Drowning alternately in sweat and okra,
Counting down mousy-still afternoons,
Trying to be a little more like the zinnias,
Resilient on a sandy side of the shed.
so long, july
the wings
“Beware those who reside beneath the shadow of the Wings.”
~Leif Enger
The poor in Spirit are given Heaven, the meek inheriting the earth. The hungry satisfied and the mourners, that ever present body within the Body, comforted and victorious.
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you,
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.”
-Isaiah 43:2
The Lord’s ways so often run cross grain to our expectations of life. And so much the better!
For hardwon peace in the midst of uncertainty. For unspoken courage in the face of fear. For faith like a mustard seed. For knowing that His ways will turn every assumption on its head and produce fruit upon fruit.
Thankful.
spring progress
For the easy price of some Facebook marketplace furniture, we’ve been soaking up this Spring weather every day. It’s always the simplest things – second year plantings showing progress, the bossiest chicken, herbal bouquets, all the weeding and tidying that has me tired at bedtime. Knowing the peace that comes with doing your part and leaving it all for God to bless.
you are what you eat
In a recent effort to occupy four visiting boys, I went digging for an old recipe I’d made countless times as a child. The tireless fiddle diddle; beloved for being quick, requiring only one pot and needing zero baking time, with everything needed on hand in our “ingredient household.” These cookies also satisfied my perpetual sugar tooth! But upon googling, I was hit with surprisingly intense nostalgia when the exact cookbook page showed up as a top image.
I used to pour over the pages of this children’s cookbook from the Company’s Coming series by Jean Pare. A Canadian recipe author, she churned out cookbooks on every possible theme, with some of the most nonsensical ingredient and flavor combinations I’ve ever seen. Even the names were whimsical; one of my first cooking memories is a “Choosy Cake.” I glazed it with too-thin violet frosting and Mom suggested I pick a few pansies to decorate the top.
In all their dated glory, several of her cookbooks remained staples in our house for my entire growing up. I still use her (and by extension, my mother’s) recipe for gingerbread men. “Flat Out Pavlova,” whipped shortbread, sesame wings, Date Filled Christmas Braid, and on and on.
Seeing one of the cookbooks I used to pour over as a child is like seeing the cover of a picture book from distant toddler memories. The ideas of food, the cookbook shelf in our kitchen, preparing meals for visitors, early independence in the kitchen; these parts of my story are all tied together in my mind and have such deep meaning as an adult.
Particularly as recipes and baking take so much of my life these days, it is a lovely mystery to see the way God weaves together experiences, exposure and passion. Nurturing our skill and preparing opportunities before we even know to look for them. It serves as encouragement to me too, in the daily grind of creative work. He’s preparing a path ahead, and I can truly trust it will be fruitful and good.
january ’23
there is not one blade of grass
there is no colour in the world
that is not intended to make you rejoice
-john calvin
2023
As the calendar page turned, my sister and I joked about entering the new year with the motto, “new year – same old me!”
Truth is, this coming year holds the greatest uncertainties I’ve known for awhile. No shiny illusions of good intentions or the ability to carefully plan every project. The “same old me” loves a plan, a schedule, a pretty solid idea of what’s ahead. Without that, it seems other signs of sameness are always close behind – irritation and anxiety.
But God. Graciously redeeming my heart into something new.
With every question mark, a moment of certainty. With any fears, a reminder to trust. With wandering eyes, evidence of His love I can’t ignore.
So with all its unknowns, I’m eager for this year. I don’t know what it will bring exactly, other than the one thing I do know. The love of Christ in which I stand.
august in review
A busy blessed month with more than its fair share of pictures. The highlights…
- Turning 30 at Callaway Gardens.
2) A little move to the country.
3) Settling in, moments of welcome calm.
4) Finding my stride in a new work place.
5) In the midst of it all, savoring the beautiful things.
xo ~Olivia
a week in pictures pt. 2
These simple, spring-time days, just one step at a time.
a week in pictures
~Here’s to another week of creativity and sunshine!~
cold weather memories
Busy. Happy. Remembering.
- A day of hiking with boys who are endlessly hungry and curious.
- Learning to enjoy sewing again through the eyes of an 8 year old with her first clackity machine.
- A sleepy Valentine’s Day afternoon – eating po’boys and sampling mead.
- Pansies blooming on the patio.
- Wandering in an old school arcade and shelling quarters into the vintage pinball machines.
- Eating boiled peanuts and pecan brittle in a parking lot with all the car windows down.
- Afternoon walks after school and work, carrying sweaters just in case the wind turns cold.
Scribbles 