Feeding the Ducks

The lake at Centennial Park, Nashville, Tennessee

Sunday afternoon saw sunshine pouring down, the sky a cloudless blue. Just perfect for a trip to the park to feed the ducks. I wonder if it was the ducks who needed the bread we brought, or us who needed to have the ducks to feed? I suspect it might be the latter.

Counting the everyday, everyman graces provided for us in the park:

Daffodils in winter

Yellow trumpets on the shore of the lake, that went BOO at us as we walked by. It's only 29 January, but beginning to look like spring. We had an unusually warm winter this year, with many daily maximums above ten degrees celsius. It's nice that in Tennessee we get to have some snow, but also a fair number of winter days mild enough to venture outside to enjoy the sun.

Three Canadian Geese

Canadian Geese nonchalantly gliding by, always unfazed; an inspiration to me to remember that our Heavenly Father cares for us in far greater proportion than He provides for them.

Seagulls in the city

Seagulls careening, reminding me that just as they were gifted with wings to fly, I am gifted with just the right talents to do all the good works that my Heavenly Father has called me to do.

Was it a birthday?

A bunch of balloons bouncing by, evidence that the heart of a little girl or boy had been cheered, that she or he had smiled and laughed - a reminder that it shouldn't take so much to delight my heart, either.

I don't want to ever lose that wonder.

The onigiri didn't start this

Just so that no one misunderstands, this blog did not start because of an onigiri.

Last night, while Tim was making an onigiri for my lunch today, it simply occurred to me that it might be nice to write about simple things - everyday things that would go easily unnoticed, bits of common grace given to us in various forms. I spend so much of my time writing about such weighty matters; I thought this would be a fun thing to do. That's all. Nothing to do with the onigiri, really.

Giant Pork Floss stuffed Onigiri

So, on a completely unrelated note, Tim made me an onigiri for lunch. To be more precise, he made me a giant onigiri which was stuffed with pork floss and wrapped with a piece of nori.

It was a packed lunch. Last semester, Tim would often deliver lunch to me in school. We called it lunch express.

Lunch Express: Chicken Rice with Stir-fried Lettuce and Potatoes... complete with cutlery

That was because my schedule on Tuesdays was such that there was a long break between two classes, which made it possible for him to bring lunch for me and join me for lunch. My two classes were also with two different sets of classmates, which meant no one to lunch with. This semester, I have two classes with the same classmates on Wednesdays, separated by a one and a half hour lunch break. This means hanging out with classmates for lunch. Back home, this usually means traipsing off to the food court or hawker center. Here, however, it is a more common practice to bring a packed lunch. And mind you, it is not just sandwiches. My classmates have brought lunches like grain salads, roasted pork tenderloin with basmati rice, pie, and pasta, and tortellini soup, among other things. It's nice hanging out over lunch. It's nice having a husband who packs me lunch.

Aren't I a blessed girl?