Of plants and birthdays and other such things

The grow light is here! I thought I would have to dismantle my leafy corner to keep seedlings there, but then I figured out that I could rig the light up under my desk table. It always surprises me how bright it is when I turn it on, but I guess that's the point. Most of the basil has been potted and is sitting under the caring watch of the grow light even now. The rest of the basil and the tomatoes will get to begin their lives this weekend.

This is birthday week at our house. Wednesday was Theresia's birthday, today is Sarah's, and Saturday is mine. Then Kerstin's is on the 24th. And Cassaundra's is on the 30th of April. We are a pretty decent cluster, I think. We're having a mass birthday party on the 18th and calling it "Cassaundra's roommates' birthday party." I guess Cassie gets her own because her birthday is spaced out by a month from the rest of us. But we've been having lots of good food here this week.

Speaking of good food, I am having a heyday with different kinds of ethnic food lately. There is a Finnish breakfast and lunch place in Salt Lake. Did you know that? I need to get over there for a Scandinavian breakfast soon. The girls at work and I are going to lunch tomorrow to Mazza, a middle eastern restaurant and I'm starting to drool thinking about hummus and gyros and pitas and tabouleh and fresh limemade, which Emily claims is divine. I was supposed to choose a meal for the family birthday celebration this Sunday and it was a struggle. It's going to be a fairly Italian, very European meal with foccacia bread and pureed carrot soup and spinach salad. But I'll be home Saturday too, and I'll be using that as an opportunity to try a few new Thai dishes (there will be curry on the menu along with the new dishes in case they don't work. Thai curry is one of my favorite things ever).

Lastly, life is good. But good and easy are not the same thing, don't fool yourself. Life is good and it's hard work- digging deeper and deeper into the heart of things that really matter and trying so hard to cast aside the things that don't, that just weigh you down and hold you back and prevent you from becoming the person God wants you to be. This is my quest. I think it will keep going my whole life- I think it is largely the point of being alive. And it's good and satisfying and sometimes even exhilarating. But man, it can be tiring sometimes. I'm feeling particularly introspective because that happens to me around things like birthdays. The goal is that next year at this time, I will be a better, more compassionate, deeper, more mature and Christlike person than I am now. Gearing up for a spiritual marathon!