Breakfast At Our House

Creativity is the word these days for planning breakfast at our house, in order to accomodate different dietary requirements. Sadly, we are lacking the needed creative touch and are settled into monotony. Eating non-traditional breakfast foods for breakfast is a good idea, but shrimp rolls, herring, lentils, etc. just doesn't sound good with your morning coffee.
The birds that visit our yard, on the other hand, are enjoying a fresh, vegetarian breakfast buffet. The parent cardinal (big, red and gorgeous) eats my ripening tomatoes while perched on the contraption designed to scare birds away. It then goes to its tiny, scared baby sqwaking in the corner to feed it in mouth-to-mouth fashion. It is so cute and sweet that I cannot be mad at them for eating my tomatoes. I tried picking the partially-red ones so I could get them first, but now they are eating the green ones anyway. (Just a side-note, the other new gorgeous Cardinal in town (Matt Leinart) is welcome to join us for a non-traditional breakfast anytime as well.)
The quail families run through the garden, only stopping to peck at the beet and mustard greens. The lizards run through, eating the bugs, I guess.
I am enjoying watching our mini-verison of the ecosystem, even at the expense of a few tomatoes and lots of water.

Today, June 4, 2006

Today was a special day in so many ways. It is one year since my daughter's Bat Mitzvah, a magnificent day on which she shined and we were proud. As Dr. Weil pointed out, today marks the 19th anniversary of National Cancer Survivors Day, a symbolic day intended to demonstrate that a cancer diagnosis doesn’t necessarily mean that our life is all behind us. And that is cause for celebration, as one of my goals for surviving was to be able to participate as my daughter celebrated her milestone. I hope to be part of many more milestones in her life and help her navigate her teenage years.
Today my husband and I reflected (and smiled) about our recent vacation where we explored somewhere new and different, as well as got up close and personal with dolphins. I wandered around my vegetable garden marveling at the fact anything could grow when it is 113 degrees. We tried to cool off in the pool, gleefully shopped at our neighborhood Trader Joe's and cooked a feast of many favorite foods for dinner.
All in all, it was a good day, and I am thankful for everything.
Tomorrow, I look forward to starting the day using my new Foxgloves Garden Gloves, part of a fun-filled gift package from my cousin. My first task in the new gloves will be harvesting the beets and spaghetti squash.