The phrase, “my cup runneth over” from the 23rd Psalm epitomizes the image of abundance—enough and more than enough. In the season of harvest, baskets can overflow with apples, tomatoes, zucchini and so much more. Abundance sufficient to eat now, preserve for later and still share with friends.
What do you have so much of that you can enjoy it, share it, and expect to have enough for later?
We are a childless couple, and we subscribe to a CSA. (Community Supported Agriculture–we pay the farm money up front and they give us a load of veggies each week of the growing season.)
It is sometimes too much for us to use before it goes bad, and some of it becomes compost (which makes me feel better than throwing it in the trash, since it will eventually benefit new plants, but it still bothers me to have wasted food). But mostly we try to share what we can’t consume ourselves.
We’ve given some produce to the family next door, and sometimes we go to visit my parents nearby to give them veggies and make and eat supper with them.
Our season is almost over, but we will have the produce I froze for a good part of the winter. Bell pepper halves might be stuffed or cut up for omelets or stir-fry. Cabbage cut into ribbons is probably going to be turned into slow cooker “unstuffed” cabbage (instead of wrapping meat in cabbage, you just throw all the ingredients into the pot) which I anticipate having many times this winter. There are so many baggies of various kinds of pesto (including radish leaf pesto!) our pasta will be well dressed for a long time.
Oh, Maggie, what a wonderful picture I have of you two enjoying the foods that you have prepared for winter consumption! Such good healthy, tasty foods you have so wisely stored.
I learned to play the piano at an early age, and continued to take lessons intermittently into adulthood. When I say I “learned”, I explain that one of my teachers taught me guitar chords to use in playing melodies. Although classical music live or recorded is a vital part of my life, I do play for myself for enjoyment. However, the most pleasure I have is being able, with chording, to play for hymn singing at the UU fellowship with more ease than if I had to learn to play each note on the page. What a gift I received from that teacher! I hope that as long as possible I can give more of the same to them since they tell me they enjoy it as much as I do!