It's all about the berries

Henry David Thoreau once said "Heaven is under our feet as well as over our head."

That couldn't be more true of Persimmon Hill Farms. I had not intended my next blog entry to be about blueberries but I couldn't resist after a trip to Persimmon Hill Farms, in Lampe, MO. Lampe is a short thirty minute trip (depending upon how fast you drive) from Branson. Their cookbook says it is known for it's "acres of neat berry bushes and field-side farm kitchen." I would add a few other adjectives, delightful, peaceful, inspiring and thought provoking. You don't have to be a nature lover to enjoy picking berries with a bucket strapped to your waist. In fact, you can wear a skirt and heels and get the job done though a tad uncomfortable. (right Jen?) I had not planned on dinner at Persimmon Hills Farms but we had a wonderful dinner of shitake mushroom quesadillas, thunder blueberry muffins and cobbler. The owners Martha Hoy Bohner and her husband Earnie also gave us a personal tour of their shitake mushroom operation.

Walking back to the car, I asked Martha how she got started with her slice of paradise and she said simply "both my husband and I love to garden". It is a noble pursuit to share your passion with others. I'll be back.

Life is a Bowl of Cherries

I was reminded of my blessings yesterday while picking cherries with my parents. They have been divorced 30 years now but still have a strong bond. It's amazing really they can still pick cherries together after years of struggling while Dad pursued his career on the road and mom kept the home fires burning, raising five children by herself. So I marvel at grace and all that it represents amidst the cherry trees. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_Is_Just_a_Bowl_of_Cherries

Father's Day

My husband celebrates his mom on Fathers Day because she was a Single Mom and says she was both father and mother. A fitting tribute I believe. She gets a card, a gift, dinner, the works. You see they take it seriously. All three of her sons understand what she took on. They recall their mom quietly doing her nails during their boy scout meetings. Yesterday, I learned on the radio listening to Carey Casey, CEO of the National Center for Fathering, that there over 45 million children in the world who go to bed each night with no father in the house. That's a larger number than I had previously heard. Working with Single Moms each day with the Caring People has brought an increasing awareness that this number is growing. Our goal, to reach as many moms as we can.

Children are a gift from God, blessed is the man whose quiver is full.