Cocooning

This morning Rich took the kids so I could have a quiet, much-needed morning to myself.

It was glorious!

I went for a run, listened to some of Mandisa's music, played around on Facebook, and took my coffee outside for a "garden walk."

The plants are so plush and plentiful. I can't keep up with picking the green beans! It amazes me how tenacious nature can be when faced with a shortage of rain, or some nasty fungus that seems to be spreading throughout our overgrown pumpkin patch. By Grace, fruit still persists! Cucumbers, gourds, squash, tomatoes, etc, keep popping up on a regular basis.

There's so much fresh food to enjoy. Rich has breaded and deep-fried squash for the family. He's also concocted various cucumber and green bean salads. The cherry tomatoes are eaten like candy.

Even the squirrels have been feasting on our sunflowers, bending over tall stalks and salvaging seeds, most likely saving them for a winter treat.

Last spring, while we were planting the garden, my thoughts raced forward to when we could SHARE the fruits it would bear. Yesterday, new neighbors moved into the duplex next door. . .the same small space in which we lived for so long. I can't wait to bring them a bouquet of sunflowers and a welcome basket from our recent harvest.

What a joy to luxuriate in God's long-awaited plenty, savoring Mother-Nature goodness.

John 15:1, 4, 5 "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. . . Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing."