A Rainy Sunday Afternoon

It's a rainy Sunday afternoon. 

We just finished transferring a banana tree from our screened in patio to the outside world, so it can grow beyond the confines of the black mesh ceiling, and unfurl its beautiful large leaves toward the sun. (And okay, maybe all I did was cheer on my hubby, but I did get to help water it once it was replanted.) 

Just before I yelled "Timber," I saw the clouds rolling in fast as I felt that lovely cool breeze that comes just before the rain. "We'd better hurry," I told my gardening partner. "The rain will be here in twenty minutes."

And, just like clockwork, it was. 

If you ever visit South Florida in the summertime, you may experience this phenomenon: 

the afternoon shower. 

It doesn't last very long, but it's actually one of my favorite things about living here - along with sun showers, watching sheets of rain chase children down the street, and the feeling I get when it's raining outside and I'm all cozy inside under a blanket. 

Tonight when evening comes, the Night-Blooming Jasmine will once again  open, their intoxicating fragrance heightened by the rainfall from the afternoon.

Having spent most of my life here in Florida, these moments - and the glories of nature - are treasures that I will keep with me, always.

Color & Texture & Mothers

I had my first go at juicing veggies a couple of weeks ago. The second time I juiced, hubby said, "This one is better than the last one." (Apparently I put too much turnip or cabbage in that first one... gack!) But how could something with such cool colors taste so bad?

It looks like a magical Rainbow Brite drink of wonderfulness.

("Rainbow Brite" | http://www.huffingtonpost.ca)

Have you ever asked God for a special sunset, made just for you? It's a lot of fun! I did that a couple of evenings ago, and enjoyed the layers of color and texture from a little side road. I had to run home and grab the camera, so that I could capture the lovely moment of serenity.

Not only was the sunset awesome - with lovely, gentle rain clouds - but I also saw a bunny eating dinner, and an alligator! (Thankfully the alligator wasn't eating dinner, or the bunny might've been toast.)

Bad combination: flip flops + me by myself (with said alligator swimming toward me). So I took a quick pic and ran back to "my turf," so as not to give the wrong impression to this mammoth beast. (Sarcasm. He was probably a 4-footer. But still.) Next time, I'm definitely wearing "real shoes" and bringing my husband. And possibly a large machete. 

So Happy Mother's Day to all the mommies out there. My own dear mommy (Hi, Mama!) sent her mommy - my Nana - some beautiful tulips for Mother's Day. I love how Nana described them as "the prettiest, sweetest things I could have ever desired!" Aren't they, though?

Oh, and don't worry, mom. I brought them back inside. ;)

Speaking of growing things, my hubby asked me to water his garden today, as he had to leave for work in a hurry. (He's got such a green thumb! Sigh... I could kill a cactus.)

Wishing I could grow things, I decided to {finally} plant the gladiolus bulbs that have been sitting on the patio table for a few weeks now. Still staring at me, as they have been for a few... years... possibly. Ahem... Well, I decided that today is the day for planting them! Here's hoping they'll actually grow. (Can you grow bulbs that are a few years old? I have no idea... don't think they "expire" though...? I guess we'll see.)

The wind blew this little butterfly's "legacy" my way. Look at the beautiful pattern on the wings!

The white on the inside was velvety and silvery in the sunlight. Just beautiful.

So tomorrow we're off to church in the woods (literally), where the Greens will be blessing us with their awesome music! Tomorrow night I get to try out my new cheesecake recipe on Jaime's family: banana. pudding. cheesecake.

I have not made cheesecake in our home oven before, and - guess what? - it cooks things faster. So, dang it! I burnt the crust. But I had to save the rest of my {mini!} nilla wafers for the all-important garnish, so slightly crispy crust it was.

I mashed and mashed those bananas until they were a sort of a paste. (I do not like the texture of the bananas in banana pudding, but definitely dig the flavor. How about you?) So, we'll see how this one turns out. Only 24 hours to tasting time...

May all mothers be blessed: new and experienced, sitting-on-the-nest and empty nesting, mothers in deed, mothers in love, mothers of baby angels in heaven above. 

Once a mother, always a mother. ♥

Do you have special plans with your mommy this weekend?

Be Kind. Unwind!

Ah me. It's a sunny yet blustery day in this little corner of south Florida, a chilly 55 degrees (slightly stretched use of the word chilly here), with winds at 17 mph, gusting to 23! Not the most ideal day to lounge in a chair on the patio and finish Julia Child's "My Life in France," but it is, after all, only a week until my sister-in-law's wedding day, and if I'm going to stand beside four other spray-tanned ladies, then 55 degrees just became perfect sunning weather.

So after my wonderful husband went off to work today, I donned a black ruffled strapless bikini top and my cozy blue polka dot fleece P.J. pants, rolled above my knees, grabbed a blanket and Julia, and flew to France for a while, courtesy of air imagination. Of course I had to rotate the blanketed chair to where the sun was perfectly shining. I have no desire to be shaded by our screened porch's skeleton today! Absolute sunlight. Charming book. I consumed the last few chapters as my coconut-coated skin soaked up some greatly needed vitamin D.

When Julia described returning to their retreat in Marseilles, I couldn't help but reminisce about our first few weeks in St. John:

"...once we settled into our satisfying little house there was no question, we'd stay put. Our zest was worn out. We needed to be incognito, do nothing but sleep late, eat well, and enjoy the sound of the cuckoos and the smells of the countryside. But we were so keyed up that it took at least a week to adjust to our peaceful surroundings."

- Julia Child, My Life in France Pg. 285 (Knopf)

It's so true that there is an undoing process that happens as one adjusts to the island life. It goes unnoticed in the city, but sometimes all that energy and traffic translate into stress and impatience. The country or island lifestyle is so much slower paced, one is naturally unwound to an easy, peaceful mood. How I miss that feeling when my days get hectic with "important" errands!

I would love to return to the islands someday, and stay in the cabins at Maho Bay, spending nights eating freshly barbecued chicken or taking pottery throwing lessons, spending days in the soft sand and calm water, a shade of blue that cannot be contained in a photograph; it must be experienced, taken in with the spirit through those trusty - or not so trusty! - windows to the soul.

A dear friend of mine reminded me just yesterday, that the most peaceful moments are found in nature, be it on a cozy chair drinking tea, or walking at the seashore... God is there, in those moments. It is His peace that envelopes us through the glorious beauty that man tries so hard to cover, contain or kill. But it is still there, outside our fenced houses, in quiet, colorful solitude. It waits for us to discover and find pleasure in its beauty. What a nice thing to remember as - for once - I slowed down to rest my body and mind. This is the life simple. The life lovely. The life beautiful.

The End