Two Weekends

Last weekend was spent celebrating Mama's birthday at our favorite haunt--a quiet, rustic cabin tucked away in the shelter of the cascade foothills. We were so happy to relax there, just being together (and holding my peaceful, newborn nephew!), enjoying the river sounds and the clean mountain air. Me and Daddy even found time to go on a wonderful run up and (painfully) back down the mountain at our doorstep. We were so enthralled with the scenery on top of the ridge that, the next day, we took G up  there to explore, this time in our car. We found a beautiful glacier lake that was cold and blue and perfect for skipping rocks across.
Just as we were happy to hide away at the cabin last weekend, we are happy to be home now. I finished my second school week, plummeting from the heights of scholarly excitement to the plateau of a high-schooler catching up after Labor Day. I had to transfer one book (a very good book by Don Richardson) from my "school reading" list to my "to be read whenever I have spare time" list, which means that it will take an eternity to get through.  I groaned and vowed I would never take another holiday, if it meant so many extra hours of reading. But I'm sure I will. However, I hope that next time I'll catch up a little faster. For now, a good Sunday at home-ish. Which means lots of time writing, being in nature, and reading some Don Richardson!

Back to School (and a few good books)

My school-days begin with these:

And end here:

But between the running shoes and the bedside table are about fifteen hours of wonder. Honestly, it's exhausting. I have rediscovered that tiredness that comes from real labor (whether mental or physical) and consequently can enjoy the deliciousness of falling quickly to sleep each night, tired and satisfied with the day. The wonder is well worth the exhaustion: my school curriculum is a treasure trove of excellent literature that helps my roots to grow deeper and my fingertips to reach up among the stars. The Human Body: Fearfully and Wonderfully Made, by Dr. Jay L. Wile and Marilyn M. Shannon, M.A., is a perfect fit for this final year of high school, since I have always been excited about health and fitness, and plan on studying exercise science next year. I'm hoping to develop a solid foundation of knowledge in anatomy and physiology throughout the next few months, at least enough to prepare me somewhat for the college level courses to come. I am working through three government/politics works: The Complete Idiots Guide to U.S. Government & Politics (Franco Scardino), God and Politics (edited by Gary Scott Smith) and Basic American Government by Clarence B. Carson. I used to dread any politically-oriented discussion or article that popped up because I didn't understand them. I still don't understand them, but I am now on the way to understanding, and enjoying the journey. I'm also reading William Zinsser's On Writing Well, 100 Best-Loved Poems, edited by Philip Smith, The Elements of Style (William Strunk JR. and E.B. White) and (my personal favorite) Mortimer J. Adler and Charles Van Doren's How to Read a Book. I've always enjoyed reading, but that last has broadened my perspective considerably on the topic of reading, and over the past week I have already discovered some great tips on reading effectively.
I wasn't ready for school to start this year. But I am ever so glad that it has! If you need a good read, please consider one of the seven that I've mentioned--they really are good.

From Asparagus to Artichoke

The spring that went past at race pace is now over, and the raspberries are already in full swing. We enjoyed several happy weeks of fresh, crisp asparagus, served boiled with poached eggs or sauteed with garden vegetables.

Then Easter came, and I had to share this bit of the many precious moments from the day.

The artichokes were better this year than ever before, and I had loads of fun tucking them, caramelized, into toasted cheese sandwiches, pureed and folded into souffles and creme brulee, and classically boiled with lemon-butter sauce and plenty of pepper.

Ladybird took this glowing photo of a spiced apple German pancake that we made one Saturday morning, a few months ago.

Now the garden is quietly sucking up the water and nurture that Bethany and I are pouring into it, and we're anticipating lots of corn and a variety of squashes and melons soon. I can't wait for the new cooking adventures they will bring! So far it seems as if all I do is garden and cook, which is close to true. But I've also spent a lot of time running through the countryside before sunrise with Daddy, dandering in the woods with Gavin (he's so delighted to go outside at any time!) practicing piano and finding ways to keep inspired with it, and delving into books from science to gardening to Jurassic Park.

I spent the week before last in Rockaway with my youth group, helping to lead a sports/Bible camp for Pre-K through 6th-graders, and also a youth group for the teens there (which were few). It was an exhausting week, but far more fun and rewarding than I ever anticipated. I had no idea that watching kids, keeping them safe, entertained and teaching them, could be such a struggle. But when we were the weakest, we could see and feel God acting most visibly. It was beautiful to see, and so exciting to be a part of!

Now I'm home and more summer stretches out peacefully in front of me, with the promise of good times with family and friends, and next month, blackberries!

After a pause

The months since my winter feast have been good. A fair amount of cooking, a more-than-fair-but-still-not-enough amount of gardening, and not-nearly-fair-enough amount of reading have thrived in my spare moments, which are growing longer as the school year winds down. Three more weeks to go!
I took my first SAT two Saturdays ago and feel fairly confident about it. I'm dreading the next one, which will be the week after I finish school. But I'm working through a math preparation book which should help me with the most difficult parts. I'm slowly learning not to stress about it--I may not be the brightest math student, but I know how to study and will do what it takes to pass reasonably. Then I will read a good book and lose myself in the vegetable patch, forgetting about tests and school and delving into summer.
This has been a wonderful school year, really. I have loved my worldview/history course, and geometry wasn't half bad. Spanish in little bites is exciting too. And my favorites have, of course, been piano and "PE" (what we call my passion for exercise, especially running). I haven't run very much lately, which I think is because I know that next week I will start training for the half-marathon at Crater Lake in August. I want to start up with plenty of excitement and vigor.
Spring is going by at race pace and I wish I could catch it and just admire for a few extra minutes. Every bit of time I can I will spend cherishing it.

The Winter Feast

I've been planning this meal for months. I poured over my special cookbook (a Christmas present from Mama and Daddy), trying to decide which mouth-watering dishes to prepare for my Early-, then Mid-, then Late-Winter Feast. Each weekend pushed the event further out and I was beginning to wonder if spring would arrive before I ever got around to it. But then today came, and it was perfect. I decided to make 

 L'AMI JEAN'S Parmesan Soup, and

 Oxtail-Macaroni Gratin (minus the oxtail, because, for those of us who don't live in small French towns with butchers for neighbours, fancy meat is hard to come by),

 and for dessert, little Sarah Bernhardt Cakes.

Thank you for the fabulous Christmas gift, Mamo and Daddo :-)

Monday night cocoas for Mama and me.

The Good Days of February

Rain is slip-sliding in torrents down the windows. Lightning colors the air violet and for just a moment the silver drops can be seen racing toward the ground. A few seconds later, great rumblings pour past us. Gavin says: "Dong Dong not like thunder. Aguess, thunder loud and skiki. Aguess, Dong Dong stay way by thunder." Then he wraps his arms around my neck and adds "Mana make Dong Dong happy." Ahhh, moments like this! The best of a winter evening.
Daddy is popping pop corn, drizzling butter over the kernels, scooping and shaking the crackling whiteness and salting it. Ahhh, moments like this! The best of a winter evening.
Mama is putting Gavin to bed. Then she will join us down here. Books, popcorn, the black rainy night making the kitchen-living room a place of warm goldenness. Ahhh, moments like this! The best of a winter evening.