Trails

The forest has changed a lot over the years. Trails the kids opened up decades ago grew over once the kids became interested in other things. New trails were made. They too got blocked or overgrown when nobody was using them.

I made some new trails myself. I find it deeply satisfying. I enjoy the air and the scents and the crows and the physical effort of cutting a dead branch and seeing a new way open up.

When we had a bad ice storm at the end of March 2025, a lot of local trees came down. All my usual trails were blocked, some partially, some permanently. I grieved a bit. But I also remembered how the trails have come and gone over the years.

"It's just like life," I thought, as I strugged to shift a fallen branch. Old ways sometimes need to be abandoned or bypassed. Old habits, old beliefs, old relationships. Sometimes we need to find new ways through.

I take it gently when opening new trails. I don't force through anywhere. I'm not making a Roman road. I look for animal trails and use their intelligence to guide me. They always choose the safest and easiest route. It feels like it's aligning with the forest.

There will be other storms in the future. The trails I open today will again be blocked, and new ways will have to be found. But for today, I can delight in turning a corner and seeing something new.

Coconut Cookies

Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

This started off as a snickerdoodle recipe and has been a favourite in the house often. They're dangerous.

Makes 24

Ingredients:

1/2 c. (114 g.) butter

1/4 c. white sugar

1/2 c. brown sugar (I use dark brown sugar, not the yellow stuff.)

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract (I use vanilla bean paste)

pinch salt

1 1/4 c. (170 g.) flour

1 tsp. cream of tartar

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 c. (155 g.) flaked coconut (I don't care if it's sweetened or not but flaked works nicest.)

3/4 c (150 g.) chocolate chips (I like dark better than semi-sweet or milk for this)

Optional Ingredients:

The chocolate chips were optional at first but not any more.

You could use white chocolate chips instead,

or nuts

or a bit of coconut extract for more flavour.

or roll in coconut

Yes I know. Grams and Cups, but I am Canadian. We use Celsius instead of Fahrenheit and Pounds instead of Kilograms. We're all over the place.

Directions:

- cream butter and both sugars together

- add egg and vanilla and salt and mix well

- in another bowl combine dry ingredients: flour, tartar, soda

- add dry mixture to the butter mixture and mix well

- mix in the chocolate chips and coconut

- I divide the dough into 24 pieces at this point, roll the pieces gently and place them in the fridge to cool for at least 30 minutes.

- heat the oven to 400° F

- set out 2 baking sheets, and divide the chilled batter 12 to each sheet

- bake 7 1/2 to 8 minutes, one cookie sheet at a time, and rotating half-way through so they bake evenly.

Heart of Gold

Today's mantra: "She has a heart of gold"

I'm using this because we have a decades old unresolved thing that may never be resolved. Usually, when my attention turns to her, my mind clicks in, attempting to develop better understanding or approaches or generally to fix this thing that is not ready to be fixed or may never be fixed. But by using this mantra, I can cut through all that think-y malarkey to what really counts. And let my energy steep in the truth of it. She really does. And my heart can be satisfied with that.