Green is Such a Lovely Color

I found a company that delivers Fresh Local Organic Produce--right to my front door! This company is called Greenling, and it's based out of Austin, Texas. In addition to providing a lot of produce from local farms, Greenling also has many non-produce items such as milk and eggs as well as non-food stuff (I haven't checked everything out yet because so far I'm just interested in local organic produce). You can do almost all of your shopping this way, and there's no extra charge for delivery! Check out the website here to learn how a young college guy started the whole thing. So cool!

I stumbled upon all of this on Saturday and liked what I saw, so I decided to give it a try! The set delivery day for our area is Tuesday. That's today! I decided to go the easy route and choose the Local Box. This bin contains fresh local produce, and the selection obviously changes weekly. For this week, here's what I got:

• Spring Lettuce Mix from Tecolote Farm
• Carrots from Acadian Family Farm
• Chard from Bradshaw
• Brussels Sprouts from Hillside Farm
• Summer Squash from Acadian Family Farm
• Yukon Potatoes from Green Gate Farm
• Flat Leaf Parsley from Tecolote
• Heirloom Tomatoes from Bluebonnet Hydroponic
• Mango from G&S Grove
• Crisp Green Leaf Lettuce from Lund Produce

Here's a picture:

click on the picture for a larger view

At first I thought some of it was kind of skimpy. But after contemplating for a little while, I realized that it's probably just right. I sometimes end up throwing food out because I don't get to it in time. This is one way to have just the right amount. Besides, If I know I will need more of an item, I can request it ahead of time. There are other types of boxes to choose from, and you can build your own if you want only specific items. Although, I kind of like the randomness of the Local Box.

One of the many nice things about this company is that there are no contracts to commit to. You can order whenever and whatever you want. I only signed up for this week's delivery because I wanted to see how it all works. I haven't tasted anything yet, but I'm already thinking about ordering next week's box. I also plan to go to the grocery store tomorrow to price these things as a comparison--just out of curiosity since I know organic local food can cost a bit more. Either way, using Greenling is a fun and healthy way to eat my fruits and veggies as well as support local farms and help the environment. All good things!

Oh yeah, the box contains a list of what's in there as well as recipe suggestions. How helpful! They also gave me (as a welcome, I guess) a bumper sticker.

I'm so excited! Now I need to decide how I want to use everything this week.

Buon Appetito!

Rejoice!

This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice in it and be glad.

~ Psalm 118:24

Christ is Risen!

Alleluia! Allelluia!

Marking the Unremarkable

For some odd reason the image of my art class back in high school popped into my head. What? This was. . . okay, I'll just say it. . . almost 30 years ago! Gasp! Double Gasp! Has it really been that long? Certainly, it does feels like years ago, but not that many years. Whatever, I'm okay with that.

Anyway, I can actually smell the smells of that art room: paint, pastels, charcoal. What's your pleasure? Mine was pen and ink--making small dots all over the page a bazillion times and discovering glory and triumph in the picture that slowly, painstakingly emerges. What a rush! Only it isn't a rush. That's what I always liked about that medium--it's methodical and takes absolutely forever. There's no instant gratification there, but the process is pure tedium and irresistible. Weird, I know. But this is what I like: mundane, everyday, process, life in the making. It's easy to love the moments of excitement--moments that are like no other and that anchor your memories and illustrate your story. What about the unremarkable moments? Don't they deserve notice or perhaps a few dots of ink?

Trudging, plodding, breathing. . . these are the moments I treasure and draw slowly and lovingly on the flawed plains of my heart. I exist outside the spectacular. I am ordinary. I am a former artist that still is.

Are Turkey Vultures Beautiful?

I have always been attracted and repulsed by buzzards, so I was a little excited when I had a brief encounter with some turkey vultures living in a nearby park.

Beauty is definitely in the eye of the beholder when it comes to these birds. I don't think I can call them exactly beautiful, but I will say they have a certain grotesque majesty.

This one and another flew out of this cave when I approached. Their heavily flapping wings startled me, but I think I startled them a lot more. I don't think they were too happy to be disturbed. Apparently, they hang out in this cave to keep cool.

I suppose I can say I'm attracted to these weird birds because they have such a singular purpose in life, and they fulfill that purpose oh so very thoroughly. Ah! therein lies their beauty! The earth needs these blushing cleaners, and who am I to begrudge them when their only goal in life is to fulfill the purpose that God has chosen for them.

Carry on with your carrion, noble buzzards!

***
The park is called Stone Oak Park, and there were other things here besides turkey vultures. I didn't walk everywhere because I want to save some for another day.

I don't believe this dead oak tree will provide enough shade for anyone who decides to take a breather on that bench, especially when the temperature soars over 100°F.

Here is an interesting way to mark the miles.

A place to rest.

Obviously, the day was very beautiful with a mildly cool breeze every so often. Nice, warm, and perfect for a walk in the park amid the Texas flora and fauna.