Blessings Abound!

Bountiful Baskets is helping us stay healthy and stocking our fridge and cupboards. Between it and a garden we never have to visit the produce section of the grocery store anymore! It has been a really great blessing for our kids who live on their own as well. Bountiful Baskets is a food coop available to anyone in the valley. They have distribution sites all over in the East and West Valley and soon hope to have distribution in Tucson and Yuma. We contribute a set amount of money and the coop negotiates a fruit and vegetable purchase. It truly does fill our basket! It is a 50%-50% combination of fruits and vegetables and is never the same. We've experienced tomatillos, leeks and collard greens and reveled in mangoes,pineapple, strawberries, limes and watermelon. I feel blessed to have discovered this all volunteer group!

Our garden is HUGE and producing massive amounts. We have had zucchini and yellow squash in all varieties - today I'm doing zucchini bread for the freezer! The tomatoes have all started ripening at once too. Salsa and canning are on the agenda this week. Yum! The tomatoes are as big as baseballs - what a hoot for 115 degree days in Arizona!

I am loving the grinder that Rich bought me for Mother's Day! I have conquered delicious whole wheat bread (now I am making 8 loaves every 2 weeks) and we love the whole grain tortillas I've been making. Breakfast pizza was a huge hit and now it's fun to keep dough in the freezer. I am having a blast! Jennie is enjoying learning with me - she's trying to learn everything she can before she leaves for college in August.

Last night I went to go hear James Rollins speak at the Poisoned Pen Bookstore. He was very interesting. He is a veterinarian from Sacramento, California who writes high action books that are a blend of Da Vinci Code and Indiana Jones! As a matter of fact he was asked to write the novelization of the newest Indian Jones movie. He talked quite a bit about that. I had a great time and was very motivated to read more of his books and share them with my sons. They will love them too I know!

Currently I am reading two books - my "upstairs" book and my "downstairs" book - The Princess and the Hound by Mette Ivie Harrison and Sway; The Irresistible Pull of Irrational Behavior by two brothers, Ori and Rom Rohman. Both books are so good and so different from each other. It's hard to remember to make the time for studying Spanish each day!

I love what I am learning from others who blog! I have met up with many old friends through their blogs and I really enjoy how they journal for themselves and others. I even learned a cool tip on using vinegar and baking soda to unclog slow drains!! That saved us $$ - a neat benefit. I am so technologically dorky that I don't comment much or post pictures (don't know how yet) but I feel like I am learning so much and gaining new friends in a new way!

With high temps outside it feels great to stay home and nest a bit. I'm afraid I'm not really good about getting lots of important things done but I am feeding my soul!