Easter Feast

Coupled with the satisfying truth of the resurrection, it was so good to eat and be filled by this Sunday meal of:

Croque Madame c/o Cozy Kitchen

French Macaroons with Chocolate Ganache c/o Martha

And this amazing view from the front porch of my parents new home, c/o the Creator

Hope it was a Happy Easter for you and yours!

320 G-Unit

Let it be known, that in T-minus 8 days, my press makes its way into this space that I've prepared for it to live and (hopefully soon) make beautiful things!

Revolving Doors

image borrowed

I'm home with my parent's this weekend for the big move -- a departure from the only house I've ever called home. This is the house that welcomed me home from the hospital and housed me for 25 restless Christmas Eve night sleeps. It now holds a million things that require decision: give away, donate, keep, move. More than the material, this house is a reminder of the friends that filled it, the misadventures that occurred in the backyard and cul-de-sac and the meals enjoyed around the kitchen table. Nonetheless, I will help my parents and together we will leave it behind... just another cog in the wheel that keeps bringing change.

And this transition is well-timed with my personal upheaval. I, too, am on the brink of new things. As one chapter of my little life closes, I move on from a job and an existence I've known for nearly two years. One marked by leisurely mornings spent walking my neighborhood streets, Ira's voice drumming softly in my ear. One that allowed time for cooking and reading and crafting. One that afforded me the time and freedom to travel and discover new things about the art that I'm learning.

With this season ending, come a thousand little goodbyes. Not only am I seeing the end of my actual previous existence, but the hope of several that I imagined in the future for myself. For now, with pain and heartache, I realize, New York is a no-go. The same for the plan B idea I had to return to Georgia and re-carve out life there. Also extinguished is the short-lived but so-fun idea of moving to North Carolina to find work in the printing industry. The last several months have been filled with sparks of interest in every direction. Without realizing it, I put stock in every new one, and now, slowly, I have to let the idea of each fade. I have to re-acclimate to the idea of staying where I am, letting the adventure exist partly in the streets, people, and culture I already know. I pray to find the joy of that without succumbing to the ease, comfort and complacency that sometimes accompany lingering.

When Moses led the Israelites away from Egypt, he knew where he was taking them. They were not just leaving from an old way of life, they were going to a new one. And, I'm certain the Lord has used the last two years of my life to prepare me for where He intends for me to tread, even on familiar streets.

Girls Making Passes

I've spent hours digitally trying-on, at-home trial ordering, and posing in front of the mirror with new glasses from Warby Parker. The company provides free try-before-buy trials of five frames and offers feedback for the best fit. Plus they donate a pair of glasses for each one purchased. The cherry on top? All frames with Rx lenses cost a grand total of $95. Go on and have a looksy for yerself.

I know this sounds like an advertisement, but I assure you, I am not receiving a lick of payment for this endorsement.

Savouring the Material

As Lenten season comes to a close over the next week, a revisit to this morsel of wisdom seems appropriate. I devoured the book last year, and feel the urge to go back to its pages for a reminder of how our God dwelt in our humanity, enjoyed the fruits of the Earth, ate good meals and saw the hand of the Creator on Creation. I am hungry for a portion truth that speaks to God's presence in the things of my day-to-day. If this book's author can wax poetic about how slicing an onions speaks volumes about theology, then I too can look to find the mystery in the mundane, the "cross in the clothespin."

I don't intend to make small a God whom the universe cannot even contain. But, I do hope to, over the next few days, really wrestle with the humility it took for a God so expansive, so wise, so all-knowing, so endlessly patient, to:

fit himself into a body like mine

share meals around a table

speak a true message both lovingly and boldly

be a physical, actual friend to people

It is boggling tho think that His feet walked our planet, that He tasted the things I taste, that He was who He is and where I am.

HOT OFF THE PRESS!

Look at this beautiful hunk of metal!

I can't believe it, but I just bought a Vandercook 320 Printing Press... my first ever (and most terrifying) ebay purchase to date. It's a 1750 pound piece of metal that will need to be heaved and hoed, moved up a steep driveway, repaired, rust-rubbed, tended to, worked on.... eventually printed on, and most definitely loved. I truly wasn't sure this day would actually come, but doggone it, it's here. Now's the time to take on courage, to proceed and be bold.

I declared 2011 a year to let the interests I've dabbled have room to rise and grow. Back in December, I said:

I'm hoping that 2011 is a year during which my letterpress hopes and dreams will have room to rise. For the last year or so, I've planted seeds, watered them and waited. Now, it's time to let the yeast do it's natural thing, and aerate. It's time to watch things grow. While I don't make any promises, nor do I set too high expectations for myself, I do want to see change happen this year.

And what do you know? Three months, a hearty portion of disappointment and disillusionment, some unexpected opportunities, and a leap of faith later, I've found my way into a new adventure.

I was reminded earlier this year that the Lord doesn't show us our destinations. He promises just to be a light unto our feet, and a lamp unto our path. That means I've just got enough of a candle to keep me from stumbling on my very next step. And though that's somewhat frightening, it's also perfect.