I am pondering...

My favorite part of babies are their tiny little feet. I love how soft and chubby and flat they are. I could kiss Malachi's little feet all day long (and dont even get me started on those cheeks of his). I think my favorite part of very small boys, however, are their shoulder blades. As Zeke's body goes thru the metamorphosis from chubby, soft little baby to bony, bruised-up boy I cant help but fall in love with his shoulder blades. I just love how delicate they are, and the way they stick out when he moves.
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A blogger I enjoy has been going over her menu planning strategy lately. She has a 1 week menu, breakfast lunch and dinner, for every season. You can imagine how this must simplify things for her. She always knows whats for dinner, her grocery list is already prewritten for her since its pretty much the same each week, and because her menu changes with the seasons she can still take advantage of seasonal foods and appetites.
I sat down with my recipe box and a notebook to make my own seasonal menus for spring and summer to see how I liked it, though I knew I would have to do a 2 week rotation. But as soon as I got down to it I realized that the whole idea just wont work for us. We eat a ridiculously varied diet around here. For example, under my soups and stews tab I had no less than 21 different recipes, and we eat each and every one. Granted I am a big fan of soup and a snoot when it comes to the canned stuff. But still, 21 soups and stews!
I came to realize that as good as an idea as the weekly rotation is that this is an area of my life doesn't really need simplifying. I don't get stressed about meal planning. I plan our dinner menu between a week to a month in advance right now and I don't really have a hard time thinking what to make. Breakfasts and lunches are leftovers or a handful of household staples that Zeke and I decide on as the day and mood arrives. Or some new obsession. I tend to go thru "stages" where I eat a ton of bell peppers for a few weeks and then stop suddenly and move onto smoothies or something else and Zeke is the same it seems. He will want oatmeal for breakfast every day for a month and then just as suddenly want yogurt and never look at oatmeal again. And I like the ability to do that. I also love to find and try new recipes. Sure we have our basics that get repeated over and over, spaghetti, tacos, chicken casserole (which really means 300 different things depending on what's in the house) but I have alwasy enyoyed presenting something new. Which is why we have 21 recipes under soups and stews I suppose, those were all the winners. But I love to cook.
It IS a great idea though.
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I dont think people give Martha enough credit. You know, Martha as in Mary and Martha. In case you arent familiar with the story, Martha invited Jesus over for dinner. She was busy running around cleaning and cooking and preparing while her sister sat at Jesus' feet listening to Him. Martha complained to Jesus asking Him to make Mary come help her but Jesus gently rebuked her saying "Martha Martha you are distracted and worried about many things." and told her that Mary had chosen the better part.
I've probably heard a dozen lessons on that story, yet strangely enough when I think of the sisters my mind first goes to their reactions when their brother Lazerus died. As soon as he had fallen ill they sent for Jesus but for His own reasons He took his time in coming and by the time Jesus arrived Lazerus was 4 days dead. When the sisters heard that He was finally there Martha came running to meet Him and say "Lord if You had been here my brother would not have died!" while Mary stayed patiently waiting at home until she was called for.
Maybe its because I am a hopeless Martha, I would have been right there with her running thru the streets to my God, to ask Him "Why? Why did You not come sooner? You are Lord and if You had been here he would not have died!" and I know that every. single. day. I fail to sit in quiet learning because I am distracted and worried about endless unimportant things. But still, I think people are too hard on Martha. Mary chose the better part, but Martha's faith was just as strong.
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I am not looking forward to thinning out my spinach and lettuce, though I know it needs to be done. I hate pulling plants. It seems so wasteful, so violent, so egotistical. Here I am planting seeds only to decide later on which get to live and which die. Who do I think I am? I had this same crisis last fall when I had to thin out the bushes. I felt so bad cutting off all those perfecly healthy branches.

I am not ruthless enough for gardening.