Here We Go Again

Sometimes life’s soundtrack plays a familiar song.

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Prayer - Dear God, thank you for reminders that you are always near. Amen.

Affirmation: I am blessed.

Gratitude: I'm grateful for slow mornings.

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The Main Dish

Dig in

Here We Go Again

Wednesday morning began like any other day. The familiar morning soundtrack was playing outside my kitchen window. The rooster was crowing, the robins chirping, and the cars riding by in the distance.

I was standing in the kitchen ready to cook breakfast, and out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of something moving outside the kitchen window. It moved quickly and low and disappeared behind our storage building before I could see what it was.

My mind immediately started racing through the roster of possibilities:

Did one of our chickens manage to escape the coop? Was it the fox that occasionally sneaks around to hunt? Was it that orange stray cat I usually only see at dusk? Was it just a figment of my imagination?

I paused with my spatula in hand and waited a few minutes. I stood there watching and listening.

Then, bam!

Strutting out from behind the storage building came an animal. First, I noticed the long, elegant neck. A turkey? Then I saw the gray body, and finally, the long, blue tail feathers gave it all away.

It was a peacock.

I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. Just last year, another unexpected peacock had randomly graced our backyard, stayed for a week, transformed our routines, and vanished as quietly as it arrived.

Here we go again.

None of our neighbors have peacocks, and we have no clue why, out of all of the people we live close to, the peacocks chose our home.

Last year’s visitor felt like a once-in-a-lifetime visit. It was that bird that taught me about “peacock pauses,” those unexpected disruptions that force me to stop, breathe, and notice the wonders of life.

When this new guest strutted from behind the building, my initial reaction wasn’t fear or confusion like last time. I didn’t rush outside, nor did I panic about where it came from. I called my husband to take a look, and we paused and watched the bird from the kitchen window.

It is funny how life works. Sometimes something comes into our lives, makes an impression, and fades away. When the same unpredictable something shows up a second time, it starts feeling like an important sign.

Maybe my life had gotten a little too busy again. Maybe the morning routine had turned back into a mundane act rather than a mindful start to my day.

Whatever the reason, I am sure I needed a refresher course on “be still and know.”

When the peacock came last year, it felt like learning a new song on guitar. This time around, the new peacock’s visit felt more like a reprise, a familiar song I hadn’t played in a while.

As I watched the beautiful bird strut past the storage building, I realized that sometimes life’s soundtrack will play a familiar song.

My only job is to decide how I respond when it happens. Will I dance? Skip it? Listen?

I chose to dance and listen this time.

I don’t know how long this second visitor will stay, but as I turned back to finish cooking breakfast, I felt a deep sense of gratitude.

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Friday before sunset, while my husband headed to the coop to feed the chickens, he spotted our visitor strutting in our fenced-in garden. He called to tell me what he saw, and I walked out to join him. For thirty minutes, we took a peacock pause and just watched. The world kept right on moving, but we stood still, humbled and completely in awe of what we were experiencing.

Pot Likker and Cornbread Crumbs

There’s flavor in the small things.

Don’t be afraid to pause!

Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” - Matthew 8:20

Table Talk

Join the Conversation

What helps you stop and pause when life gets too busy?

Potluck

From Our Community Kitchen: Book, Music, Art, Substack

Book

Music

Art

Lagos, Nigeria, an artwork by Aaron Douglas on display at The Phillips Collection in 2023.

Substack Recommendation

Nobody Warned Us About This Part.

Recipe Exchange

Sow: Garden to Table

This upcoming school year, I am working, taking classes, self-caring, and trying my best to show up in a meaningful way for people I love. I know I will need time to both pause and maximize the time in my day.

A few days before the peacock came, I was on the phone with one of my cousins. It was about 9:00 p.m., and I was cleaning the kitchen. She said, “Honey, before I retired, I got up early and cooked my dinner and cleaned the kitchen, so I wouldn't have to worry about doing it in the evening.”

This was an aha moment for me!

Thankfully, my entire family cooks and cleans, and starting this week, we are taking her advice: Get up earlier, prepare dinner, and clean so our evenings will have more flexibility.

Getting up early to cook breakfast is what put me by the kitchen window to see the peacock. Maybe getting up even earlier will come with some surprises, too.

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Here is a recipe for a slow-cooked breakfast for a slow morning.

Cast-Iron Summer Garden Frittata

Ingredients:

• 8 large eggs

• 1/4 cup whole milk or heavy cream

• 1 cup ripe garden tomatoes, chopped (or cherry tomatoes, halved)

• 1 cup fresh spinach or shredded garden greens

• 1/2 small onion, finely diced

• 1 cup shredded cheddar or crumbled goat cheese

• 2 tbsp fresh herbs (basil, chives, or parsley)

• 2 tbsp butter or olive oil

• Salt and black pepper to taste

How to Make It:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. In a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add diced onion and sauté for 3–4 minutes until soft.

2. Toss in your fresh greens and half of the tomatoes, cooking just until the greens wilt (about 1 minute).

3. Whisk eggs, milk, salt, and pepper together. Pour over the skillet vegetables. Sprinkle the remaining tomatoes, cheese, and fresh herbs evenly over the top.

4. Let it cook on the stovetop untouched for 2 minutes until the edges begin to set, then transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake for 15–18 minutes until puffy and set in the center. Slice into wedges and enjoy with warm coffee.

Dessert

A Sweet Send-Off