Friends. Friends help us celebrate life.  Friends help us heal when we need healing.  And for me, some dear friends in England have graciously welcomed me into their homes for a whole glorious month to gain perspective and do some visioning about my next steps.  Specifically, I have paid for only 1 night of shelter, and even that was reasonably priced and part of a girls getaway.  Only a very small number of meals have been eat-out — little more than I’d have eaten out at home.  I have done lots of thinking, reading, blogging and work on my business.

But that is not all. That is not all.  For free, I have:

…explored the Tate Gallery in Cambridge; I have attended  Sunday Services and the contemplative mid-week EvenSongs (just what this soul needed) at this Cathedral, which was more rich in art and faith and intellect and history than I had previously thought possible; I have punted the River Cam after a pub lunch (ok those weren’t quite free, but they weren’t much); I have experienced a little life-behind-the-scenes of a chorister (my friend’s son);  I have done my  Couch-2-5K runs along this Sea and this Sea and in fields so pastoral with bunnies and wobbly foals and sweet calfs and birds that it might as well have been Narnia; and spent a day swimming and lazing on this wild beach on the one 30C day so far; and gone for a long walk on the Broads after leisurely lattes and toast served with style in the (English) Garden of my hosts.

And all that in addition to the primary blessing of reconnecting, with plenty of time for leisurely conversation, with treasured friends.

Is it apparent how saturated with blessing I feel right now?

Huh.  There’s frugality.  And then there’s Priceless.

I bet some of you have similarly rich experiences of spending time with friends away from home.  Do!

I spent much of Monday on an English Seaside. The picture speaks for itself. Later, a friend found this poem by Robert Frost which I thought apropos to both the experience, and the act of jumping off the consumption train (this month’s blog theme) in favour of the art of contentment.
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Why make so much of fragmentary blue
In here and there a bird, or butterfly,
Or flower, or wearing-stone, or open eye,
When heaven presents in sheets the solid hue?

Since earth is earth, perhaps, not heaven (as yet)—
Though some savants make earth include the sky;
And blue so far above us comes so high,
It only gives our wish for blue a whet.

For some time now I’ve been buying free range eggs.

But I’m ruined for that now. I’m currently in England and my hosts … well, I’ll let the photos below speak for themselves.

Dear Chickens Maisey and Mrs. Pepperpot, Thanks so very much for a delicious lunch!

As ridiculous as it may sound, I’m really chuffed to have the opportunity to closely connect my food with its source. And such clucky, feathery, cheery sources!

Hi all.
Some of you may recall I’d intimated some change was afoot in my Yellowknife home. After debating and number crunching, I finally decided my kitchen had to go. I’m thrilled with the results and the best way to put it is that the place has changed from being The Place I Reside to HOME.

BEFORE:

And More Before (love the vinyl, heh?):

And One Last Before Pic (the fridge used to rust on the side, for heaven’s sake. No idea why):

AND THE BIG REVEAL:
(featuring re-purposed corrugated backsplash, re-purposed “butcher block,” energy efficient fridge and dishwasher, cork (renewable resource, and yes I realize this is debated), and concrete table made by local artisan):

I’m pretty pleased. Of course, Karen would have done it all herself. But she has a kind of awesome that I just don’t have. Yet.

Ah! I’m an epicurean at heart, no doubt about it.

I’m too lazy/intimidated to make croissants from scratch and was thus utterly delighted to discover some frozen *these* at my local co-op:

Photo Credit: JStove

But that is not all, friends. That is not all.

Consider this image of my stove carefully (don’t pay attention to the clock):

And a last hint:

Photo Credit: cygnoir

I’ll paypal funds for a latte to the first person who figures out what’s got me so excited – a new gentle source of Contentment in my life.

Feature Image credit: konqui

UPDATE: @Al, sir, I’m shooting you a little latte fund! You got it — I put one in the oven the night before and awake to the aroma of freshly baked croissant. Le voila: