A glorious greenhouse ...

Yesterday the sun was shining all day long. I've been working the dirt in my flowerbeds for two weeks or more, getting them ready for planting ~ yesterday, I was outside trimming and edging and pulling weeds.

It was overcast, cold and drizzly all day today ... so I decided to take myself somewhere beautiful, but close to home!
I had a few errands to run over on Alpine, so I stopped in at Fruitbasket to take a look at their stuff ...

Their greenhouse is just full to the brim with the most amazing, stunning, gorgeous flowers ever!

I happily walked up and down the aisles for almost an hour, trying to learn as much as possible ~ their names, do they need sun or shade ... or a little of both ... were they an annual or a perennial ... how tall do they grow, etc. I wasn't really ready to purchase any today. I don't usually plant until Memorial weekend. But I did buy some seeds! This year, all along the backyard (south fence) I'm going to plant Zinnia's ~ tall ones behind little ones ~ two rows. The wildflowers I planted there last year were very disappointing! However, I am under strict orders NOT to mess with the rhubarb or the space for the tomatoes at either end of that same fenceline. Mr. Jones usually plants Zinnias along the south wall of the garage; but this year, he bought beans, onions and radishes to plant there instead! I hope you can find some time to dig around in your yard this year too!

Mother's Day greetings!

" ... be known for the beauty that comes from within,

the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit,

which is so precious to God." 1 Peter 3:4

Happy Mother's Day to all of the dear mothers in this family:

Sabrina,

Diana,

Rachel,

and you too Emily (!)

~ and of course, to my mother as well.

Nana and Roy, as well as Dylan and Shane, are coming over to our house after church for some made-ahead chicken enchiladas, rice, cold vegetable pizza, chips and salsa ... and Nana is bringing a cheese cake for dessert. I'm looking forward to a wonderful Mother's Day ... wishing we could all be together to celebrate ... thinking of all of you on this special day!

"A queer funny ache"

I've driven past Robinette's Orchard three times in the last week and didn't stop to take pictures of the gorgeous apple trees all in bloom ... so this morning, I intentionally drove over there to soak up the beauty of the place. Do you remember the passage in Anne of Green Gables (L.M. Montgomery, Copyright 1908 by L.C. Page & Co.) when Matthew is driving her home from Bright River in the carriage? I felt like I was exactly there this morning!

"Oh, Mr. Cuthbert," she whispered, "that place we came through ~ that white place ~ what was it?""Well now, you must mean the Avenue," said Matthew after a few moments' profound reflection. "It's a kind of pretty place."

"Pretty? Oh pretty doesn't seem the right word to use. Nor beautiful, either. They don't go far enough. Oh, it's wonderful~wonderful. It's the first thing I ever saw that couldn't be improved upon by imagination. It just satisfied me here"~she put one hand on her breast~"it made a queer funny ache and yet it was a pleasant ache. Did you ever have an ache like that, Mr. Cuthbert?"

I've always loved that passage in the book. Right then and there, Anne changes the name from "The Avenue" to "The White Way of Delight."

I get that "queer funny ache" lots and lots ... and I just can't find words to describe what happens to me when I enter into the beauty of God's creation.

I had two purposes in mind for driving out to Robinette's this morning. I wanted to snap some pictures, but I also wanted to find out their summer schedule and get one of those road maps, The 2009 Country Market Guide, that shows all of the markets, greenhouses, orchards and interesting stuff on The Ridge (because I know a few grandchildren who are coming to my house in just about 5 weeks!). I found what I was looking for, as well as the Circle Tour & Lighthouse Map of Lake Michigan that I have been looking for ... forever!

I enjoyed a nice long walk through the apple orchard. I stepped inside their little shop just to take a peak at the fresh baked goods ... they looked SO yummy ... but I resisted, and managed to only purchase an 81 cent bag of homemade garlic croutons that I put in the salad I made tonight for me and Mr. Jones!

I hope you've been able to take some time this week and just drink in the marvelous sights and sounds of spring ...

"Let the earth open wide
so salvation and righteousness
can sprout up together." ISAIAH 45:8

Our Tom ...

Thomas K. is in his glory in the springtime ...

He stays outside almost 24/7 now. He loves our yard and thinks it belongs just to him!

We haven't received any neighborhood complaints about Thomas K in quite awhile. Alvern, the lady nextdoor, says Thomas comes in through her pet door on a regular basis ... but she still thinks he is a sweet cat.

Thomas looks a bit ferocious here (and he CAN be) but he was actually sitting on my lap talking to me about his day ...

Almost every spring, early on, Tom either climbs too high up a tree or climbs up on a neighbor's roof and then jumps off, injuring one or more of his extremities ... he'll do a three-legged walk for a week or so, but then he's fine! So far this spring, he has sustained NO injuries.

This is a typical Thomas pose ... he is completely content lounging in the partial shade watching me do my weeding ... he follows me all around the yard, keeping watch over me as I do my work. I think he is a beautiful cat.

An album of Dylan's graduation ...

Yesterday was a happy day! We celebrated Dylan's graduation from Kuyper College. He was awarded a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biblical Studies, Pre-Seminary Studies, Communications, Biblical Greek, and Philosophy. His grade-point was just a tiny hair shy of a 3.9. Congratulations, Dylan, on this achievement!
It was kind of a prolonged journey for Dylan to get to this day. He earned his Associates Degree from Community College, spent a semester or two at Grand Valley State University, took a year (or so) off, and then enrolled at Kuyper three years ago, receiving a generous scholarship for his Pre-Seminary studies.

