Season of the Bitter-Sweet

Clarke and I have just returned from a "bitter-sweet" trip home to Pennsylvania. My dear step-father passed away in October, and, because Clarke had not been able to travel then, this was the first opportunity we had to gather with my family to help make decisions about the contents of the home my parents purchased over 25 years ago. I spent two full afternoons with my sister-in-law, Desi, in the huge attic which was loaded with every imaginable item. Every time one of the four of us "kids" moved, more things found their way to the attic. We found quite a few treasures and, thankfully, lots of empty boxes. My sister-in-law, Susan, and brother Matt filled up their trailer with items they had left behind years ago including a highchair they hope will be used by their future first grandchild! Another day, cold and sunny, we all converged and spent a lot of effort in the yard - mulching up fallen leaves with the riding mower, raking, and weeding. My sister, Amy, reclaimed an artistic stepping stone path Matt had built next to our mother's favorite place - the screened porch. Whenever someone was cold and hungry, we'd stop by the kitchen to enjoy some of Clarke's homemade chicken corn soup and a big cup of my brother, Tom's, excellent coffee. Both food and company warmed us as we shared stories and memories. As I finished my last project outside that day, I spied a gallon jug under some shrubs near the back property line. I crawled in to grab it and ,as I looked up, there was a spray of orange and yellow. It was a vine of bittersweet. Just like our trip. There is still much to do and I can hardly wait to go back for more memories.

Fall is the season for cooking!

As I write this, it's a sunny (mostly) Saturday afternoon. It's cool and quite windy. The leaves we have enjoyed over the last weeks are now falling briskly. I took some photos today in the yard to remind myself how remarkable it is to have flowers still in bloom on November 15th. No doubt, their days are numbered. Clarke is feeling strong enough to be back in the kitchen now and then and has a big pot of chicken corn soup simmering on the stove. The fragrance is so comforting. Nothing beats a pot of home made soup, and, I can hardly wait for dinner time. During this season of Clarke's recovery, I have been concentrating on nutrition and cooking healthfully. One recipe I have made and am ready to make again is called "Magic Mineral Broth". It is worth every bit of your time. The broth can be sipped alone or used as a base of many other recipes where you would use a vegetable broth. The broth also freezes well so you can have it on hand. The author of One Bite at a Time, Chef Rebecca Katz, developed this recipe to help cancer patients build their immunity. You can find the recipe at http://www.caring4cancer.com/. You will be an instant fan. All the nutrition experts are stressing the necessity for a widely-varied, plant based diet - so bring home a load of vegetables and get out the soup pot. We can all use a little "magic." Fall is the season for cooking!

Seasons not only associated with a calendar

Growing up in Pennsylvania, how I loved the changing seasons. These images I remember: In Spring, there was yellow as far as the eye could see down the long row of overgrown forsythias at our Lionville home; in later Summers, we bobbed around in our pond in Glen Moore while our kitty, Tinkerbelle, captured sunfish for her kittens; in Fall, we jumped in piles of leaves, cooked applesauce, and started eating oatmeal again; in Winter, we listened to the magical sound of chains on the cars making their way along snowy roads.

Living in Georgia for the last 20 years, I recently realized how much I missed the distinct features and temperatures of the four seasons. The calendar season now is Fall, and a beautiful one it has been - but, the season I am actually dwelling in is one of waiting and of hope - a season focusing on my family. My husband, Clarke, was diagnosed with small cell lung cancer in August. Very slowly, day by day, he is getting stronger. I thank the Lord for friends and family and for their prayers that our family would overcome this health crisis. So, yes, I have a distinctive "season" to embrace as I grow in faith and trust The Lord for His plan for us as a family.