the day I made homemade mashed potatoes

today I made homemade mashed potatoes all on my own for the first time ever.  I thought I should document it.  I also cooked zucchini squash for the first time ever.  score and score!

what I didn’t know, when I cut into the potatoes to prep them, was that these were purple potatoes (I’m new in the kitchen, c’mon!).  when I cut into them, I thought they were beets and I pulled out the bag to make sure the label said “potatoes”.  sure enough, my mashed taters turned out to be a fun, spring-colored purple!!  it made me laugh. :D this might be the coolest colored meal I’ve ever made!

on another happy note, last Thursday night (4 nights ago), I planted my seeds in their little seed pods in hopes of having my very first garden this summer!  I planted 50 edamame seeds, and then 50 more seeds (a combination of cucumbers, sugar snap peas, carrots, onions, and beets – blehhh, yuck).  this morning I was BEYOND ecstatic to see little beet sprouts sproutin’ on up!  throughout the day, more and more things started popping through the dirt!  it’s so magical, everyone should try it!!!

I like to think the positive words of encouragement and the happy dances that surround these trays promote quick, bountiful harvests!

the beauty of this moment

 

I went on a quest to get wood this afternoon to build my hammock stand.

I may have gotten distracted by the warm sunshine...

I'm at a coffee shop, enjoying a little reading outside in the sun before I continue on in my search for wood.

There is a beautiful, warm breeze blowing.

As if that's not enough, my ears perked up when they picked out the melody line of "I Shot the Sherriff" by Bob Marley playing over the speakers. My ears had tuned out the jazz music playing, until this great jazz rendition of the Bob Marley song came on.  A jazz rendition of Marley?? I didn't even know such a thing existed!!

We have such a personal God that delights in giving good gifts!  He knows what warms my heart - coffee, sunshine, warm breezes, and music that reminds me of the islands.

I'm so glad I listened to that still, small whisper that said, "grab your iPad out of the car and stay awhile" as I started walking to my car to continue with errands.  This was unexpected!  But I suppose that's how God most often works. ;)

 

Now there's a rock/Celtic song playing! Who's up for a spontaneous Irish jig??

creating

today I really just wanted the beach and the ocean and Jesus.

I thought maybe I’d just drive to another state in search of a substitute for the beach and the ocean.  but everywhere I could think of is just full of shopping options – and I really don’t enjoy shopping.  I’m like, a professional at buyer’s regret.  I’ll buy something.  and then return it.  true story.  the guys at Guitar Center started recognizing me because I bought a guitar, then returned it.  then later I bought a djembe and returned it.  when I went in to buy the djembe, one of the guys goes, “so you ended up returning that guitar, huh?” – embarrassing.

the other option was the mountains, which I’m actually really not a fan of either.  oh the claustrophobic atmosphere of tight, windy roads…forests of trees blocking the beautiful sunlight…temperatures 50 degrees colder than where you started your trek… so far from food establishments… is anyone else’s heart starting to beat faster and you feel a panic attack coming on??  stay calm, close your eyes, and go to your happy place!!

:)

a few years ago or so, someone I hardly knew told me I was dramatic.  I said, “whatever”.  now I see there may have been maybe a little bit of truth to that statement.  :)

the point is – getting back to the point here – it was clear that I was not going to get my beach/ocean/Jesus experience in today.

you wanna know what I did instead?  I transplanted my first ever mint plant into an actual pot.  I know, I know – “jen” and “plant” really don’t go together (neither do “jen” and “pot”…for the record).

I forget how much of an outlet it can be to just create.  creating/playing music is a huge outlet for me.  exercising is an outlet.  but I forget that I like to create outside of just music.  I started trying to learn how to bake recently.  unfortunately, my high school girls that come over for Bible study have been my guinea pigs.  most of the time the verdict is, “…it tastes healthy” – and to that I have to agree.  I haven’t mastered the art of baking good-tasting, healthy things.  I tried to make my very first apple crisp last week.  did you know there’s a difference between a “mound” and a “mount”?  yeah.  apparently you’re not supposed to create a mountain of apples for an apple crisp.

for anyone wondering, this is a mount.  not a mound.  do not do this if you’re trying to make an apple crisp.

so today I “created” by playing in dirt.  and then by playing with my camera, taking pictures of what I created by playing in the dirt.  my cousin has inspired me with the pictures she’s been blogging with lately.

this is my mint plant.  in a green pot.  because mint is green.  my roommate named him Wilbur.  I don’t know why she named it – it’s not like I name inanimate objects…  ok yes I do.