We were sitting at a cafe table, sucking down a fresh squeezed lemonade. It was more like sugar water, but we needed some hydration. Lil' Miss had popped inside, and came out giddy with a sweet treat.
Tennessee was hot, but cozy. And we had explored the entire day. We took a long needed rest, and it felt good.
As Lil' Miss giggled about her snack, I noticed how pretty she looked. She was genuinely happy, and it made this Momma's heart smile.
I snapped a photo of her, with this as the background.
It may be my favorite picture of her so far this year. It was a bit blurry because I didn't want to spoil the moment. But I'm glad I snuck that pic.
We moseyed over to an area where live music was about to start. I snuggled into a rocking chair, as the family went for a quick walk. The sun was beginning to set, with the Ferris wheel behind me.
As the bluegrass band took the stage, more folks settled in. Feet began tappin', stringed lights sparkled and all eyes were on the fiddler. I was enthralled.
A few minutes passed, and my family came back. I turned around to look at them, and gasped!
It was the Ferris wheel.
I had been facing the opposite direction as the evening turned dark. I was taken aback at how much the view had changed. The sky was deep as denim, and stripes of neon shown bright.
It was beautiful.
youthful.
joy-filled.
And it got me to thinkin'.
If it weren't for that deep, dark sky, we would never see how bright those lights can be.
We cannot have light without darkness.
We can't.
The hard, the ugly, the scary. It all has its place.
It really does.
How can we truly know what we're capable of if we're never faced with a challenge? How can we feel pure joy without having heartache?
Friend, this is your loving reminder that just past the ugly, dark, yucky stuff is nothing but sunshine.
I know it to be true. And if you can't feel that way today, it's okay. You come sit by me.
All it takes is one spark; one flash of light. And the next thing you know, we have a whole Ferris wheel of funky neon sunshiny goodness!
Okay? Great.
Now let's eat!
I have a simple summer recipe that I found on Pinterest. I don't know about you, but it's sticky hot where I live. The less I have to turn on the stove, the better. I wanted cantaloupe, mint and something crunchy. Pinterest for the win!
Cantaloupe Cucumber Salad
Original recipe is from Walder Wellness: https://www.walderwellness.com/cantaloupe-melon-salad-cucumber-feta-mint/
The only swap I made was goat cheese instead of feta. Here's your ingredients:
This is a chop and drop situation, with a lil' whisky whisk.
I got the cantaloupe from the farmstand on Bay Dale Drive in Annapolis. It was perfectly ripe. And the mint came from my garden.
This recipe was a delight! It did all the things I wanted it to do - refreshing and easy. Let me know if you give it a try.
Bonus points if you eat it outside in the sunshine.
And extra credit if you have a lil' buddy with you.
Amos says hi!
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