sweet like a feast

today i had a case of the post-feast day blues.  yesterday was the Feast of the Assumption.  not only is it a Feast day for Our Lady, which i can never get enough of, it is the day commemorating Mary’s dreams coming true.  when she entered Heaven and was exactly where she always wanted to be: looking at Jesus and Loving Him.  it almost hurts my insides to think of that much Beauty.  i have physical reactions to a lot of beauty at once.  some of my walks down west have been breath stopping because of it. but in a good way.

the Blessed Mother for her Feast

the point is, there is something about this Feast day that feels more like pure Joy and Love overflowing than others.  it is all light and hope and glory. the brightness of the day consumes the suffering that paved the path to her dreams fulfillment.  and that is the hope for all of us.  that is the message of the Cross and the Resurrection.  whatever sufferings we endure will be consumed by Love in the end.  because Love is stronger than death.  


yesterday was glowing.  it was soft and bright,  like a white sheet hanging on a line to dry, blowing in a perfect warm breeze in a field of wild flowers.  there is something about that image that i love.  like that little snuggle bear in those commercials for the detergent.

the weather was beamed down straight from heaven, special delivery in honor of the Blessed Mother.  the homily at mass was wonderful.  china and i went to reston and spent the afternoon and evening with li, sophia, ed and a few neighbors here and there.  

the road to reston.  how's that for a feast day sky.

we had a magical time because we were with two munchkins, and they make everything better.  the world is newer, more wonderful, and full of adventure through their eyes.  we had ourselves a good time.  

two little souls starting an adventure...life really is this wonderful

we wandered through a mini-forest and sophia discovered pine cones. 

a little game of follow the ginger snap 

we ran down the sidewalk arms flailing with joy for the freedom a sidewalk to anywhere can provide.

if this doesn't make you happy, i don't know what could

we chanted “go sophia, go sophia, go go” as she busted her patented oompa loompa moves and sang “go go” along with us. 

can you tell i love this girl

how about now? we are blurry with love 

sophia and her best friend, collette, were obsessed with sticking their mamas keys into the mailbox. they were bosses at it.

we played with pinwheels and watched in the parking lot as two little souls had a better time in a little puddle than most adults have probably their entirety of adulthood. 

holding her hand = slice of heaven

sophia perfected her puddle stomp

we had girl talk in said parking lot and tried to keep sophia from dive bombing into the street so she could get a closer look at her beloved “cah”s (cars).  

hugs and feast days just go together (this is li and one of her neighbs, romy, who is awesome)

we ate delicious food and drank delicious drink.  we had an AWESOME time and we just sat around and soaked up each others AWESOMENESS (mean girls anyone?).  we loved life and the feast day and each other and gloried in the fact that we live here now, so we can keep on rambling through like this.  it was a Feast indeed.  

champagne and feast days, also a dynamic duo

romy and matt brought over more champagne and chocolate cake (neighbors of the year?) to toast the good life with us

sisters. the real deal baby.

li and romy (the chocolate cake good fairy)

so what did i do to beat those post-feast day blues? well, i had a good pity party stress fest starring my current jobless existence.  then i walked down west talking to my dearest of ecuadorians, ale. i went to my church to drink in the radiance of Christ and the cool peacefulness of a dark church lit by the sun streaming through stained glass. i took a different route home and discovered that my church is super old, which made me love it more.  

oh, and heaven gave a little pre-show on the way home as well

i am a fan of our little city

what else did i do for a pick-me-up? i looked at these pictures:

yeah, i'm pretty sure baby puddle bums can cure just about anything

as i walked home i realized i had a lot of pent up creative energy that needed its’ freedom or there was going to be a riot.  so i stopped at the grocery on the way home, picked me up a couple of peaches and concocted a plan to make some banana bread with a walk home twist.  and let me tell you, genius.  totally brill. not to toot my own horn or anything, but toot toot.  i added diced ripe for the pluckin' peach to the banana bread recipe and have dubbed it beach bread. perfect for your cravings for sweet summer strolls on sandy beaches with a juicy peach and/or banana in hand. add chocolate chips just because it's beach bread. what beach trip doesn't flourish under the influence of a little chocolate?


i discovered summer is losing steam and so will the peaches and banana breads.  but that just means pumpkin bread and pumpkin chocolate chip cookies and pumpkin patches and pumpkin pie and pumpkin candles and CANDY CORN are on their way. not to mention a ridiculous costume change on west street, a show i have front row tickets to.

and though every day is not a feast day, every day is beautiful and a gift to be celebrated with thankful heart.  and that is why there is the Eucharist.  He is with us always and today is the day that the Lord has made.  let us rejoice and be glad in it.

 
and i leave you with this:

life is beautiful