Day 121 - A Moment in Time

As dinner cools on the stove top and dessert bakes in the oven, I am reminded of the many blessings I have in my life. I know that no matter what paths life decides (or I decide) to journey along, I am incredibly blessed.

Dinner tonight was Chicken Pot Pie. No extravagant gourmet version; not even made from a light recipe. I did use a can of light Cream of Mushroom soup, but the can of Cream of Potato was just a regular can of soup. The milk was 1% and there are a ton of veggies in it. No bottom crust; just a smattering of canned biscuits on top.

I seem to choose healthier options without thinking about it, so I guess it's healthier than the norm. Hooray for good habits? :)

Overall, it's simple, hot, filling, and (most importantly) made from everything we already had in the kitchen. The dish is already a staple in this house during the winter and sounded perfect for this cool autumn evening.

It was dessert that prompted me to write this blog post. The pot pie was cooking in the oven as I peeled and sliced up some fresh apples for the Maple Apple Crisp. The apples had been picked just minutes before by my hubby (with the help of our son) from the apple tree in our backyard and I couldn't wait to put this dish together!

For me, the true moment of inspiration came when I stopped for a minute to look out the kitchen window. There I saw my hubby and son picking apples together; picking them from the tree... gathering up the ones that fell... deciding which ones to go into the "Keep" box and which ones needed to be put into the "Yard Trash" bag. It was a moment that could only warm my heart and bring some much-needed peace to my soul; a moment that I will treasure for all of my life. Something so simple as the two of them picking apples... but isn't that true of all pure and simple things?

I wish things didn't have to change. I wish I didn't have to face leaving all of this behind, but life is about change. Change brings growth and I know there will be more moments in the future; more moments I will treasure... that will bring peace and happiness. I just wish I knew they could be here.

For now, I will put that last thought out of my head. Tonight is date night! I have 2 testosterone-fueled movies on hold at the local redbox (Prince of Persia and Clash of the Titans; rent 1 get 1 free deal), warm homemade maple apple crisp with low-fat sugar-free vanilla ice cream (gotta have some a la mode action!) ready to go, a wonderful husband to share it with, and a fantastic mom who will be taking care of the bath-and-bedtime routine with our son. It's a gorgeous cool autumn night and (thanks to my incredible mother-in-law) the bills are paid up-to-date. For a moment, I can relax and breathe. For a moment, all is right and good in my world. For a moment...


May your moments bring you as much joy as mine have today. I wish you all the best!

~Heather