Thursday, June 19, 2008

I Love Our Friends.

Yesterday some of our best friends from New Jersey arrived for their summertime visit. The children had been counting the days til their arrival. They immediately went off to explore and play and Kathryn and I went off to see new animals and then pick garden. What fun we had as we sipped our wine and picked peas and broccoli. Then we went in and threw the duck in the oven to roast and ate fresh goat cheese with herbs spread on baby potatoes. We couldn't wait, it was so good. Then we had another appetizer of the first baby zucchini sauteed and then spread with the cheese. It was so good. Then Kathryn made the butter from the cream and we put out the bread and the duck and the broccoli and the peas and the potatoes and we all sat outside way too late for dinner and enjoyed ourselves and the cool evening, ever so grateful for friends and gardens and farms and summer.

This morning Patrick made biscuits to go with the butter Kathryn made and the fresh cherry jam that Maggie made. This afternoon I worked in the garden and then we tie-dyed. It is our summer tradition with the Woolleys. We get out all our white t-shirts and white napkins and anything else white and cotton and wrap with rubber bands and dye away. It is so much work, and worth it. Just like our life, it involves great adventure and mystery. We start out with a plan, an idea, and get to work. But you never really know how it is going to turn out until you wait, rinse, wash and unveil the mystery of the unwrapped fabric. We are always surprised, not always thrilled, but generally somewhat content with our creations. Then we have a wearable memory that brings joy for the next several months as we remember fireflies and bonfires and funny colored hands since we forget to put on gloves. Each year we seem to get a bit more adventurous as we try new designs. I even dyed my favorite old bleached out nightgown. Wonder how it is going to turn out? Who will be the king/queen of the tye-die? So far, Thomas has been the winner in years past. Will let you know.

By the way, the pizza we picked up from Papa John's this evening tasted almost as good as the gourmet supper last night. There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven...Ecclesiastes 3:1

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