Light the Fire and Make Banana Bread

Yesterday the daytime temperature here in the mountains reached 50-something. It felt like spring. I was hopeful. Very hopeful. And now. . .

it's snowing.

Welcome to the Colorado Rockies. . .where spring doesn't arrive until summer.

Ok, so we got a taste of spring. That's ok. We've got a fire in the fireplace and banana bread in the oven. Dennis just made popcorn (the smell of which is driving me crazy) and there's a stack of movies waiting to be slipped into the DVD player. The Reinkes know how to make the best of delayed spring.

This morning I took a few photos of Dennis' studio, just because it's such a pretty space.

These potted geraniums started out in our backyard last spring.  We moved them into the studio in the fall and just look at them. . .

Dennis has been caring for this geranium for a friend who is wintering in Arizona.  I'm not sure Dennis will give it back to her. . .

Another geranium on the south side of the studio. . .

This is the view from the east window, where the first two geranium plants reside. . .

With the view they have it's no wonder the geraniums have produced all those blooms.

I couldn't resist showing photos of Dennis' latest work. . .

My husband is an accomplished gardener and artist, makes a mean bowl of popcorn and knows how to build an excellent fire.  Those all seem like pretty good reasons to marry a man, if you ask me.

I like him so much I might just let him have some of my banana bread. . .

 I will make them and the places surrounding my hill a blessing.  I will send down showers in season; there will be showers of blessing. -- Ezekiel 34:26

News Clothes

Yesterday morning I asked Dennis what he had planned for the day.

"I'm going to do laundry," says he, "I need to catch-up on the news."

This isn't as strange as it sounds.  See, we don't subscribe to cable TV, so we don't get televised news. In fact, we get no television programs at all. Which suits us fine. We watch movies, documentaries, painting videos. . .stuff like that.

So where does the laundry come in?  Well, our apartment doesn't have a washer and dryer, so Dennis takes our laundry to the laundromat. Which has a television. On which the news is broadcast to the patrons. Get the picture? (No pun intended.)

I appreciate the fact that my husband is willing to go to the laundromat every week. Personally, I hate it. I mean I really hate it. To mean it's an utter waste of time and completely unnatural to take your laundry for a drive every seven days. Especially in the snow and cold. Come on. You know I'm right.

As soon as Dennis and I buy a house, we're getting a washer and dryer and I'm taking back the laundry duties. Believe me, I'm fine with this. Because while our clothes are happily swishing around in the proper water temperature, or joyfully tumbling in the not-too-hot dryer, I'll be doing something else. In our own home. . .

But it won't be watching the news.

Strength and dignity are her clothing,

         And she smiles at the future.  -- Proverbs 31:25

Life Lesson Learned from a Toaster

Let me set the scene for you. . .

It's lunchtime. I'm standing in front of the toaster. Waiting. . .waiting. . .waiting. My husband walks by.

Me: (enormous sigh) Honey, I think the toaster is about to go. It's taking longer and longer to toast bread.

Hubby: Well, when we run out of patience we'll buy a new one.

I cracked up at his retort and told him it was blog fodder. 

But guess what?  He's got a point.  Maybe I don't need to spend money on a new toaster. Maybe I just need to acquire more patience. 

Have you ever noticed how often the subject of patience comes up in ordinary conversation? Especially in relation to motoring. Just about every human has suffered from lack of patience on the highway. Well, except maybe Mother Theresa. It's hard to imagine she ever shook her fist and screamed at the driver in front of her, "You jerk! Can't you go any faster?"

Author Barbara Johnson described patience as "being able to idle your motor when you feel like stripping your gears." A wise woman. I wonder how many trips to the mechanic it took for her to learn that lesson.

A person’s wisdom yields patience;

   it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense. -- Proverbs 19:11