Life is . . .

As is obvious from the title of the blog, one area of life I think of often is food. Living in the Northwest I am continually amazed by the variety of wonderful locally grown produce that is readily available. This year alone I have picked 25 quarts of strawberries, 15 quarts of raspberries, and about 20 pounds of cherries so far! Most of them are frozen, or in jam so I can enjoy them year round. And many of the cherries are dried - they are sooooo sweet! Of course I've also eaten LOTS of them all fresh as well - and blueberries are here now, too. I am well aware of the fact that not everyone has access to such amazing food. This time last year I was in Nicaragua, where we were hosted by very kind people who ate basically the same meal three times a day: rice, beans and tortillas. There might be a little something else now and again, but that was the meal that kept them alive. I have thought of them often as I picked fruit this June and am more grateful than ever to be in a place - geographically and otherwise - that is filled with such abundance. I am certainly thankful that this summer my life includes a bowl of cherries!