Inspired by Washington

This Spring we were fortunate to go all the way across the vast United States to Washington DC, Virginia and North Carolina. One of the most thrilling parts of the trip was our visit to Mount Vernon, which is not only the home of our first President, General George Washington, but it's also the ultimate homestead, exemplifying the products of hard work and self-sustenance. Here are a few pictures of that day:

The family saw goats and became quite distracted.

They're goats, and they're black? They'd fit right into our pack.

Lower Garden, and cool use of space. I want to attempt something like this on a much smaller scale.

As husband walked up to me, right after this photo, he said the magic words: "I want to be a farmer!"

So we came back West to our homestead
and started our tons of tomato seeds...

...along with tomatillos and bell peppers.
Suddenly so ambitious!

The Beauty of Cycles and Stages

My God is omnipresent; it is found within everything and connects everything like a vast web of energy. My God is Connection, Relation, Transformation, Cycles and Stages.

From a single bean, transformation occurs and a full plant grows, providing nourishment for others. From within the great and vast Orion Nebula, transformation occurs and stars are formed; we owe our human existence to our own star. From two single microscopic human cells, transformation occurs and life is formed; another amazing human brain begins to develop and grow.

TRANSFORMATION as a "beginning":

TRANSFORMATION as an "end":

Everything is connected! All of us are carbon-based matter and energy, which never goes away, just changes and transforms. How precious and special each of us all are. None are more important than the others. All of us, tiny and huge, have our place in the amazing, vast Universe. From the microscopic to the macroscopic, to the old and the new, each has its season. There is beauty all around!