Until My Tongue Returns

I thought I might have time to write a longer post tonight and break the blogging silence that's been surrounding me more than usual.  But I didn't take one thing into account: peas.  :)  Jeff picked 'em, and I shelled 'em--a task I truly love.  But keeping my hands busy with pea pods tonight meant that the cat's still got my tongue.

Actually, that's not entirely true.  My tongue worked well enough to talk with Jeff while I started shelling the peas.  :)  But when it comes to this blog, the deeper thoughts and longer posts that I'd like to share are still tucked away, unfinished.

Meanwhile, until I get talkative again, here are some other things worth reading--some posts on other blogs that I read recently and that have returned to my thoughts again and again.  To be honest, I read A LOT throughout the course of a day--a little bit here, a little bit there--but much of what I read goes in one eyeball and out the other, so to speak.  But these five posts have stuck, for one reason or another, in my head.  Maybe you'll find something worthwhile here, too.

~ Regina's remembrance of her grandma, who passed away recently, just after her 92nd birthday.  Not only does her grandma remind me so much of mine, but she also gave me a vision for how my life could possibly look in its later years.  To be able to connect with and encourage various parts of the family and to be available to lend a helping hand--ah, that makes old age look appealing!  :)

~ Perhaps the most dramatic birth story I've ever read.  Seriously, this is crazier than you could even make up!  And it all ends well, which is, of course, what really matters.  :)

~ Lessons learned in the aftermath of the Moore, Oklahoma tornado.  Makes me ask myself what I would do in that situation, if I were trying to rebuild the pieces of my life after a tornado swept away nearly everything.  What would shine through in my life?

~ A recipe for delicious chicken pot pie.  I've made this several times since I first discovered it months ago, and it is SO GOOD.  It's the kind of recipe that I'm glad to have leftovers from because I want to eat it more than just once.  :)

~ Excellent article on decluttering.  This is a very practical, yet incredibly inspiring, piece of advice about how to simplify.

Finally, there's always time for a picture!  Mother and Moriah enjoyed a pleasant evening outside after supper.

 A little bit of fresh air before bedtime is always a good thing.  :)