Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a fragrant offering, a pleasing aroma to God. – Ephesians 5:2

I am sure I will write more about this in another post, but over the past few days I’ve spent a lot of time at UNC Rex Hospital in Raleigh, taking care of my dad while he’s been dealing with some tricky issues.

In the meanwhile, here are a few more of the images I captured that beautiful spring evening earlier this week (see “Where flowers come as messengers of hope” for more photos).

Scout Labradoodle, who usually has strong opinions against Paparazzi, has taken to lounging around on the front steps to enjoy the evening air.

Then, looking across to my parents’ house, I caught my mother in a pensive moment, catching the last of the light as she looked out over the garden.

Finally, heading around to the deck to check out my newly planted herb garden, right outside the kitchen, I thought about all the flavor: Parsely, Sage, Rosemary, Thyme (English and Silver), Basil (Sweet and African Blue), Garden Mint, Oregano (Italian and Greek), and Lovage – a new herb I have not yet tried…

And that, in turn, caused me to think about all the creative and exotic flavors that enhance not only my cooking but my life, and that blessing is far too extensive to even begin to list.

It turned out to be a good exercise, sitting at the end of a hospital bed with my laptop perched on my knees, to think about the blessings, and the people, and the flavors that make life distinctive and rich.

The blessings, of course, are simply those things that remind me of how grateful I am. And sometimes it takes little more than the aroma of English Thyme when I’m sitting on the deck with a cup of tea and a curious camera….

Peace, and more peace – we all need it – DEREK