With so much rain this spring, it is a verdant paradise in Boulder right now. The mountains are as green as could be and the wild flowers are in full bloom with snow-covered peaks still in the background.
It is a time of year that I love. Working in the garden pulling weeds and picking up pine cones is a form of meditation for both my husband and me. Ric, with his constant battle with the dandelions, and me, planting flowers one day only to wake up the next morning to nothing more than dirt. It may be frustrating but at least the deer and bunnies are well fed and so much of it is really about the process, not the end result.
Quietly picking up piles of pine needles is about as zen as it gets, since for each one that I pick up, ten more probably drop but I am there with my hands in the soil connecting with the earth, and that in itself, is a beautiful thing.
We have had lots of family visiting lately which always brings us pleasure. My son surprised me with a Mother’s Day visit, flying in from New York for a few days.
Having my “kid” in my home is so special for me. Seeing that my boy has become such a strong and beautiful man is truly the thing that brings me the most joy in life. When I look at my son, I know I did something very right in this lifetime.
Having my family all around the dinner table, glasses of wine clinking, laughter roaring and silliness all over the place, there isn’t much that could make me happier. 
For one our dinners I made this colorful, fresh and delicious salad.
- 2 heads butter leaf lettuce, washed and torn into bite size pieces
- 1½ -2 cups mango, diced medium
- 1 avocado, peeled and diced medium
- 2 bulbs of fennel, white parts sliced or shaved very thin
- ¼ cup red bell pepper, diced small
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup white Balsamic or red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey
- Juice and zest from 1 lime
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- Optional: pinch of ground cumin in the dressing and a sprinkling of crumbled goat cheese on top of the salad.
- Place the butter lettuce in a large salad bowl and then scatter the avocado over the lettuce.
- Layer on the fennel on top of the lettuce and avocado, then the mango and then sprinkle the red pepper over the mango.
- For the dressing, mix the olive oil, vinegar, honey, juice and zest from the lime and the salt and pepper into a small bowl or container and mix thoroughly.
- Add just enough of the dressing to coat the salad and toss.
Enjoy!
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