this precious life.

y'all, i'm so thankful for the many, many times spur of the moment picnics have happened this year. each one has been a life giving, restful time to enjoy a meal outside (and more often than not, a gorgeous sunset too) in whatever location we choose. this time was no exception.  while home for lunch break one day last week, devin and i had the urge for a picnic. so as soon as we got off work that evening, we tossed some dishes & food in a bag and grabbed a bottle of wine… and then had to double back to the house because, as always, we forgot the bottle opener. rather useful & important, that one:) dev took me to mud island (literally did not know this place existed until a few months ago!) and it felt like we drove straight out of memphis and right into a totally different city.  the blanket is another thing we forget more often than not so we laid out our spread on a certain cement slab (*cough*thesewage*cough*) over looking the mississippi. memphis can definitel...

the day before i had to head home, the rest of my family came into town  and daddy & uncle barry took all of the chillens camping for a few days.  that left ellyn, mama, aunt laura & i home so we decided to  try a few new recipes. the sun had begun to set when we sat down  to supper  and we voted unanimously to skip the beach that night  so that we could enjoy time around the table longer.  but just as we finished eating i turned and looked at the  sky to see the most gorgeous sunset yet! so we left the  dishes in the kitchen, hopped in the car and drove 2 minutes down to the beach.  ellyn went to go pick up our cousin from work which left  the 3 of us to soak up the rest of the evening together.  we stopped at rosso's for  gelato and then sat on the stoop of a store front to watch  the firework show that the yacht club set off to signal the end of regatta week.  and the moon th...

i know i've said it many times, but being with people i love & gathering them  around a table to nourish them with food & conversation makes my heart so full! this little dinner was rather last minute but sometimes those are the best ones!  it was a united effort as we spread the table, prepared summer dishes & prayed the rain away:)   maybe it seems silly and just adds to the work load to carry tables & chairs & dishes & food  all the way outside just so we can eat together under the twinkle lights… but to me, it's so much more than that.  it's the community that takes place when we work together to make a dinner happen & the collaboration  of many ideas as we discuss how things should be placed or what toppings should go on the salad.  it gives us an opportunity to build & create together and then fully enjoy the work of our hands  as we delve into the flavors of the season-- sharing storie...