Solved Mysteries: Pumpkin Crime at the Beach

Fall truly has its charm. The shadows, the colors, the warm then crisp air... Even on the Central Coast of California there are signs of fall.  The sun sinks a little lower and seems to play with the incoming clouds that are absent most of the summer...

 In our neighborhood, pumpkins of all shapes and colors have made their homes on porches and fences to announce and celebrate Halloween and Harvest!

Recently, there was an incident of pumpkin theft that, fortunately, was resolved quickly.  Our local chapel,  was the site of a lovely fall wedding, and as the crew arrived to decorate that morning, they found all of their pumpkins, about 5 dozen various sized, kinds and colors... some hand painted... were not where they left them...They had been stolen in the night.

This was so sad as the idea of harvest decorations for their wedding was so heart warming!  Within minutes, a neighbor drove by and mentioned that they saw a huge collection of pumpkins had appeared in a yard just a few blocks over... Sure enough, the dozens of pumpkins were identified as the ones stolen from the bride!   After a knock on the door and a bit of confrontation with the very embarrassed culprit,  they collected them all and brought them back to the chapel within time to happily fill the grounds with the atmosphere of thanks and harvest.  A happy ending and great story for the grandkids someday!

Beauty for Dinner?

 I have always claimed to prefer doing something outdoors and active rather than being in the kitchen.  Cooking has never been something I would boast about, although I do enjoy good food... However, as I began to prepare our family's favorite chili, something struck me that I had not noticed in such a long time.  It was the absolute, natural beauty of the fruit and vegetables in the morning sun on the cutting board.  The colors were so vivid, and variety was miraculous. Everything about this scene struck me with amazement.  God sure knows what he is doing and must have a really good time doing it.

As all of the ingredients were finally added and the flavors and scents grew, the timing was perfect as David and Sterling arrived from the Bay area, several days of surfing and filming. Tired and hungry... That great smell of cooking in the kitchen to sooth and revive the weary traveler.

Glad I know how to make a few things, besides breakfast for dinner.  I admire friends who can really get creative and passionate about cooking... at least for a few minutes I think I understood.