THIS is the CITY?

At heart, I am a country girl. So there are times, in the practice of contentment, I remind myself of the ways my urban life can reflect the simple joys of rural life.

1. Our Hamiltopia weekly meals, where deep connections are nurtured through the fellowship that happens naturally around food. (That is a black bean on Andy's teeth, not a gap--a rural/urban joke could fit here if I was clever. And click on the picture to discover even more of the deep, sophisticated level on which we are all connected.)

2. Our porch swing (seen here when cousin Lindsy visited) is a huge, personal taste of rural serenity.
3. Good neighbors--like our friends up the street (yes, this is their back yard--in the CITY!) who invited us to their children's HUGE pirate-themed birthday party--are always willing to lend a hand, visit, or share in some good, old-fashioned fun.













4. Our clothesline, where I not only hang clothes (really!), but homemade, finger-paint wrapping paper (yes, I braved mess to make art!)

5. Local parks, like Herring Run, where Shelley, the girls & I hiked recently (walking distance from our house!) They loved this meadow, & here's Evelyn swinging on her first vine!













6. Good friends, like Vicky, who lives only a few miles from us in the Inner Harbor, who include us in the simple yet profound experiences of each day, like sharing a morning at her condominium's lovely pool.

Yes, I LOVE living in the city.

"...be content with what you have, because God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.'" (Hebrews 13:5)

"But godliness with contentment is great gain." (I Timothy 6:6)