"Make rest and refreshment....

a necessity, not a luxury." Dan Zadra. Hmmmmm...sensing a theme here, carried over from yesterday. Rest. Refreshment. I have a few more luxuries to be grateful for....a comfortable chair where I can fall asleep and nap without planning. Laying down later, after moving more furniture, just to read about my composter and future chicken brood. Chases away the chronically cranky leanings one might acquire without it. Need to take refreshment from the Word of God daily - as a necessity, not a luxury.

Moved more furniture today - DH's $10 walnut desk, 4' x 7' bought from a church yard sale (can you say heavy lifting?) which I say (as I have said before) I am NEVER going to move again. (Make it NEVER, EVER.) The old dining room table, which is now headed for my studio. And boxes - lots and lots of boxes - lots of them. Can you say sore muscles?

So, I took a little rest afterwards - not a nap - just a "layabout". Dinner sort of cooked itself. I thought of a few simple luxuries we got to enjoy and get to enjoy because of where we live. Fresh, locally grown sweet corn, cooked just right, with creamy butter - fresh, locally grown, pole beans (the flat green beans) cooked just right, with a little bacon and a little salt - Jim's ribs ( a local guy with a road-side Bar-B-Que/smoker and his home-made sauce that is heaven on earth) - no urgent schedule - the luxury of time. Those are all the little luxuries we are enjoying here.

Seeing lots of wildlife - several bear sightings, deer sightings and other, smaller critters. They have plenty to eat - the bear we saw at the old folk's place was eating the corm left for the deer, stopped by the pond as he ambled by and caught a big trout and carried it up the hill as he headed for the blueberry patch - perfect meal with protein, vegetable and fruit! He has a tough life!

We have several things coming up - we are hopeful we get to the closing on the Restoration House at Serenity Woods homestead next Friday, August 20th, then taking Drew to college September 1-6th. After all of that, we are planning a weekend "field trip" (literally) to Mercier Apple Orchard for a morning of u-picking apples and lunch at the orchard. Apples to make canned applesauce, spiced apples and other apple goodies. Preparing to pick up a bushel of that sweet corn and flash freezing it. Also planning to "can up" some home-made salsa, flash-freezing pole beans and freezing peppers. May take a crack at peach preserves and blueberry jam. Better get started on the blueberries and peaches. This evening though, think it is time to work on the quilted wall-hanging in the living room and tomorrow to organize and empty boxes......but maybe a rest first....

Be blessed,
Kim