ABUNDANCE

There's been a case of the doldrums around here - we're all adjusting to a new place, new routines, new people, and of course there is the ever-changing relationship we have with our kids.  So, I've been trying to focus on the abundance in our lives to pull myself up and out of that hole.  Fortunately, a garden came into our lives in time to coincide with  this change of attitude, and already, even in the "wrong" season to begin this venture, it has yielded great abundance.  We are now the proud farmers of Plot 55 in the Westside Community Gardens, just a 10-minute walk down the bike-path from our house.  It took a bit of convincing to get the girls involved - they love the idea of a garden full of veggies and flowers, but weeds and dirt? not so much.  and since this plot was abandoned mid-season, there were plenty of weeds to pull, bugs to chase, spiders to dodge...luckily there are some wonderful gardens in full swing surrounding our plot, and the girls ran and ran and played and "volunteered" their harvesting skills to some friendly folk in Plot 1, which has a fence dripping in deep purple hyacinth beans.  E pulled some leeks with them, trimming the roots and peeling the outer skins off.  In return for her help, the leek man gave her a few leeks to take home.  Well, guess what got left off of our grocery list this week because they cost SIX DOLLARS AND NINETY-NINE CENTS for TWO? Yup, leeks.  And guess what ingredient we needed for our Hungarian Bean Soup that night? Leeks. Abundance? Yup.

(yes, E is using a machete. it worked great on those roots!)