Today, it’s 66°F in Florida with a high of 70°F, and the sky is blue and sunny. I’m out here on the patio with my cat and my coffee, and meditating on the small romances of the morning. Every day, I start my morning seeking things for which to be thankful, and this attitude sets the tone for my entire day.
Today, I am thankful for my Sophie kitty, soft sheets, dark roast coffee, warm sun, a cool and tender breeze, a soft shirt, and a Thrive Market box in the mail full of nutritious food I got for half off grocery prices. Woohoo! ? Today, I am thankful for a God who romances me with these small things.
Ephesians 5:18-20 ESV
“Be filled with the Spirit…Singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Christ Jesus.”
It’s winter in Florida, which means the weather will truly be this beautiful for (about) the next three months. On Saturdays, you can find me at the farmers market shopping tables and crates overflowing with abundant fresh organic produce. I’m usually in pants and a light jacket or sweater, soaking up the sun. Sometimes, the sun is too warm, and I can shed my sweater in favor of a t-shirt or tank top.
Unlike the rest of the country, winter for Florida means time to plant and garden and be outside.
One of my close friends, Heather, is the Educational Garden & Farm Director for the non-profit Edible Peace Patch here in St. Petersburg. She definitely has the heart of a gardener! Anywhere Heather has lived, she plants produce and flowering things. She has the ability to grow beauty anywhere she goes.
And if you spend any time with Heather, she can’t help but share information about the flora around you.
I’ve had the pleasure of walking through gardens with Heather, and she can always recite history and uses of the plants. Her knowledge is fascinating, and I’ve personally enjoyed what she’s taught me. …So it was especially fun to see her teaching elementary school children this week when I visited her at her job site!
Recently, Heather has been trying to forge partnerships with local businesses in order to collect organic compost to use in elementary school education gardens, where she and her team are teaching children about where their food comes from.
I think my favorite moment was when she was trying to get the children to quiet down, and she shouted out, “OKAY KIDS! YOU SAY LADY, I SAY BUG! LADY!” (Kids: “BUG!”) “LADY!” (Kids: “BUG!”)
I couldn’t stop smiling! She proceeded to tell them all about seedlings and compost and what lives in the dirt, all while grabbing handfuls of soil and encouraging the kids to dig around and get involved. Well, how about I just show you the footage I took of the day? :)
Spending a morning with Edible Peace Patch
