Reheat-n-serve

Yesterday was a hectic day. At the end of the day the light wasn't spectacular and I didn't have time (or energy) for a leisurely walk, but at least I had leftovers from a photo feast a few days ago.

Lang girls

Sunday walk

Promises

Let God's promises shine on your problems. 

 ~Corrie Ten Boom

Lashes

Blue

Striking

Thunder clouds rolled over our farm Saturday afternoon bringing lighting and sheets of rain. After a particularly close flash of lightning, Dad smelled burning wood. The folks at home checked the attic before discovering that the middle maple tree near out house had been the victim of a bolt electricity. The zap also fried the ethernet on our newest iMac. 

Tip jar

Scout's Honor Mint Cookie

Green

Gourmet bicolor

Assurance

I have a sin of fear, that when I have spun

My last thread, I shall perish on the shore;

But swear by thyself, that at my death thy Son

Shall shine as he shines now, and heretofore;

And, having done that, thou hast done;

I fear no more.

"A Hymn to God the Father" by John Donne

Jelly

Cherry Apple Jelly

We've been jellying. This week I stirred a triple batch of cherry apple and a batch of blackberry jelly to sell at the farmers' market. Last week I concocted blackberry apple jelly, which we nicknamed smart (phone) jelly.

Blackberry Jelly

Nurse Betsy

Betsy persevered. Recently she completed her classes, clinical experience and tests. On Monday she will participate in Delta College's Nursing Class of 2011 graduation ceremony. Then she will take the NCLEX test to be recognized as a Licensed Practical Nurse. 

Idiom

Can you identify the phrase illustrated by this image?

Peas

Blue

Tragedy

Satisfy

The LORD will guide you always; 

he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land 

and will strengthen your frame. 

You will be like a well-watered garden, 

like a spring whose waters never fail.

Isaiah 58:11 NIV

Our church is hosting our annual outdoor concert this evening at 6:30 p.m. Join us for a time of music and encouragement.

Interviewee

On a day too hot for pantyhose I donned my duds for two different job interviews.

Green

Cafe Zinc

Last year our girls' camp-out morphed into a camp-in at the Doubletree in Holland. This year we splurged on desserts at Cafe Zinc. Last weekend Kendra and Kathryn finished their college singing tours and headed home for a week before returning to Pennsylvania for the school year. Amanda, Julie, Betsy and I joined them for a girls' afternoon downtown. 

After touring an art gallery, we walked to the cafe at the ritziest hotel in town. We showed our ignorance by oohing over the rose centerpiece, sneaking to the bathroom to see the frosted glass stalls, and discussing how to calculate an appropriate tip. We sipped smoothies and frappes. We passed our desserts around the table, nibbling a raspberry lemon tart, peanut butter cheesecake, and cheese and fruit. Amanda chose the dessert-of-the-day, some sort of lavender infused custard topped with blood orange frozen stuff; it reminded Kendra of bubble bath. 

It was a wonderful afternoon. We were in our element.  

Friends

It's always more fun to do the dishes at a friend's house.

Farmers' market

We only had fifty quarts of blueberries on Saturday. We were sold out by eight o'clock.

Maple Grille

Amanda and I could have been down south on Saturday afternoon as we sat at an outdoor barbecue, eating pulled pork sandwiches and listening to the rain on the tent overhead.

The Maple Grille, on M46 between Hemlock and Shields, opened just a few weeks ago at what was the headquarters of a thriving construction company before the economy declined. With the charm of a family-run business combined with the tantalizing smells from wood grills, the business was an instant success. 

The Maple Grille is truly a local business. All of the meat and produce, from the lamb chops fresh from the auction at the country fair to the zucchini from the garden out back, are raised within a few steps or a few miles of the restaurant. Maple syrup, from trees on the property, is the sweetener for many of the dishes. Even the soda pop was bottled in Michigan.

Locally grown ingredients isn't the only distinctive aspect of the new eatery. The restaurant seeks to embrace eco-friendly practices. Forks and spoons are compostable and the plates are made of wheatgrass. Rather than a dumpster out back, there is a compost pit for used eating utensils as well as food scraps. 

Chef Josh and his crew have big plans for expanding the business. They plan to keep the Grille open until October and then use the winter months to prepare to open a bigger establishment in March. But for now, the picnic tables just steps from the smoke billowing grills and the lush garden is just the right place to while away a couple of hours on a drizzly Saturday afternoon.

The garden

Our God

 Who is like the LORD our God, 

the One who sits enthroned on high, 

who stoops down to look 

on the heavens and the earth?

Psalm 113:5-6 NIV

Minnie Moe

After a paint job and a tune-up, the Minnie Moe is proud to be the "World's Finest Tractor."