"maters"

My family loves tomatoes--ripe tomatoes.  I remember standing barefoot in the hot red clay of my dad's garden biting into a warm tomato and feeling the juice run down my chin.  Can't say I like the sticky chin anymore, but that is the beauty of grape tomatoes. My husband or I can just walk by the garden and grab a snack. We like to grow different types of tomatoes but celebrity and grape are our favorites with a couple of heirloom plants thrown in there for fun.



Resist those crunchy mealy things offered in the middle of the winter. Wait for a tomato that slightly yields to the touch and has never seen a refrigerator. That is a ripe tomato.

Late June in Virginia and the tomato season is starting. My kitchen and my tastebuds are waiting.



Some of my favorite ways to enjoy tomatoes
Roasted Grape Tomtoes
Throw (gently) some tomatoes on a baking sheet. Add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil and some chopped fresh rosemary, salt and pepper to taste, roast in a 425 degree oven about 10 minutes.

Tomato Salad
 No measurements required. Slice tomatoes, whatever type of onion you have or want (green, purple, white) and put them in a bowl with salt and pepper to taste. Whisk olive oil and lemon juice or favorite vinegar with a 2 to 1 ratio and add to bowl. You also can add sliced peppers and/or cucumbers. We like to add fresh dill too.

Fresh Tomatoes with feta
That says it all. Slice tomatoes on a plate. Put as much feta cheese on there as you like. Drizzle with olive oil. Add desired amount of salt, pepper and oregano.

Enjoy the season! I know we will!

Sometimes a morning doesn't have plans. If I'm particularly fortunate, I can just play with my camera and whatever subject is available. Today's muse are some seeds dropped prematurely from one of the trees in our backyard. How can something so delicate grow into a 50 foot tree?

I feel so very fortunate to have the time to pause and appreciate the details. I am blessed to have friends and family who encourage me. I am astounded by the balance of fragile beauty and hard oak tree strength found in my backyard. 

Details, Details

When you talk about spring,my imagination jumps to the yard, flowers and spending time outside. We unleash the grill master in us, clean the deck furniture and rush to local garden centers because we want to plant something--anything.  Spring is full of potential and the idea of a charming cottage garden is irrestible.

Creation is a masterful mix of hard and soft, cold and hot, dry and wet.  After a cold grey winter, spring colors seem to vibrate.  In my gush of excitement to throw open the windows and welcome the pollen, I just want to take a little time to enjoy some of the details of one flower.

Breathe, Angela, breathe and enjoy.  

A Positive Negative

 

This is a favorite photo taken in an artist's studio. The tulips were there for beauty and inspiration. They inspired me and because of the gift of photography, these tulips live on. I love the colors, the simplicity, the one stray red tulip with its open petals. The negative space (the area containing few details) has a peaceful feel to it.

The image reminds me of warm days, open windows and curtains blowing in the breeze. 

Inspiration

The more I see, the more I experience, the more I pay attention.. the more I fully appreciate the gift of creativity inside each of us. We are all different, we see the world through the lens of our experiences and we express ourselves uniquely--through words, gardens, paintings, photography, music, food, knitting and so much more.

This statue was sitting in a fancy garden center. It's almost life-sized and I think so expressive. I don't know what others see, but I immediately thought of Christ praying.

I'm awed and humbled by the abundance of creative gifts flowing through this world.  I am grateful that I can rub elbows with people who seem to vibrate with creative energy. What a gift--for all of us.  

A Creative Breath of Fresh Air

Sometimes productivity really isn't that important.  I'm a reformed type-A personality, project and results oriented list-maker who likes the idea of setting and reaching a goal. Ugh, that sounds so very tense! 

It is spring. Flowers and trees are blooming, the grass is green and the windows are open to welcome the fresh air. I did the absolute necessary things today, then I decided to give myself some creative time.

Here are the results! 

  

Slowing Down

The sound of a cup being gently placed into a saucer after a sip of hot tea is soothing to my ear and gives me memories of women gathered around a table "just because." The only goal was to enjoy tea, a sweet and one another. Admittedly, I've let go of the tradition of china tea cups, there are mugs in the house. I can't tolerate caffeine (except a little chocolate) so herbal tea is my choice.

The cup and saucer in the photograph was my mother's--something she purchased in Germany. It has a matching dessert plate. There are eight cups, saucers and plates--each set has a different pattern.  Since our mother moved into a smaller home in 2010, I  own four of the sets and my brother has the other four.

I grew up eating desserts and drinking tea from these dishes on special days, particularly when my German grandmother was visiting. 

It's rare that I just sit with other women and talk while enjoying some truly special dessert.  Do we always have to watch what we eat???

I am blessed to have female friends. My friend, Monica, allowed me to borrow this magnificent amaryllis so it could pose in front of my camera.  The process of arranging this photo helped me slow down and just enjoy.

There are other ways I slow my pace. Monica and I like to walk together sharing our plans for the day. We have lingered over some delicious Chinese food.  One time we decided to order dessert after lunch because it was raining and seemed like a logical way to spend the time.  

Other friends have given me their hugs, their encouragement, their advice and their time.

Handling this old china tea cup reminded me once again, that slowing down, letting to of the techology and the speed of life is a simple pleasure that will stay with me much longer than one more text or one more email or one more thing I check off the to-do list.

I'm going to boil some water for a cup of tea.