Blooming gratitude

When we left on our trip 12 days ago, my four Christmas cactus were just pushing out tiny buds. Today they are blooming in all their varied colors. This is my favorite one, the color just bowls me over. Even when we're not traveling before my most-loved holiday, it seems as though the days prior, just creep up on me, slowly, and then one day, the cactus bloom and I know it's that time... to plan the menus, to start cooking, and to make my mental list of all that I'm grateful for... a very long list it is, beginning here.

"If the only prayer you say in your life is 'thank you,' that would suffice." -- Meister Eckhart

A Vintage Flower

A friend reminded me I hadn't posted to my blog in a really long time... has it really been more than a month? This spectacular peony is just one of the reasons I've been blog lazy. Gardening is my great passion and peonies are my favorite flower... I planted this one three years ago. So beautiful and the fragrance is heavenly.

I'm still thrifting too... bought a huge stack of vintage cookbooks at an estate sale last week but haven't had a chance to sit down and poke through them. There are seedlings to plant and a garden to water... soon though. Hope everyone is having a wonderful summer thrifting and gardening!