Afternoon in the garden

Yesterday my friend Anne invited me to join her and several of her musician friends for a solstice party in her always-amazing garden. It was lovely to see Anne again -- it's been a while, and now that she's less church-oriented and I've switched churches our paths rarely cross.

But the sense of connection was as strong as ever, and it was lovely to feel free to wander around her garden snapping pictures, listening to the chatter of female voices, sharing songs and music and... oh, the food! There was chocolate, and raspberries, and sort of crispy curry-flavored kale leaves, several kinds of salad, one of those delicious artichoke parmesan dips with french bread, and I snuck a fresh snow pea and a fresh strawberry while wandering through the garden.

There is something about the colors of a garden that just feeds my soul, and I am grateful for the time I got to spend in the music and the color, despite the rain drops and the occasional challenges posed for me by conversing with total strangers. It's easy to feel fairly steady and reasonably enlightened when your days and activities are simple and predictable, but interactions with strangers have a lot to teach us about who we really are and how we behave under stress.

Oh, dear -- I have to run. But I did want to share this picture, to give you a taste of our lovely afternoon.