Back from Birding

[Gloria]

Sharaine,

Lovely picture! It's nice to see some more faces with the posts.

Gloria

[sarkin]

I so agree that birders are wonderful people! I think everyone who actually looks, or listens, or pays attention, is contributing in some magical way... whether that's to birds, or plants, or rocks, or nature in general - or to music, dogs, light, color, people - I truly believe that everywhere we put our open-minded attention, that attention is rewarded. In fact - I'm going to post a favorite poem below... but first:

I made a cranberry sorbet that was incredibly delicious. I found that most homemade sorbets, and ice creams (back before 'cream' was dead to me) were hard to store in the freezer for more than about 5 minutes before turning into bricks. This sorbet was great right out of the machine's cylinder, but turned to granite when kept in the freezer while we ate the actual meal.

Shaving it thinly (with the ice cream scoop - or any spoon) off the icy 'block' into the dishes really helped, and it looked great, too. Next time, however, we'll probably just eat it right out of the cylinder, without the pre-freezing.

And here's that poem I love - I was surprised by the title, because the first time I encountered it (without title), I heard it in a different context.

Praying

It doesn't have to be
the blue iris, it could be
weeds in a vacant lot, or a few
small stones; just
pay attention, then patch

a few words together and don't try
to make them elaborate, this isn't
a contest but the doorway

into thanks, and a silence in which
another voice may speak.

~ Mary Oliver ~