Busy Under the Surface

These geese look so peaceful, skimming along the top of the water...we don't see their we feet furiously paddling below the surface.

I always try to keep that in mind before I start envying another person's amazingly beautiful house or intricately designed and executed garden or even a seemingly effortless and comfortable life...

I see only the glossy surface...

I don't see her hard work underneath...

I don't see her difficult choices, her struggles, her heartbreaks, her victories...

only the surface shows...

The member of the blogging community that I tend to admire are the women who do share a bit of the "wee paddling feet" ... the women who do understand that media can place unrealistic expectations upon us, and that we can and should be more realistic about what is possible in Real Life.

So I type here, in my not very stylish or beautiful but very comfortable and serviceable kitchen...and I focus on the real choices I have - on the very real blessings in my life, and on the very real beauty in my life:

the beauty of golden early morning sun glancing across a rack of clean plates...

the beauty of thriving green plants in brightly colored pots...

the beauty of a row of mason jars filled with dried beans and baking supplies...

the beauty of Real Life!

Second Sunday of Lent

Today is the Second Sunday in Lent. This Sunday, we are reminded to be strong, to persevere, to carry our own crosses in the knowledge that we are strengthened by Christ Himself...we are reminded that the Light and Joy of Easter is coming to all...

We are reminded in Genesis that God made a promise to Abraham, and that promise is fulfilled in Jesus. We are reminded in Matthew of the relationships between Moses, Elijah, and Jesus - and more promises fulfilled in Jesus.

Weekend Reading: Mar 14 '14

It is Friday...and it is Lent...last week, I cheated and bought pre-breaded flounder fillets at the fishmonger. Today, we are having pasta for dinner and had tuna for lunch. We eat a lot of fish during Lent, so for this Weekend Reading post I was inspired to create a Fish on Friday weekend reading list. Enjoy!

The Kitchn has a whole slew of Lenten seafood recipes here.

Rachael Ray has a page that shares the meaning of Lent and shares seafood and meatless recipes here.

 Jamie Oliver's Salmon Cakes are healthy, delicious and can be a very frugal choice!

And Martha Stewart's Lemon-Parsley Fish Cakes are another healthy, delicious, and suprisingly frugal dish! I like to make the fishcakes in large batched, and then freeze for evenings when I will be too busy to cook something nice!

What are your favorite "go to" fish recipes!

First Sunday of Lent

Today is the First Sunday of Lent - a Sunday where my best friend and I shared joys and sorrows, prayed for the easing of burdens and for the healing of loved ones. A Sunday of coming together as true sisters in Christ.

This was a Sunday in which I was blessed to serve a friend, and was blessed in being served by her. It was a Sunday where temptations of various sorts were discussed...our own, and those of loved ones...

Lent 2014: Ash Wednesday - We are Dust

Remember, Man is dust, and unto dust you shall return.

Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the Season of Lent, a season of reflection, abstinence and penitence. It is a recognition that each of us is a humble sinner, who requires the love and sacrifice of God to be redeemed. It is a season that prepares us for the celebration of Christ's sacrifice and resurrection on Easter morn.

We are dust...and to dust we shall return.

In 2002, when I received my ashes at St. Paul's Church in Lower Manhattan...the very air was filled with dust...dust of the dead...dust of renewal. It was particularly poignant to walk down dusty Broadway, to hear the non-stop roar of the operations at Ground Zero...and then to step into the hush of the Sanctuary. The minister intoned, "Remember, you are dust and to dust you shall return," as he brushed the sign of the cross on my forehead...it carried new layers of meaning as I stood there in my dust covered shoes, missing my younger brother, who had indeed returned to dust on that terrible day.

But "to dust we shall return" is not a threat...no! It is a promise...because this body and this earth? They are not my true home...they are not where I am meant to spend eternity.

We are dust...and to dust we shall return.

This is the beginning of Lent...a solemn time, yes...but with the JOY of Easter just ahead of us!