Shades of Gray

Charcoal and dove. Damp and chilly. One of those nearly below 50 degree late spring days, when all I crave is warmth. I realized today that I think of the seasons as a continuum, not a set of 4. I think of late May as the bridge between spring and summer. Lightning bugs in random places in the house to get out of the dampness, yet haven't seen one blinker outside yet. Proof of what is to come. I thought about BBQ sauce, sunscreen, red, white and blue, sunshine, garden beds and warmer nights. I like the transition of the seasons....they inspire me.
Here is a summerish cake I tried using mostly fruit to color the layers, and fresh whipped cream for the icing.

On a completely different note, I think constantly about perspective. I want to write about it more at length another time. It impacts me everyday, on many levels. Usually when I go grocery shopping, I take both children. Undoubtedly, I get stopped by onlookers....and the comments they make are usually sweet and kind. Within five minutes of my trip today, a woman nearly growled at me because I was blocking the potatoes she wanted. I pulled up to the potato section, one little one standing next to the cart, the other strapped on me. I began bagging the potatoes I needed, and this woman pulls up and starts to heavy sigh. She proceeds to wedge herself between me and my cart/little one to get to her Idaho's. I think I heard her growl! LOL! Seriously, I feel so bad for those who feel the need to act like that. And so, I graciously excused my crew and cart, if for anything to show my children how to accommodate others. I walked away annoyed, and wondered how people could act so snotty. We moved on and I was a bit annoyed. About 5 minutes later, over by the ice cream section we get the stare down again. But this time, the woman comes over and asks me, "doesn't your back hurt?" She then tells me that my children are beautiful, gives me a wonderful smile and tells me how blessed I am. I agree with her, kindly smile back and walk away.
I am so grateful for the sweet words, especially when I doubt others' behavior. I think it is so important to lend a kind word, to smile like you mean it, and to be gracious when you can. You just never know how the smallest gesture will impact someone else. It may make or break their day. I am thankful for the kindness of those I pass, and I pray for those who were grumps today:)