Jacque's Toast

sat on their park bench like bookends. There hasn't been a tip of the hat or a raise of the glass written in the last little while, but not because great things weren't happening! Going on a journey with two old friends through the misty mountains, camping along the Russian River with other old friends, sitting comfy in camping chairs that parents bring to their kids' little league game, drinking turkish coffee, eating coffee cake and wearing bucket hats to shield ourselves from the sun all while taking in the magnificence of the winding river. Then there was a moment of farewell, where two friends said their goodbyes, after a long summer of working, studying and adventuring. This past week especially there was many sincere, intentional moments to be conscientious of, and what happened yesterday just topped it off. Yesterday I checked my messages and had one from a dear old friend from another country, who I hadn't seen in over a year. Turns out he is in the area wit...

Apples in the fall! A little while ago I picked the most delectable looking peach off our peach tree in the backyard. The peach tree itself is delectable as it sprung up out of nowhere. No one in my family ever planted a peach tree, but a few years ago it sprung up from among the bamboo shoots. At that point, no fruit adorned its branches, and there were some that doubted it ever would. But now, a few years later, and we have been harvesting small, soft and delicious peaches all summer. I ate the peach and it provided me the perfect space to let go from an otherwise exciting day. It was my last day at work for the summer, which made for many emotions, including excitement and pride and a little bit of sadness at having to leave a great organization with a lot of great people. Biking home, people flung profanities my way the entire ride home (a few of them may have been my fault, but not all of them) and after stashing my cycle I hustled to water the chickens and the garden and harves...

A Toast to the Different Shades of Green And a Toast to the Utter and Complete Intricacy of Just One Single Flower