Saturday it was sunny and 96°. Sunday it was overcast all day and  never got above 60°-- it was so nice to open the windows and let the house breathe in all that green-scented cool air. The birds and chipmunks and squirrels seemed especially happy and active.

 

I got up at five o'clock yesterday morning and went to the flea market with Amy, Seth, and my husband. We were cold even wearing our sweatshirts. Some people had on down coats (smart!). We came home with some wonderful treasures this time (most weeks I don't buy anything at all). I picked up a summery painting to hang above the living room bureau (I'll show it to you another time); Amy found a little wooden night-stand to put next to her bed, and a pair of adorable cat salt and pepper shakers (she collects them); and Seth bought some old records and a couple of vintage postcards of our town for his collections. It was a fun morning. 

In the afternoon we went to see "Captain America: Civil War". We're big fans of Marvel's "Shield" story line. We've seen all the Captain America movies and we watch both "Agent Carter" and "Marvel's Agents of Shield" on television. There are strong Christian overtones (not undertones) to these movies and television series. They are about making right moral choices in the face of adversity--even when it means disappointing everyone you know or even facing death. And they are about protecting life and the innocent and not tolerating evil.

This is Elvis's meditation spot. He loves to sit here and watch the bird feeder through the sliding glass door.  He reminds me of a little Buddha. Or a peaceful space alien. But, he's definitely not a dog. All pug owners  agree: pugs are something else. We're just not sure what.

My meditation spot is the dining room table. That is where I sit and read and pray and watch the birds through the window. 

The other day I came across this familiar quote:  

❀ All the flowers of all the tomorrows are in the seeds of today. ❀

And that made me think of the "Promised Seed" (Christ) who came and fell to the ground to become the "first fruit of many" who would also fall to the ground and then be raised up to life. Suffering is essential--there cannot be life without it. Yet who doesn't do everything in her power to avoid it? It is in suffering that we become Life and so can give life. I like this quote from Richard Rohr's book Falling Upward: 

Inside of life energy, a group or family will be productive and energetic; inside of death energy there will be gossip, cynicism, and mistrust hiding behind every interaction. Yet you usually cannot put your finger precisely on what is happening.

We're either giving life or we're destroying it. To give life, one must do just that: give her life.  That, folks, cannot be done without a good bit of suffering. 

But, cake helps everyone, doesn't it?  

This is another one of Jen's scrumptious recipes. I've adapted it for my American readers. If you prefer  European baking measurements, please see Jen's original post.

   Lemon Yogurt Cake with Cherries:

Oven: 350° F

Ingredients for Cake:
2 1/3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 and 1/3 stick of butter
6 oz. lemon yogurt
1 cup of pourable brown sugar (Domino sells this in a plastic bottle)
3 large free-range eggs
zest of 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Cherries: stems removed, stoned, and quartered (enough for about 1 cup). Coat with flour so they won't sink to bottom of batter.

Melt butter and allow to cool. Mix flour and baking powder and set aside. In a large bowl mix butter, sugar, yogurt, eggs, and vanilla until combined. Gently mix in flour. Fold in cherries. Pour into greased 2 lb. loaf pan and bake for about 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Cool in pan for 15 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack.

Ingredients for Frosting:
6 tablespoons of softened butter
1 1/2 cups icing sugar
2 tablespoons of lemon curd
1 tablespoon of milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Beat butter until pale and fluffy. Add sugar and beat well. Then add lemon curd, milk, and vanilla and beat until fluffy. Spread on cooled cake.

♥♥♥