sacred day two hundred eighty-four.

making apple juice.

10.11.2011

making apple juice at the market.  he loved the fun of seeing the apples crushed and juice pouring into the bucket.  we love our tuesday evenings at the byrd house market and are so thankful for the bounty our farming friends produce daily.

sacred day two hundred eighty-three

lunch lights.

10.10.2011

delighting with my love in a space filled with lights.  we've visited this place many, many times over our years together.  i love being with my one-and-only-true-love. 

sacred day two hundred eighty-one.

celebration!

10.8.2011

celebrating my love's birthday with a homemade carrot cake.  we delighted. laughter. love. light.

sacred day two hundred seventy-eight

morning loaf.

10.5.2011

sitting on the cutting board is a freshly baked loaf from the afternoon before.  my love has cut into it and enjoyed his breakfast.  i am making my sweet boy's lunch and preparing for the day.  the loaf is there reminding me of sacred vessles. our bodies are a sacred vessle. our lives. the bread itself.  we are fed in the spaces of our days.  may we each find exactly what we need and in good measure as we live and move and have our being in this moment. 

sacred day two hundred seventy-five

a pot of goodness.

10.2.2011

returning home. chopping vegetables. solving problems. loving well.  living well. leaning into truth.  naming what isn't right.  honoring one's self.  seeking rest.  creating rest.  honoring the body.  creating sabbath.  delighting in each taste.  being present to this moment.  knowing yourself.  all add flavor to a pot of goodness.

sacred day two hundred seventy-three

a market meal.

9.30.2011

setting aside time to create in the kitchen, i gather the work of their hands!  all of this comes from the love and sweat of the various farmer's market farms.  i am thankful for each of their hands.  i know them each by name and i give thanks.  i honor their work by taking time to be inspired by the ingredients, to create a shared meal with love, and to savor each bite mindfully.  

sacred day two hundred sixty-eight

'

bread of life. 

9.25.2011

baking bread during sabbath.  watching the dough rise. slicing open a fresh, warm loaf.  adding butter. adding plum jam.  realizing i only took an instagram photo of the occasion & needed to have taken one more.  knowing that i was living in the day and not through the lens.  marking moments with photos.  appreciating our daily bread.

sacred day two hundred fifty-seven

well preserved.

9.14.2011

chopping and canning these pears was a sacred act.  my boy was in bed, getting rest.  i was in the kitchen listening to the rhythm of the knife as each pear was chopped into small, coarse pieces for the dutch oven.  again and again, my ancestors show up and are present.  they were with me in this kitchen.

sacred day two hundred fifty-four

a feast.

9.11.2011

even a pear can be a feast.  today marks a day that is filled with memories, sadness, laughter, stories, feelings, hopes, and dreams.  today is filled with food, rest, and love.  today is a day that i stand in my kitchen and look out my window.  i listen to NPR. i mark this moment.  i stand in awe of the beauty of a pear.  i stand in sabbath rest. 

sacred day two hundred forty-two

sacred soup.

8.30.2011

making meals for the family is an act of love and gratitude.  i am so grateful for those who create these foods through the work of their hands.  i am so thankful for our home and life together.  creating a soup can be a sacred act. in the sight, smell, and tastes, i see the sacred. 

sacred day two hundred forty-one

savoring.

8.29.2011

savoring a tasty drink among good women at the tail end of a gathering. recognizing the lightness in the air.  naming the moment as a good one, in which my voice is shared and i listen well to stories told.  we dream a little togeher, sharing stories of writing and laughter.  breathing together in a shared space.  thankful and whole.  looking into this sacred circle and sipping.  sipping life a little at a time.

sacred day two hundred thirty-nine

well preserved.

8.27.2011

the winds blew & the rain streaked the windows.  the world outside was a movin' while the world in my kitchen was warm and busy.  the sacred space of my small kitchen fills me with peace, mindful practice, and appreciation for the bounty from the earth.  canning the figs picked the day before into whole figs & preserves brought delight to my morning.  canning these figs restored my spirit and brought me joy. 

sacred day two hundred thirty-eight

picking figs.

8.26.2011

picking figs is a delight! picking figs at the home of church friends brought back memories of picking figs over the years at my grandmother's homeplace.  fig picking in this day was a sacred act, connecting hospitality, memory, the earth, the promise of sustinence.  oh, what a gift.  what a gift.

sacred day two hundred thirty

canning.

8.18.2011

the art of preservation was passed along through my grandparents.  the sights and smells of canning and freezing foods has remained with me.  jellies, jams, vegetables, soups, vinegars. oh, it's delight to connect and feel myself standing in my gradmother's kitchen with her beside me.  i feel her presence as i can these tomatoes.  this small kitchen has become a sacred space where i feel warm (it gets quite hot) and centered and whole. 

sacred day two hundred twenty-eight

shared tea.

8.16.2011

where women gather and share tea, magic is present.  i delighted in sharing tea among friends on this occasion. hearing stories of life, frustrations and hopes.  i am thankful to be in this life at this point in time.  in all time, there's a sacred space that's shared among others when gathered at the table and sharing tea or food. the table + tea is a delightful, sacred space that i will treasure the whole of my life. now and always.

sacred day two hundred twenty-six

cooking.
8.14.2011

my sweet boy loves to cook.  he loves to know what ingredients are in recipes, what things are made of. on this morning, he wanted to wear his new apron made in a vacation bible school last week and prepare his morning meal.  he's very good at scrambled eggs.  the way he holds his hand above, adding shredded mozzarella cheese is just right.  he's his own lovely being.  i love, love, love witnessing my boy and the goodness that flows through him.  i love him so.  he's a treasure.

sacred day two hundred twenty-three

a mighty fine cafe au lait.
8.11.2011

one of my favorite drinks.  i sip from this cup of cuban style cafe au lait and find myself warmed through and through.  the sacred comes and sits with us at the table.  sometimes the sacred is present through others seated with us.  sometimes the sacred is the food itself.  here the sacred is in this space and in the space of this cup.  the sacred is present to me in each sip.  pure delight.

sacred day two hundred nineteen

sabbath lunch.

8.7.2011

enjoying the tastes of summer, delighting in a meal with a kind friend and family.  creating space for rest.  creating space for loving  well and for receiving love.  savoring each bite. sharing each story.  a sacred meal. a sabbath lunch.

sacred day two hundred fourteen

cutting into.

8.2.2011

receiving gifts of food is one of the delights of summer.  we received not one but two beautiful watermelons from family and cut into their red, juicy goodness.  what a gift to receive! what a gift to taste and share together.  what a gift to share images of and recipes for creative salads inspired by friends who've moved to be closer to family.  what delight!  oh, my.

sacred day two hundred eight

harvest.
7.27.2011

spending good time on my birthday gathering and preserving these tomatoes & freezing okra for the gumbo that's to come.  i love creating spaces of light and life. i love creating spaces where good food grows in our garden & yard.  i love creating spaces for others to see what potential they hold within their hands, their voices, their life story.  it's an amazing life, filled with mystery and awe.  i appreciate the generosity of these tomato plants, of the creative spirit, of the divine within each.  i am so thankful, so thankful.