August 30, 2010

Well... This entry will have nothing to do with food. But since most of the people that read this are my good friends, I have decided to share anyway. Just a little over a month ago, I turned 29 years old. I already have a nostalgic, introspective bent, but it kicked into high gear as I began this last year of my 20's. Almost none of the past decade has included the things that I always expected out of my 20's. I am sort of in awe of people who plan out their lives and then actually find themselves living in those plans. Perhaps their goal-setting is better than mine has been. Or perhaps the Lord has just had a different plan for my life than what I expected. Either way, my 20's have been full of surprises and unexpected turns!

If I am honest, I have often not received those surprises graciously and have struggled at times with disappointment and discontent and fear of the future. That said, as I turned 29 and essentially began my 30th year of life, some clarity has come and I am newly aware of the fact that my life is wonderful. I am so much happier being "Jenny" than I was 10 years ago at nineteen. It sounds a bit trite, but I have SO much to be thankful for and so many sources of joy.

In light of all these reflections, I have decided to declare "29" a "birthday year." I am a firm believer in "birthday week" (ie: why limit the celebration to just one day?) and occasionally "birthday month" (ie: I had a belated birthday breakfast with a friend just this morning, 9/4). But I decided that I want to end my 20's being intentional about cultivating gratefulness and celebrating what is good in life.

To help me do that, I will be holding a small and mostly like private celebration of something good in my life every month on the 30th up until my 30th birthday. I will most likely not write about all of them here, but I do want to write about my first one because it was just so lovely!

August 30th was this past Monday and I happen to have Mondays off of work. For the last several years, since my first hike up Stanley canyon to the lake, I have wanted to hike up there on a weekday, when no one is around and go swimming. I have a weird attraction to water that I can't explain. But few things make me feel happier or more peaceful. Usually Stanley reservoir is full of fishermen and I can just imagine the dirty looks I would get if I was romping around in the water and scaring away all their fish! So Monday, I hiked up the canyon with my swimsuit and a towel and a book and it worked out perfectly!! There were people hiking down when I was going up. And there were people hiking up as I was walking down. But for about an hour and a half while I was at the lake, there wasn't a soul in sight!! I swam around the lake and then laid myself out on a rock and baked like a lizard. Surrounded by pine trees and blue sky, alone at a lovely little mountain lake, it was not difficult to call up gratitude and joy over the fact that the Lord has planted me in a place that is full of so much beauty. I can remember being very young, living in Southern California with all its smog and traffic and congestion and longing for open and pretty places. Living in just such a place now is a precious gift from a God who saw that part of my heart all those years ago and didn't scorn the desire as trivial, but answered it. I love that about Him!



Thats all... I just returned from the store with ingredients for a Vermont Maple Peach Pie, which is one of my very favorites and seemed like an appropriate way to usher out the summer. The recipe will be making an appearance here soon!