lenten blueberry muffins

 When my sister drove over four hours on her day off to visit me, lugging all manner of nonsense I left behind, I felt I must reward her.  Enter the vegan blueberry breakfast cakes from veganyumyum.com.

We didn't have any Ener-g Egg Replacer, so we combed through Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian for an alternative.  Three tablespoons of silken tofu later, we had amazing lenten muffins.

If you want a taste, hop in the car and come visit!  (yes, I'm resorting to bribery...)

 Though these pictures don't do it justice, I wanted to share. 

Pete and I went for a walk last night just as the sky started threatening rain.  Sure enough, we were caught in a tremendous thunderstorm.  It let up after a while and we began walking back.  The whole world had awakened with the returning sun.  Everything, including us, was drenched entirely and the colors were intensified as a result. 

We nearly missed this perfect, bold rainbow that careened over the entire eastern sky opposite the lowering sun.  It's one of those moments I hope never to forget.

Juliana in Uganda

 wearing her Alabama Studio Style dress. 

I miss her like crazy.

new project

 This portable herb garden enables me to escape all the aspects of gardening I don't like.  The bugs, the sun, and the backbreaking labor.

So basically it's gardening without gardening.  Awesome.

I. just. saw. a. hummingbird. 
That is all.

Trifecta

June 20th:  my 24th birthday, our 4 month-iversary, and the first day we woke up together knowing we'd never have to live apart again.
We spent it quietly.  Took a walk, picked wildflowers, baked a pie.  It was peaceful and perfect and I can't wait to do it again next year.

One last gem

In honor of my last day of teaching 1st grade in the foreseeable future...

Me: Hey, Kid, where'd your hair go? 
Kid: I got it cut yesterday.
Me: Oh, good. I was afraid someone was going around snatching hair.
Kid: Nope! I went with my mom. She got her hair painted.

I'm going to miss those little beasts.