Are you ready for a splash of summer?

"Thou hast established all the boundaries of the earth; Thou hast made summer and winter." Psalm 74:17

You've just got to try this. I know it's a summer recipe, but it is a truly wonderful splash of summer goodness!

Fresh Dill Tzatziki
Bon Appetit, August 2004

2 c plain whole-milk yogurt
1 12-oz unpeeled English cucumber, halved lengthwise, seeded, coarsely grated
1 t coarse kosher salt
1/4 c sour cream
1 T minced fresh Italian parsley
1 T white wine vinegar
2 1/2 t minced fresh dill
1 1/2 t olive oil
1 small garlic clove, minced

Line sieve with 2 layers of cheesecloth; place over deep bowl. Spoon yogurt into sieve. Cover; chill sieve in bowl overnight. Toss cucumber and 1 t salt in bowl. Let stand 1 hour. Drain as much liquid as possible from cucumber, then pat dry with paper towels. Transfer yogurt to bowl; discard liquid. Mix cucumber into yogurt. Mix in remaining ingredients. Season with salt and pepper. Cover; chill 1 to 4 hours.

NOTE: It tastes best when eaten with plain crackers such as Carr's Table Water Crackers. Chew very slowly and let it sit in your mouth for just a few seconds before you swallow. Your tongue will love you for this! Let me know if you try it.

The Lord's touch

"Bow Thy heavens, O Lord, and come down; touch the mountains, that they may smoke." Psalm 144:5
Last weekend, Hubby and I took a little trip to the other side of the mountains. As we journeyed up to the pass, this was the scene. Breathtaking! How can one see such beauty and not glorify Him for His handiwork?

A special treasure

"Let marriage be held in honor among all..." Hebrews 13:4a


Wonderful, sweet, darling Hubby surprised me the other day with this gorgeous bouquet of flowers.


The colors blend so nicely and look brilliant sitting on my desk.


He doesn't often buy flowers so when he does, it's very special.





The Lord never ceases to confirm that our marriage pleases Him very well.

Self-Employed

"In all labor there is profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty." Prov. 14:23
Please excuse my absence. The best thing about being self-employed is that I can give myself a pay raise anytime I want. And that's exactly what I've decided to do. What a busy week! More phone calls and more appointments leads to more profit. However, it does not leave much time for our blog. Or checking your blogs either, unfortunately. Petunia's Gardener and I haven't walked at all this past week.

Thank you for all your comments regarding my most recent post. I did research each suggestion; however, I still haven't found the one verse that smacks me between the eyes. When I get something in my head, I am bound and determined to find just exactly the right thing. Still looking!

We'll be out of town visiting friends this past weekend, but I do hope to get caught up next week. Hope all my blogger friends are doing well. Have a great weekend!

(P.S.: The woman in the picture is not me and that's not my office. Mine is much neater than that, thankfully.)

In every part of life

"For who can eat and who can have enjoyment without Him?" Eccl. 2:25

Many of you have expressed appreciation in the fact that I start each post with Scripture. Let me explain.

First, when I developed our blog, I was completely unaware of exactly how large the blog world is. After several weeks of searching other blogs, I was encouraged to find bloggers with Christian beliefs and values who expressed them freely. This was my first inspiration.

Second, I firmly believe the Lord is involved in every circumstance whether we acknowledge that or not. With each new post came a growing excitement to find a verse to match. The Holy Spirit has challenged me daily to NOT find a verse. (I am much more productive if I'm told I can't do something!) This was my second inspiration.

So far, I've been able to find just the perfect verse for the topic. Until today. I've spent almost an hour searching the concordance in the back of my Bible and an exhaustive concordance I have on the shelf, but to no avail. And now it's time to go to bed.

Maybe you can help. Can you find a verse that better explains the presence of God in every situation? I'd love for you to share it with me. I know it's hidden somewhere in those 66 books, but I'm just too tired to keep looking.

Texture

"Now on the first day you shall take for yourselves the foliage of beautiful trees, palm branches and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook; and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days." Lev 23:40
After seeing such great photos here and here, I was inspired to experiment with my own.

The texture of the cut wood is my favorite part, I think. Can you see how wet this middle branch is?

I'm not sure if the bark in the third picture is normal for this type of tree or if it became a woodpecker's best friend.

A little diversion

"For ground that drinks the rain which often falls upon it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God." Hebrews 6:7

Hubby spent quite a few hours on this drainage ditch for the driveway slab - digging the trench, laying rock, ensuring the slope is just right.

This project was a must as the garage is at the bottom of a small hill in the yard. Water (and mud) sitting on our driveway was a regular occurrence.

He did a fantastic job! It works like a charm.