Monday Morning Musings

Right now... it's 8:30am. It's sunny and beautiful outside. I'm supposed to be taking a shower and heading to the airport (which is a few hours away) to pick up my sister. Oops.

This past weekend... was scary. On Saturday my sister-in-law had a 4-wheeler accident at the farm. She broke her arm in two places, broke her nose and three bones in her face, ruptured a sinus, lost her big toenail, and is covered in lacerations and road burn. My father-in-law, who saw the accident, thought she was dead when he ran to her limp body, face down on the road. Her fingers were touching her elbow. After one arm surgery she's still in the hospital awaiting reconstruction of her sinus.

Sunday was a long day. It wasn't the usual blissful day with my husband. We were both on edge and didn't even do the LA Times. I didn't make dinner (though we had sausage, bacon, scrambled eggs, hash browns and waffles for brunch). I'm more in awe of my husband than ever before, he's such a good man, but it's hard to have a sweet blissful day when someone in your family has narrowly avoided death and is in great pain.

Some plans for this week: My sister is coming in today to spend the next three weeks! We don't have plans yet (besides cherry harvest), but I'm sure we'll get plenty done and have fun doing it.

I really want to make bread, bagels, English muffins, banana bread, and waffles for the freezer. I also want to make ice cream and granola.

Oh yeah, WE GOT A FREEZER! I'm so excited. Now the possibility of raising some porkers is real.

If I can find some time for myself, I want to... see above.

Special prayer intentions: For my sister-in-law to have a full and speedy recovery. For a happy visit with my sister. In thanksgiving for the miraculous avoidance of all forecasted rain these last few days, and for NO RAIN these next three weeks (for the cherries). And for guidance, wisdom, and prudence about a job opportunity I've been given to teach at a local Catholic high school.

Something that makes me smile: I was able to do a little watercolor painting for my older sister's birthday card.

Monday Morning Musings are graciously hosted by Patch o' Dirt Farm.

Rain Rain, Go Away

Please pray it doesn't continue to rain.

It's been raining for three weeks. It's one of the rainiest seasons on record.

Rain makes cherries swell. When they swell, they split. When they split, the harvest is called off. When the harvest is called off... we eat beans and rice and sell the farm.

We've already called out the helicopters once. They hover over your orchard and supposedly the wind blows the rain off the fruit. Success? Dubious. But it does give a little peace of mind... and it's flippin' cool to have a helicopter on call.

Anyway, it's supposed to rain again tonight. If it does, we'll probably be wiped out. Pray the rain averts us. Please.

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Free Friday returns. Today, National Donut Day, you can get a free donut (not just the plain glazed, but any kind) at Krispy Kreme... for those of you lucky enough to live near one.

Small Successes

1. Made ravioli from scratch.

2. Harvested basil, parsley and oregano from my garden to make said ravioli!!

3. Overcame an intense bout of homesickness by Skyping for the first time.

Check out others' small successes this week at Faith & Family Live.

Wordless Wednesday

Fruit Dip from Heaven

Grab the button here and come join us, or just link to another site with a recipe you're going to try... or post a recipe in the comments!

I'll share with you a "recipe" that made me giddy as a young child. My Aunt Kathy would make this for Easter every year. To me it was worth the obscenely long drive on Good Friday (without the comfort of fast food, which we could only eat on road trips... but not on Good Friday), the pain of having my hair french-braided for the Easter Vigil, and the humiliation of (year after year) totally bombing on the Easter egg hunt as my eldest cousins looked on and laughed. It was all worth it, if only I could get unlimited dibs at this culinary marvel.

Without further ado:

Aunt Kathy's Fruit Dip

1) 1 jar marshmallow cream
2) 1 package softened cream cheese

Directions: With an electric mixer, mix the two together. (If you find it far too sweet, which I never did, you can put two packages of cream cheese for every jar of marshmallow cream. But I think this is perfection.)

That's it. She would serve it with a massive plate of fresh sweet juicy strawberries. And I would hide in the back room at Granny & Grandpa's house (after losing the Easter egg hunt yet again) with this dip as happy as could be.

Since discovering this recipe I've also served it with apple slices, kiwi, grapes, and even (yes, dear readers) on a spoon.