We attended a very nice luncheon in honor of all the graduates earlier in the day. This was the best picture my photographer (Mr. Jones) took of that event. Commencement took place last evening in the auditorium of Sunshine Church, which is right across the E. Beltline from Kuyper's campus.

Family showed up early so that we could all find each other and all sit together. Shane and James met us in the narthex and visited for awhile with Nana and Roy ...

Mr Jones agreed to be the primary photographer for the occasion ... for which I am very thankful!

This is the 2009 senior class. Dylan is on the right, almost-top riser. There was quite a variety of degrees earned from this group: Business Administration, Cross-Cultural Studies, Elementary Education, Music and Worship. New Church Development, Youth Ministry, Social Work, Pre-Seminary Studies ... to name just a few. The commencement address, "A Blessing," was given by Professor Teresa Renkema, Associate Professor of Intercultural Communications at Kuyper. Numbers 6:24-26 was the passage of Scripture she spoke from:

"May the LORD bless you
and protect you.
May the LORD smile on you
and be gracious to you.
May the LORD show you his favor
and give you his peace."

After the ceremony was finished, we tried to connect again with Dylan and snap some pictures of family and friends. The lighting was really tricky throughout and so these pictures are not the best, and my computer is giving me fits about using any photo editing program, so I'm just running these pictures as they are!

Ray and Marilyn are Dylan's godparents

Andrew (left) was one of Dylan's roomates this year

This is Kelly, lead singer (and dear friend) in the band Dylan is part of ...

Close friend and comrad, Brad

I am so thankful to the Lord for this wonderful and happy graduation day, the culmination of so many years of waiting and praying and working.


What will Dylan do now that he has graduated? Well, I guess this is just the tip of the iceberg as far as school is concerned. It's a good thing Dylan is enthusiastic about studying! He has plans to attend Calvin Seminary (three years) to pursue a Masters in Theological Studies ~ but whether that will happen this fall or perhaps a year from now is contingent upon scholarship availability (because a deadline that was inadvertantly missed). Eventually, he hopes to get a Doctorate and teach at the undergraduate level in a secular school setting.

So congratulations, Dylan! We are proud of what you have accomplished. May the Lord continue to bless you and protect you on your life's journey.

Chocolate-y Good!

I have a weakness for chocolate. I love it. I crave it. I EAT it. And even though I lost 20 pounds last year and have kept all 20 pounds OFF ... I NEED chocolate! About a year ago, Mr. Jones found a really good recipe on the internet for something called a "double chocolate chip breakfast cookie." A breakfast cookie?! I thought he was joking ... but if you know anything at all about Mr. Jones, you would know that he really really likes desserts ... AND isn't at all above eating a piece of pie for breakfast! What's extra nice about this recipe is that it does have some really healthy ingredients in it ... honest!
Double Chocolate Breakfast Cookies ~ Makes 36 servings
Prep time: 25 minutes

I N G R E D I E N T S
In a large mixing bowl, cream together ~
1/2 Cup of olive oil
1 Cup brown sugar
1 Egg
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon of almond extract (optional)
1/4 Cup PLUS 2 tablespoons of skim milk

In a separate bowl, mix ~
1-1/2 Cups of whole grain flour
1/2 Cup of wheat bran
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/4 Cup unsweetened cocoa
1 Cup dark chocolate chips
1 Cup chopped walnuts

D I R E C T I O N S:
(1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Have greased cookie sheet ready.
(2) Cream together oil, brown sugar, egg, extracts and milk
(3) Blend in the rest of the ingredients except the chocolate chips and nuts
(4) Add chocolate chips and nuts last
(5) Drop generous teaspoons full about 2 inches apart on the prepared greased cookie sheet.
(6) Bake at 350 degrees for about 9.5 minutes ... not longer than 10!

Cool on a wire rack and then store in an air-tight container, with wax paper separating each layer of cookies (to prevent them all sticking together)

T I P S :

(1) This cookie dough is kind of sticky/gooey/icky/thick ... but as the cookies bake, they do spread out, so don't place them too closely together on the tray ... and remember to GREASE each tray.
(2) DO NOT OVERBAKE these cookies! Our recipe calls for 10-12 minutes, but I take them out at about 9.5 minutes. If I bake them longer, they tend to be too dry. Remove them right away from the cookie tray. They will appear to be very soft and almost NOT done ... but they are! They firm up as they cool.
(3) You can find wheat bran in most grocery stores in the regular baking aisle ... but if you can't find it, be sure to ask a worker for help.

(4) These are especially delicious when fresh out of the oven ... mmm ... warm, with a half glass of milk. But I actually have one every morning after breakfast with the remainder of the milk from my cereal bowl.

N U T R I E N T S :
Protein 2g
Carbohydrate, by difference 14 g
Total dietary fiber 2g
Calcium 15 mg
Iron 1 mg
Cholesterol 0 mg
Fatty acids, total saturated 1g
Total sugars 3g

These cookies have been great for me ~ I limit myself to TWO per day ~ they satisfy my craving for chocolate, plus they have the added fibre benefit which keeps my somewhat delicate digestive system very regular! We have tried this recipe out with the Rauch and the Jones grandchildren. They liked them and ate them right up, not even realizing these cookies were somewhat healthy to eat! Try it, I think you will like it!

wonder ...

I never trod a rock so bare

unblessed by verdure-brightened sod

but some small flower, half hidden there,

exhaled the fragrant breath of God.

Author Unknown