The Birthday Turtle

Today my mother would be 72 years old.  

Twenty years ago today was her last birthday on this earth.  She turned 52.  She died unexpectedly 10 months later.

I took a beautiful morning walk today, but it wasn't until I sat down with my devotional and looked at the date that I realized today is May 23rd.  "Oh!" I exclaimed to my husband, "it's my mother's birthday!"

Then I got busy with my day.  I am helping my sister with a real estate transaction.  I also have a huge weekend project going: cleaning out and organizing our garage!

As I was working in the garage around lunchtime, Annie came running down to me from the side yard. "Mommy! Come quick! Quick!"

I walked to the front yard, where a little box turtle was making its way from our flower beds to our ornamental shrubs.  We exclaimed over it, picked it up, took video, talked in silly voices, and generally just stood and admired it for a little while.  Then we went inside to have lunch.

Later in the afternoon, my husband had the radio on as I was cleaning in the garage, and a song came on that my mother loved.  "Oh," I thought, "Mom loved this song."  And then like a little breeze that wafted past, I realized again, it's my mother's birthday.

And then I cried.  God had winked at me, and I almost didn't see it.

You see: my mother loved turtles.  She LOVED them!  She would pull over on the side of the road and move them out of the way.  She just thought they were so sweet.  And I've had some strange little turtle instances over the years since her death.  After my miscarriage, a turtle appeared in our yard.  One day in law school I was feeling miserable (not long after she'd died), and a turtle showed up right in front of the school.  Et cetera: this has happened multiple times, so much so that when I am unhappy, I almost long to see a turtle for comfort!

I just couldn't believe that when Annie came to show me the turtle, I didn't make the connection! I was so distracted with my tasks and activities (did you know that there are apparently millions of types of screws in this world?  and that I'm sorting them all? does everyone have a husband who has every type of screw ever known to man in his garage??) that when we were enjoying the turtle, I didn't even think of my mom. We see a turtle in our yard maybe once a year, maybe more like once every two or three or four years! 

And yet, on her 72nd birthday, God gave me this sweet little gift. 

It truly made my day!  

A New Book Challenge

Like many people, I have found that during this season of quarantine, I have more time to read books. (When I'm not trying to garden and paint furniture...!)

I don't follow the Modern Mrs. Darcy, but I recently saw, via Roan's blog, a 2020 reading challenge posted.  I thought it looked both intriguing and doable, and decided I would try to follow along as well! It apparently consists of 12 books over the course of the year, in various categories.  They are (with my own selections for each one provided):

A Book Published the Decade You Were Born: 100 Years of Solitude --this has been on my to-read list forever--literally since I was gifted it as one of my college "book bridal shower" gifts-- but I'm so intimidated by it.  However, I am going to rise to the challenge this year!   I changed my mind! I began reading Corrie Ten Boom's The Hiding Place, and I'm loving it!  I checked the date and it was published in 1971.  So I'm going to count that instead. :) Perhaps I'll still read 100 Years....but we'll see!

A Debut Novel: Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen

A Book Recommended by Someone You Trust: I already listened to Spoken from the Heart by Laura Bush, recommended by Roan, but my stepmother recommended Before We Were Yours, and I may try to read that also

A Book by a Local Author: I think I'll choose Factory Man, by Beth Macy, who is *somewhat local* to my area

A Book Outside Your Comfort Zone: I have no idea!  What's outside my comfort zone--that's not inappropriate?  I love all genres. I'm still trying to figure this one out......perhaps something related to the hard sciences.  I think I will read The Martian Chronicles. I forgot that I don't like all genres--I don't like science fiction at all (and definitely not horror), nor do I like dysopian books.  My husband has been saying that he wants Finn to read The Martian Chronices for a couple of years now, because my husband really liked it in middle school.  So I'll pre-read it and see if I think it will be a good fit.  

A Book in Translation: I am currently deciding this, but I think I'll pick a translation of the Illiad or the Odyssey

A Book Nominated for an Award in 2020: The Dutch House by Ann Patchett, since *everyone* has recommended this to me

A Re-read: Anne of Green Gables, with my children :) 

A Classic You Didn't Read in School: Middlemarch, by George Eliot (I just got this on audiobook today and am eager to begin it--I've wanted to read it forever!)

Three Books by the Same Author: I debated this one, but because I read and enjoyed Peace Like a River so much, I decided to also read So Brave, Young, and Handsome and Virgil Wander, by Leif Enger. I may do at least one of these as an audio book. 

