The Promise

The green has been long in coming.   

We have started our seeds,

woven the wattle branches,

kept the dusty millers waiting by the windowsill.

The rain has come, but with it more chill. 

The tulips have held their breath.

We've kept our faith in check. 

And yet,

even on a bone-cold morning

when frost etches the beds

and the finches are nowhere to be seen,

there is the promise of green.

Hope Is the Thing with Feathers

“Hope” is the thing with feathers -

That perches in the soul -

And sings the tune without the words -

And never stops - at all -

And sweetest - in the Gale - is heard -

And sore must be the storm -

That could abash the little Bird

That kept so many warm -

I’ve heard it in the chillest land -

And on the strangest Sea -

Yet - never - in Extremity,

It asked a crumb - of me.

~Emily Dickinson

Just bought another bird feeder today.  Plan to fill my gardens with hope. 

Happy National Poetry Month, my friends.  

If This Isn't Nice, I Don't Know What Is

Hello, lovelies!  Spring has finally arrived here.  Yes, it's freezing cold at night still, but days are sunshiny, tulips are finding their way up into the world, and the forsythia are about to burst open.  All this loveliness calls for bright and cheerful recipes to welcome in the change of seasons.

And so, I share with you two recipes I made for Easter.  The first is a Donna Hay recipe for a lemon ricotta cheesecake that you can find here. It's extremely creamy with a shortbread crust.  Yes, it is even more delicious than it looks.

The second recipe comes from Martha Stewart.  It is fast, easy, looks like a million bucks, and tastes incredible.  Seriously.  I will make this one again and again.  You can find it here.  This was a big hit at Easter.  This version uses gruyere cheese and asparagus, but I could imagine making this with other veggie and cheese combinations: asiago and long ribbons of zucchini come to mind immediately.

I have so much I want to share with you.  I've got loads going on with my writing, have been gardening every spare minute, and am excited that it's National Poetry Month.  I'm also doing a tremendous amount of editing, tutoring, and book coaching for clients, so I can't blog as much as I'd like at the moment, but I'm going to try to carve out as much time as possible to share all my favorite aspects of this beautiful time of year.  I'm itching to grab my camera and get back to doing some real photography again as well.  

Right now, I have so many risky things going on in my creative life that I feel constantly on the brink--and not always in a good way.  I need balance, thus I remind myself often of this quote from Kurt Vonnegut: "I urge you to please notice when you are happy, and exclaim or murmur or think at some point, 'If this isn't nice, I don't know what is.'"

I hope you are thriving and creating and loving your days.  xo Gigi

P.S. The raspberry coconut ice cream from the last post was delicious! A little icy since it's not made in an ice cream maker, but very yummy.