Pause

As my belly grows and our little fellow's gymnastics become more pronounced, it can be difficult not to get caught up in the seemingly-endless list of "Things Not Yet Done." Oh, how I want everything squared away and just-so, right now! I've never been good at waiting, though you'd think four babies would have honed my skills a bit.

So I am trying to take a pause -- there are projects I can tackle, but I don't need to worry myself about the ones I can't. It helps to walk into my living room and see this:

That's my childhood Beatrix Potter treasury, being read and loved by my daughter -- to know that she loves reading, and reading the same stories I loved at her age, is such a joy!

And a stroll through our garden (two rows of straw bales) helps when it's tempting to feel overwhelmed. There's always something new to notice there, something growing and changing. I can't wait to pull out the carrots that these fluffy tops belong to!

And there are so many clusters on our tomato plants! I love to peek under the leaves and check their progress, partly so I can enjoy the pungent smell of tomato plant on my fingertips. We had to stake them recently, because they were so large and heavily laden that they were sagging precariously. My container tomato plant last year produced two tiny Roma tomatoes (and that was a comparative success to most of my plant-growing endeavors!), so this unexpected abundance is quite heartening -- perhaps I've inherited my father and grandmother's green thumbs, after all? I suppose I should let the season play out before I become too confident!

The Littles somehow got into their heads that we needed to make strawberry jam, so we took advantage of a sale at the grocery store. You know you're a bit too thrifty when your children ask wistfully if such-and-such a fruit or veggie is on sale! We put a pound of strawberries in the food processor with a tablespoon of chia seeds, and blended them until the mixture was as smooth as it would get. Then into the fridge overnight, resulting in a delicious and fresh "spread" (it's not as thick as a jam). It's already been earmarked for our Sunday tea tomorrow afternoon, which means we'll be putting scones on the menu, as well!

And so, I pause. Before I go find something else to organize, paint, or purge...