There are two things I like to do on rainy days. One is to curl up with a good book, a pot of tea, and a cat on my lap. The other is to cook. I love it when my apartment fills with the good smells of something simmering on the stove while the rain beats away outside.
Yesterday after church, I turned on a DIY show on TV and hunted through my veggie bin to see what I could stir up while the rain came down in sheets outside. At this time of year, the veggie of the moment is asparagus. I know not everyone is a fan of this little green tree, but I am always determined to find new ways to make it work. As I stood at my counter chopping away, I felt that satisfaction I always experience whenever I am handling fruits and vegetables. Ever since I've had to give up full-scale gardening, chopping and cooking foods fresh from from the ground is the next best thing to connect me with the natural world. When I wash the earth off mushrooms, or slice up an apple, or grab a handful of fresh spinach to put in my morning smoothie, I feel as if I have the whole world in my hands. If you think about it, everything on this earth needs to eat, and many, many species, including humans, eat off the land. It's all connected ... we're all connected. The sun, the plants, and, yes, even the rain, are all connected. Sometimes just standing there slicing veggies while the rain falls over my head is enough to remind me to give thanks for that connection.
I ended up steaming some of the asparagus to serve with a drizzle of lemon juice, the the rest as part of an Asian-themed stir fry with mushrooms for another meal. That's what's so great about this world - all of the interesting and nourishing diversity, with people as well as with veggies!
And so it is.
