A Senses Tour, May 2nd

   I went outside early this morning in flip flops instead of rubber boots and zipped through a handful of chores, eager to get to the good stuff. I took with me a giant mug of hot, perfectly delicious coffee and thought about how much opportunity is at our feet.

   The sky was golden-blue and already very warm, the breeze was mild compared to yesterday's gustiness, and the animals were all bright eyed and affectionate. I felt life pulsing happily all around me and had love seeping out of my skin. These are the perfect conditions for flip flops.

   Do you know what I found when I walked downhill and into the veggie garden?

   The green beans had sprouted overnight! In just five days, ladies and gentlemen. And the sprouts are thick, strong, and numerous. 

   I sank all twenty-nine of yesterday's leafy purchases into the third raised bed while chatting with my wonderful sister in law Halee. This is a hidden benefit of planting in raised beds, by the way: you can cultivate one handed. 

   Something about the angle of the morning sun and the effervescence of the butterflies in my tummy made it possible to envision the fruits and vegetables in full growth, three or four months from now, maybe sooner at this rate. And that blurry little glimpse into the garden's future made it possible for me to think of how the rest of life might look in the future. How might all of our prayers be answered? What will our goals be down the road? How will our friendships have changed?

   Maybe it's better to keep my head in the present moment.

   It's mid-morning now and I need to move on to some other jobs. But first, to sort of time-stamp this particularly vivid Wednesday, a quick Senses Tour...

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See:  I see the geese and guineas skittering all over the south lawn, and I see the wild foresty hill where Rebecca and Brian will be saying their wedding vows in less than three weeks. I see manure-coated gardening gloves sitting on my clean tablecloth (whoops!), a flash light that needs to be recharged, and an empty coffee mug. I see two books: one that I am forcing myself to finish and one that I can't wait to start.

Hear: I hear Pacino outside, flirting with the hens. I hear the refrigerator humming and the roosters crowing. I hear my stomach growl because its almost lunchtime. I hear my heart beating with romance.

Touch: My hands feel a little beaten up this morning, but my hair is clean. That's a plus. I am eager to finish some work indoors so I can get back outside and feel the sun again. Today and tomorrow are tank top and flip flop days, you guys. We are soaking up an early summertime in Oklahoma, and I love it!

Smell: I can smell the bleachy freshness of dish-washing soap, a patchouli-infused candle, and the citrusy sweetness of a bowl of oranges in front of me.

Taste: Lipgloss. Just plain lipgloss. The coffee, fresh egg, and cinnamon raisin toast from earlier are long gone now.

Think: Yesterday I spent some much needed and incredibly nourishing time with my girls, just the three of us. I am thinking of them from head to toe, inside and out, wondering about some of the things they said, celebrating the laughter we shared, just loving them invisibly and from a distance. I am also thinking of the aprons that need to be delivered and of the wedding we're all planning. How lucky am I that these beautiful things are the stuff of daily life?

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   What's going on in your neck of the woods? How are your senses affecting you?

Be on the Lookout for Miracles.

xoxoxoxo