formed from the tide waters coming ashore. At the far end of it, an adult could easily take a couple steps and be on the other side. And that's exactly what Caleb did. My little almost-four-year-old nephew, Evan, decided he was going to do the same thing. The only problem--Evan is just a little guy and, what was an easy two-steps for Caleb, ended up being many steps for Evan. And then he decided running might help. We saw what was going to happen just as it was about to happen. The soft sand gave way under his little feet, he lost his balance, and ended up, fully dressed, in the water. The look on his face was priceless. Somewhat of wonder and shock at the same time. Then, we find out later that after he stood-up and got out of the water, he looked at Caleb and said, "I didn't mean to do that!" Not exactly what you might expect to hear from an almost-four-year-old. How absolutely adorable is that?

It was truly a wonderful day. I am so thankful that God sees us where we are as we walk along this journey of life. He knows exactly what we need. And to top it all off, He blesses us with magnificent beauty. The sights, the sounds, the smells, the wonder of it all.

1 Corinthians 2:9
But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him.”

Amazed again,

Armenian Rice

Did you know that white rice typically stores for 10 years?

I made this for the sisters-in-love get together this past Wednesday. It's quick and easy and tastes great. And leftovers warm easily. It's a great side dish for just about any meal. The only think it's lacking is a little bit of color. If you have an herb garden, sprinkle some fresh chopped parsley on top.

Armenian Rice

What you will need:

1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup dried vermicelli (Angel Hair pasta), broken
2 cups uncooked long-grain rice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 cups beef broth

Melt butter in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and vermicelli; saute until onion is tender. Stir in rice and remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Makes 10 servings.

Note from Michelle: I would estimate a cup of vermicelli to be as much as a quarter is round when you remove the pasta from the package. How's that for estimating! Use a food processor or I broke it in half and then in half again and placed it in a tall bowl. I used my knuckles to break the pasta into pieces about a half an inch long.

Enjoy!

Come Rain or Shine

Here are a few pictures I've taken over the past few days...


My little boy, Caleb, who is no longer a little boy. He will celebrate his 14th birthday in July. I'm already looking forward to that post! He took over all of the mowing last year. This picture was taken a few days ago (a day the rains held off in the morning only to rain minutes after he finished mowing) when he decided to mow diagonally for the first time. We were all impressed with the very straight diagonal lines. Not an easy thing as you dodge trees and landscaping!



This is my oldest and dearest garden statue. I bought her right after we moved into our house. I've never brought her in during the winters and as you can see, she's very weathered. Her little skirt has held tea candles when evening guests were arriving and bird seed to feed our favorite woodland friends. This year, there's a chipmunk that has the audacity to perch himself on top her pretty little head. The lavender was given to me by our dear friend, Adam (Mrs. Nagy's brother) three years ago. He's our favorite bee keeper, you know. We have fallen in love with providing beautiful flowers to our bee friends. Our five little lavender plants have grown into a huge lush patch which provides a stunning backdrop for the Stella Dora day lillies. We're just waiting for the rains to end so our bee friends can come and feast. I'll try and take pictures. It's an amazing sight!



Stella Dora Day Lillies and Lavender...what a gorgeous combination



We went to my sister-in-love's house last Thursday so the kids could swim for the first time. It's the first time this year because it's been raining (as I've mentioned now at least fifty times). The pool water was 71 degrees. I think the kids kept saying, through chattering teeth, "It's not too bad once you get used to it!" Mmmm hmmm. The bucket above, used to wash feet before entering the pool, was much warmer. As you can see, Rachel decided to take a dip in the bucket in order to try and warm-up. I made her stay there just so I could take this picture. Someday she'll be happy I took this! For now, I am absolutely certain that never in my lifetime have I ever been able to fit into a five-gallon bucket. Never.



Rachel's first French manicure. Some time ago, Rachel developed a bad habit of peeling her fingernails (otherwise, she's perfect). She doesn't bite them, she peels them. A little while back I told her if she let her nails grow out, I'd give her a French manicure. Incredibly, that was all the motivation she needed to stop her peeling habit. A few days before this picture was taken, we met with a wonderful piano teacher who spent a lot of time asking Rachel questions and evaluating her progress. She ended our time together by mentioning to Rachel that she might want to cut her nails since they would interfere with her piano playing. We just looked at one another and giggled. French manicure first. Nails shortened a little later...by clippers, not peeling. Oh, that sends shivers up my spine.

Tomorrow is Wonderful Wednesday. Lord willing, the Sisters-in-Love will gather with the all the cousins to spend the day together. What fun we share together, come rain or shine.


P.S. I'm already feeling so much better than yesterday. It's amazing what some homemade chicken soup will do along with love and hugs and wonderful friendships.

Corn and Bean Salsa

My Sister-in-Love and her sweet baby, Allison

As you know, I usually try to post a recipe that I've recently made. I had one in mind, but my sister-in-love had to go and make this fabulous salsa for our get together the other day and, well, this recipe became an easy decision. I'm thinking if you had to live on this, say if you were stranded on a deserted island, you could.

Here's to getting lost at sea!

Corn and Bean Salsa

What you will need:

1 can shoe peg corn, drained (I used a cup of frozen corn)
1 can black eyed peas, drained
1 can black beans, drained
1 jar chopped pimentos
1 can chopped green chilies
½ cup red onion, chopped small
1 ½ cups celery, chopped small

Mix all the above ingredients.

Dressing:
½ cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup sugar (I used Splenda)
1 cup olive or canola oil

Heat dressing ingredients on the stove to melt the sugar; let cool; add to the veggies; refrigerate for a few hours or overnight; serve with nacho chips.

Note: You could probably cut the dressing in half or drain off most of it after it has marinated for a while.

Enjoy!