{this moment}

{this moment} ~ A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Linking with SouleMama

Random 5 Friday

1.  For the last five years we have made and donated soup for our towns Empty Bowls event.  This year the health department is requiring that all Indy soups be made in a commercial kitchen.  Aside from all of our ingredients and spices, we have to bring all of our pots, pans, cookie sheets, knives etc.  The bags are packed and we will head off to make a parsnip and white bean soup later this morning...all garden fare from last season.

2.  Everyone seems to be very ready for the weekend this week, myself included.

3.  We have an old orchard on our property.  Well, what once was an orchard.  There are five large trees remaining, and though overgrown and dying, still produce very flavorful apples.  B harvested from last years new growth and has stored the samples.  We will be grafting them later this spring and hope to propagate the orchard this year.

4.   It is hard to believe that tomorrow is March first.  The start to the year has just flown.  We are approaching more records for the winter.  Earlier this week we were at 86 consecutive days of snow cover of 1" or greater, only another 20 days or so to break a previous record. With the masses of snow still on the ground that should not be too hard to do.  Regardless, thoughts turn toward spring and we are starting our onions in doors tomorrow!

5.  We should have some big news later today, but I learned early on that nothing is done until the last signature dry.  More to come.

Won't you join in?

Truly Inspired

The late afternoon is quiet.  B is napping. Charles is noshing on toast and Nutella. Sid is basking in the afterglow of a long phone conversation/website design session with her best buddy (yes, she's designing her own role play website).  And me?  Well, I am watching the birds slowly emerge outside my window and am relishing in the fact that I found out that we do have the Cooking Channel, and Jaimie Oliver is on.

This has been a weekend of inspiration and creativity.  I volunteered for a few hours Friday evening for some friends who run and annual event called Belle of the Ball.  An amazing event that combines generous donations of gowns, lots of girls looking forward to prom, and recycling at it's best.  I functioned as a "personal shopper" and there were ton's of dresses in all sizes to choose from.  Then, the girls could cycle through shoes, bags, a jewelry consult, seamstress' to help take in or hem, and finally end up at hair and makeup.  How amazing it was to see faces light up when they found the perfect dress. 

Yesterday was running with the kids, brainstorming farm box additions (so much to add, where to start!?), and spending a few hours with good friends and brainstorming more home grown, local ideas.  Oh the possibilities!

We began this morning in the root cellar, pulling out our largest Purple Vikings stored from last season, and B spent the day creating an amazing creamy potato with bacon soup for this years Empty Bowls.  Another event run by amazing and caring people who create and give back.

I am so fortunate to be surrounded by these amazing energetic souls who create and add such value to our community.  I will go into the next week, truly inspired.

Empty Bowls

Today marks the tenth year that our town has participated in an event called Empty Bowls.  It's a grassroots effort to help end hunger.  People in the community go to our local pottery store and make bowls that are donated for this fundraiser.  Others donate their wonderful homemade soups.  Then the doors are open throughout the day for anyone and everyone to drop in, buy a bowl and eat as much soup as you can hold.  The event has grown substantially since the first year I went and there's loads of beautiful pottery on raffle and music performed by talented young people to serenade us.  All of the proceeds go to our local food pantry.

Sidney looks forward to this event every year and couldn't wait for today.  You see, the last time we went, she dropped her bowl on the way out, and let me tell you that was a tragic thing!  This evening we made up for that.  There's no better way to start the new month, the month of spring's beginning, than to share it with so many friendly and familiar faces all trying to do just a little bit to help those less fortunate around us.