It's during magical evenings like this...

when I think, there's absolutely no other place I'd rather be.

(don't know if you can see their heads, but that's Shawn, Tai, Ava, and a young man--all working to plant coffee trees)

I don't feel this way every moment, or even every evening. But times like this... times like this all I can do is breathe a bit deeper, open my eyes a bit wider, and stretch my smile a bit farther. It's times like this when I think, Thank You, God.

Follow-up to my Note on Beets

I mean, just LOOK at those beauties! It was genuine sacrifice tonight when I offered the last spoonful of roasted, marinated beets to Shawn. It's only because I know he savors them as much as I do that I was able to do such a heroic act.

Today's Harvest

Pictured below: Papaya, green peppers, and beets.

Please note: for those of you who wrinkle your nose at the sight or thought of beets, you just haven't tasted a beet truly prepared well! Mom, this includes you. And Dad, well, you're just too stubborn to ever allow yourself to succumb to the pleasure of enjoying a beet! To the rest of you, boiled and canned beets cannot compare to a roasted beet marinated in oil and vinegar. Each amazing bite makes the next day's pink you-know-what worthwhile!

The Firstfruit

I looooooovvvveee pineapple! Shawn planted one hundred plants in our back yard (100!) I returned from Kampala yesterday to find this beauty waiting for me on the table. It's not quite ready to cut, but right now I enjoy simply looking at it. What satisfaction! It didn't travel hundreds or even thousands of miles to grace my table. It traveled a few feet and was transported by my very own hubby :-). Pineapples are a symbol of hospitality, so...Welcome!