Sabbath

Our community had an all-day meeting yesterday, as we do about every other month. It was a good meeting, and as always, so good to see everybody. Those meetings, and the preparation I do for them (powerpoints, videos, print materials, etc.) ahead of time often leave me pretty dang tired, which is the case today. I'm glad for today's Sabbath-time in which to rest and recuperate, move slowly, read the whole paper, sit out in the front yard and watch the leaves unfurl on the baby plum tree we planted last fall, make phone calls, read at length, and so on.

Beauty and grace are performed whether or not we will sense them. The least we can do is try to be there... so that creation need not play to an empty house.
- Annie Dillard

Enjoy this three-minute sabbatical:

And here's a recipe for corn hotdish. It's easy to make, and makes a good main dish for a gathering of friends.

Corn Hotdish

20 ounces of frozen corn (2 packages)
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped or matchstick carrots
4 TBSP butter
4 TBSP whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 TBSP minced garlic
1 tsp pepper
1 1/2 cup milk
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 cups pepper cheese or mozzarella cheese, grated

Melt butter in a skillet,then add celery, onion, green pepper and carrots. Cook and stir over medium heat about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Mix flour, salt and pepper, stir into cooked veggies.Cook and stir over medium heat until the mixture bubbles. Remove from heat. Stir in milk slowly. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Stir and boil for one minute. Add eggs and corn, mix thoroughly. Spread into ungreased 9x13 pan. Sprinkle minced garlic over the mixture. Bake in 350 degree oven for about 35 minutes,until top is slightly brown and mixture bubbles. Remove from oven, sprinkle grated cheese over the top. Replace in oven for 5 more minutes. Makes 6-8 tasty servings.

Today I'm grateful for: the beauty of these spring days; the contemplative peace of Fort Snelling State Park; my dear friends; Dodo's return to health; healing for JK, MK, JR; my enjoyable work.
Holding in prayer: the suffering people of Burma and China and the many people attempting to help them; the people evacuated from their homes in Lafayette, Louisiana; the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the people perpetuating them; the immigrants arrested in Postville, Iowa, the people who work for ICE, and the many people and communities suffering because of their arrests and deportations; sisters traveling home from Uganda; CM, CB, MB and others dealing with illness; Sisters of St. Joseph in Nicaragua.