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A week or so ago I finally decided to take the plunge and try a free Audible trial. With that, I got 2 credits for 2 books.  The first one I purchased was Laura Bush's memoir, which I thoroughly enjoyed.  I wasn't sure I would really use Audible that much, and I wasn't sure I'd like audio books, but I found myself easily listening as I folded laundry, exercised on the elliptical trainer, drove 3 hours roundtrip to go house-hunting with my sister, or cleaned the kitchen! I'm eager to listen to my next free book--that's Middlemarch. At this point, I think I will keep the Audible membership because I'm enjoying these books so much. 

Ahh! Reading is such a joy. I look forward to many hours of books this summer--I hope the pool will open so that I can read by the water soon. :) 

White Bean & Ham Soup and Whole Wheat Rolls

Yesterday was gorgeous and springy, with lots of sunshine and birdsong. I spent the afternoon and part of the early evening putting in most of our garden.  I planted tomatoes, a couple of butternut squash plants, peppers, basil, and some late lettuce plants, and also sowed the seeds for three types of pumpkins, green beans, cucumbers, acorn squash, and more butternut squash. When I began, I thought, our garden space is so large, I certainly will have lots of room left but by dinner last night I was thinking we really need to till up another garden plot.

Here's the sketch of this year's planting!  I will be rotating in zucchini, yellow squash, more tomatoes, and more beans in a week or two.

I wanted to get everything in yesterday because I knew today was supposed to be rainy, and it is! In fact, it's both rainy and cold.  I had to wake both of my children around 8:30. We have spent the morning reading in separate corners of the living room while the washer and dryer do my chores.  It's not even lunchtime and I've already had a cup of coffee and a cup of Yorkshire Gold tea!  

Well: some days are meant to be quiet and cozy, so I'm just going to let this one unfold that way. If the rain ceases later today, I'll take my walk; if not, I'll just make peace with having a sedentary Tuesday!

One extra cozy thing to have on a rainy, cold day is soup.  I make lots of different soups, but this one is a newer favorite.  Although I tend not to eat much meat, this soup does contain ham, because it adds such a good flavor.  It's the simplest soup in the world to throw into the crockpot in the morning, and it cooks all day and infuses the house with coziness.  Later today I'll start a batch of rolls with freshly-milled wheat--another cozy touch, and another recipe I'll include below!

White Bean and Ham Soup

1 lb. dried white beans (great northern or navy) 

32 ounces chicken stock 

2 cups diced ham*

1 onion

3 cups water

Place these ingredients into a crockpot and turn it on high.  Let it cook all day; after a few hours I usually turn it to low or warm and let it simmer.  

Half an hour or so before serving, stir in 1c. of milk (or, if you're really needing some energy, heavy cream or half-and-half!). 

The recipe is deceptively simple!  I'm serious: this may be my favorite soup of all-time. The flavor combination is just so satisfying on a cold day. 

Easy Whole Wheat Rolls 

1 c. warm water

1/4 c. sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. salt

2 T. butter

1 packet (or 2.5 tsp) yeast

3 1/4 c. flour** 

Combine 1 c. warm water and yeast in a bowl, and stir.  Let it sit for a few minutes.

Add 3 c. flour and 1/4 c. sugar plus 1 egg and 1 tsp salt, then chop the 2 T. butter into bits and add that. Mix with a dough hook. (I have also just mixed by hand.)

If the dough is still too wet, add 1/4 c. flour and mix. It should form a ball that is not sticky. 

Cover with a towel and let rise 1.5 hours. 

Flour hands and punch down dough, then form it into a ball again. On a lightly-floured cutting board, cut the ball in half, then cut eat half in half again, and so forth, until you have 16 mostly-equal pieces of dough.  Form these into roll shapes and place in a lightly-greased pan.

Cover with a towel and let rise 45 minutes.

Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Optional: brush tops with butter when they are hot out of the oven. 

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I like to serve the soup and rolls with a side of fresh fruit (or a salad for grown-ups who like raw vegetables!).  And that's dinner here tonight!

*For the ham: I buy a ham and dice it (a laborious task made better by listening to something uplifting) and freeze in 2 cup quantities in quart freezer bags for the sole purpose of making this soup! Because frankly, we don't eat ham otherwise--but it's so nice to have on hand for soup.

**You may use all-purpose flour, or half all-purpose and half whole wheat; I grind wheat berries and make these rolls 100% whole wheat, but I don't think you can do that with store-bought wheat!