Groceries

My new grocery bag... 

It made me happy, walking home in the cool shade with a bag full of food. 

It's a traditional pattern from the north of Portugal, "Lencinho dos namorados" and it says (in rhyme), "Go bag in my hand, go run to the village. Go show my love his filling/parcel of joy."

Woman

A woman ought to have an immense capacity for acceptance. 

Be able to integrate everything...

floods of emotions, 

broken, shattered dreams, 

human frailty. 

Be adaptable, 

create and dream using unexpected materials. 

Make beauty out of the impossible. 

A woman is an endurance athlete, 

an artist with recycled materials, 

the last living survivor in a train wreck, 

the last standing spectator on the sidelines. 

A woman knows all, feels all, integrates all. 

Rest in Harvest - William-Adolphe Bouguereau

Spring is for...

Runs/walks in the park...
oatmeal+chocolate+cranberry muffins...
and strawberries...

...and nurturing hope that there is a solution/redemption for every problem, no matter how awful it may seem. 

"Expect to have hope rekindled. 

Expect your prayers to be answered in wondrous ways. 

The dry seasons in life do not last. 

The spring rains will come again."

 - Sarah Ban Breathnach

Resurrection moments

 I went to a Taize prayer last Friday with some friends and it reminded me of the two times I've been to Taize and the three times I've been to Theology of the Body conferences. Those were the times I felt most at peace, most close to Heaven, most fulfilled. Why can't times like those happen more often? Why can't I always be inspired and uplifted? 

This Easter, I heard a priest say that we mainly live in Holy Saturday time: the waiting, the hoping, marked by the grief of Holy Friday, knowing God will redeem all evil. So it makes sense to just have these "resurrection moments" every now and then. The rest is just "one foot in front of the other..." in this earthly pilgrimage.  

Laying around

I ♥ laying on the beach, watching people swim…

people I love of course. In this case my handsome hombre. 

Mainly because I'm a big sissy when it comes to cold water. But also because it's so nice to enjoy the sun and sound of crashing waves. And this weekend I also got to hear French (tourists) and watch their little naked French babies run around. BONUS. Why are French babies always naked? ;)