As I stood gazing at the rows of tulips outside of Mt. Vernon the other day, I was reminded of a line from the movie "Robinhood: Prince of Thieves". This film from the early 1990's starred Kevin Costner as Robin and Morgan Freeman as Azeem, his Moor friend. A young English girl comes up to Azeem (Freeman) and asks, "Did God paint you?" His reply..."Allah (God) loves wondrous variety." Isn't that so true?

Yesterday I attended a baby shower for the daughter of a friend of mine. The young mother and her husband are having their first child...a boy. These young mothers look so much more fashionable than my generation....and the plethora of baby things is amazing! Who knew that instead of a pillow to support your baby while nursing that you need a "boppy"?!

Yesterday we had a few sun breaks and I wandered outside to take some photos of the flowers in bloom. I just love looking at flowers....it makes me marvel at God's amazing creativity...and it simply makes me happy! There is something about spring that infuses me with hope. The signs of new life springing from the bare earth just reminds me of fresh beginnings...that winter does come to an end...there is light at the end of whatever tunnel you are going through.

When we heard that our friends from Anchorage were coming to visit for a few days, I began to think about the groceries I needed to purchase and foods I wanted to have on hand. One food item immediately came to mind...granola. Granola is such a great breakfast item because it's easy to serve...as a cereal with milk...as a topping for yogurt...or just a handful for a quick snack. With weekday schedules and everyone getting up and leaving at various times, homemade granola is a wonderful breakfast food to have available so guests can serve themselves.

I have several granola recipes that I love! This week I decided to make the granola recipe given to me by a friend, Michelle. The recipe came from Alton Brown on the Food Network. I love this recipe not only for its' flavor, but also for the "clump factor"...yep, love those clumps! Here goes

"Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling..." says I Peter 4:9. Sometimes that's hard to do! I've had to catch myself in conversation with a friend listing off all the things on my to do list for the day and adding, "and so and so is coming to visit or coming for dinner so I had to go to Costco and clean my house...yada, yada, yada!" Yet, when our guests arrive, all the preparation is forgotten because we have such a wonderful time and I find myself saying to my husband, "We need to do that more often!" Sigh...

Like my dad, I am a girl who is drawn to water, whether it be the ocean or bay, a lake, or a river. Dad served as a merchant seaman in World War II...quite a change of scenery from the western North Dakota prairies where he grew up. He came to love the seas and often drew our family back to the beach for vacations, whether it be Rio de Janeiro, Ocean Shores, or Whidbey Island. Sometimes Dad would quote a line from John Masefield's poem, "I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky, And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by...". Dad later wrote an article about the call of the sea where he said, "But in countless days and nights of communion with the open sky and sea, the essence of it all became a part of him." In the later years of his life, Dad spent hours scouring the beaches on Whidbey Island, looking for that interesting piece of driftwood to carve into a sculpture.

"Nursing is an art...", according to Florence Nightingale.  As one who has spent the last four years working as a technician in a day surgery center, I would have to agree! The nurses I have had the privilege to work alongside of are well educated, warm, caring, and dedicated to their jobs. They truly do strive to make their patients as comfortable as possible, prior to and post their procedures, with their ever ready smiles and personal interest. Lest you think they are saints, nurses also have no problem speaking very casually about any body part or bodily function with their co-workers.... the conversation in the lunchroom can be quite entertaining!

Are you an early riser? I used to be a night owl...staying up late to read or simply relax at the end of a long day. Around the time my sons entered middle school and had to be up early to get to school on time, I began to change my habits. I began to like getting up early to have a few moments by myself before everyone else woke up. I love the quiet, the dark...hearing the birds begin to chirp and seeing the dawn arise. And, even in western Washington, you can catch the most amazing sunrises! (The one in the picture above came from Red Cedar Lake, Wisconsin however).

Do you have any little obsessions? I'm referring to something that you have a hard time walking by without making a purchase, or at least glancing at the selection? For me, one of my little obsessions is nice stationary, particularly note cards! There's just something about looking at a beautifully designed note card and touching the paper that makes me smile.

I love to send and received hand written note cards. In this age when communication has often been reduced to a few words in a text or tweet, there is something wonderful about seeing a hand addressed envelope in the mail. If the card is from someone I've known for a long time, just the sight of their handwriting brings a smile to my face. And then, I open the card, and find the kind words of someone who made the extra effort to find a card, put their thoughts in writing, address and mail it...priceless. 

Driving home this afternoon from the Cascade mountains, listening to the radio, I was reminded that the closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympics will take place tonight. Then, I heard a clip of a little rant that Jerry Seinfeld did about winning a silver medal...calling the winner of that medal "the number one loser"....really?!!  Don't get me wrong...I find Jerry and his humor pretty funny most of the time, but I had a little trouble with this one. I think it is such an amazing honor to even qualify for and be chosen to represent your country on the Olympic team...medal or no medal. 

I have a thing about doors...

I always notice what a home's front door looks like and tend to remember it. When I'm asking for directions to someone's house, I will often ask, "What color is your house....and how about the color of  your door?" A door can be so welcoming...and may give you the first hint of the owner's personality and the style you are likely to find inside. Don't you love it when you stop by a friend's house, knock on the door or ring the doorbell, the door opens and you hear the words, "Come in"? You feel so warmly welcomed!

Today is Valentine's day...a holiday to honor love. I have been blessed to experience many kinds of love in my life...the love of the Lord, the love of my father and mother, the love of my siblings and extended family, the love of my children, the love of dear friends, and the love of one man...my husband.