From New Hampshire

Good morning, I am writing to you from my small little art table upstairs in my bedroom in the cabin. Sarah is the only person here with me and she is still sleeping in the dark and quiet basement (finished), curled up in the top bed of the bunk bed, where it is so very nice and cool……..it’s as humid as can be this morning. Everything is covered in humidity outside and so was I, when I went for a little walk around. I saw people, flowers of all kinds, a daddy long legs, the lake, slugs, mushrooms of all kinds, charming lake homes, trees, crows, a male cardinal, and……

……and wild blueberries, of which I am quite acquainted with because I, along with my grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and siblings, grew up surrounded by them. I suspect they are part of my genetic make up at this point. I’ve eaten them from hand, in jam, in pies, in coffee cakes, and my favorite; in muffins.

I said hello to the first bush I found about a week ago here right next to the dirt road that we walk from our cabin down to the lake. I said, “Hello, are you related to anyone in Afton, NY?” And this bush replied to me, “It’s possible, anything’s possible you know.” Then I asked if I could pick it’s ripe berries and it said “Please do, they itch me so, I’ve been waiting for berry lovers to come around and notice and you’re the first.” This is is all true. It was a small sized bush without many branches and I’ve been stopping by almost daily to pick what it had to offer. This morning, just an hour ago, I tied on my sneakers and set out for a quick jaunt. My friendly blueberry bush had a good 1/4 cup for me. I got every ripened one, and ate them, thinking of antioxidants and how each small berry had a slightly different taste and how amazing that was and……..

……and all of a sudden, I found three more small bushes right next to the road, this time on the left hand side. After proper introductions I proceeded to pick berries, oh and I also met the Daddy Long Legs Spider -quite handsome he was- but camera shy. I walked away again eating berries and thinking to myself of walking with a cup and making muffins.

(A mushroom interlude)

I was just about home when I found the one raspberry.

And so we pick what is good as we go about the day, taking what there is for us to gather, enjoying, thanking, smiling, knowing from Who’s hand every good thing comes. A thousand and a thousand good things— if we only have eyes to see we will then have a heart which is large and grateful.

**********

“May I remember the bright hours that found me,

Walking over the silent hills of my childhood,

Or dreaming on the margin of the quiet river,

When a light glowed within me,

And I promised my early God to have courage

Amid the tempests of the changing years.”

Max Ehrmann

And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.  Genesis 1:31