In our home we have a family mission statement, a vision statement, a family quote, fight song and motto. My children created these with some help and guidance from me. But it is fun when we recite them and one will say, "That is my part." Part of our family vision is "hard work and practice will prepare us for the rest of our lives. The rest of our lives starts today. Carpe Diem...Sieze the day!"
Gardening is a great analogy for life. Typically you get out of it what you put into it. The storms can sometimes come and destory everything. When this happens you just have to sweep the debrie up and replant.
One of my T.F.F.'s (D.P.) taught me a couple years ago about growing potatoes. I tried to grow them last year and got a few. But this year I took all of her advice. I planted four sprouting potatoes. I planted them at the bottom of a 5 gallon tree bucket (the nursery kind) with the bottom cut out. I secured the bucket a few inches in to the ground and I planted the 4 potatoes with some dirt on top. When they grew about 8 inches I covered the bottom 4 inches and continued to do this until there was dirt to the TOP of the bucket. Those potatoe plants still grew about another 3 feet. They reached toward heaven and grew and grew. They finally bloomed and bloomed these beautiful little flowers and then the flowers died. During this time I watered and watered. And...I Collected off the snails. For whatever reason snails LOVE potatoe plants. I did my part and they did theirs. I might have been slightly premature but yesterday I harvested. I had a large bowl of potatoes. Half of those potatoes were prepared this morning for a pot of potatoe soup.
Life is a lot like growing potatoes. It takes a lot of work and effort. We must give it constant care. Sometimes we have to remove the snails of life so they don't eat us up, leave gaping holes in us, or tear us apart. We always grow better in good soil. Healthy living, eating, and service make us florish. Bad company, criticism and poor life choices can shrivel us just like a potatoe plant that has been infested with snails.
Today the hard work and patience of growing potatoes paid off. The reward was sweet. I want a life that is as sweet, smooth and delicious as my potatoe soup. Sometimes I can't control the "smooth", but I have power over the sweet and the delicious...you see those ingredients of life are choices on my part.
What kind of life do you want? My potatoe soup life is Beautiful if I don't say so myself.
Interested in trying my potatoe soup?
Start with 8 cups of water in a pot. Add 7 chicken bouillon cubes in an additional cup of hot water until dissolved and add to the pot. Turn up the heat. I used about 10 medium potatoes (I took a new sponge and cleaned mine well since they just came out of my soil). Some like to peel them, others don't. Chop up an onion (or half if you aren't as big a fan as me). Add all this together in a large pot and boil until potatoes are soft. Start the seasoning process. Have fun with it. I added about 2 tsp of parsley, some sea salt, a little pepper and some no salt (costco brand). Add 2 cups of half and half to water and turn heat down. Then take about 1 c hot water and mixed in 1/2 c flour. Mix until there are no lumps and slowly add to pot while stirring continuously. Once you get all this boiling down add 5 medium chopped carrots (I diced mine in little squares), 1 can cream corn, 1 can (drained) regular corn. Stir pretty regularly so the bottom doesn't burn. Then turn on low, or off. (I forgot to add the butter...and it was just fine...so I say leave it out...but if you are a butter fan the recipe called for 1 c butter.) I served it with cheese on top, salad on the side, and yummy Costco Rosemary bread. Delish!!!
Changing the world...ONE letter at a time!
You are AMAZING!!!!!!
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