The original is still the greatest

3:41 p.m. Today's project was to stay home and work with Steve around the yard and in the garden. I had two rows of lettuce varieties to plant: "Bibb," with its large, curvy leaves, and "Salad Bowl," displaying tons of curly, interconnected leaves. Quite a little procedure, not like the ease of broadcasting flower seeds at all! I had to poke holes 2 inches apart, drop in two seeds (to guarantee one would come up: my rule, not the seed company's) and then pat the soil firmly down on them (the seed company's rule, not mine). I then dug out two new irrigation rows with my handy hoe for the future time when the roots will have gone down into the soil. They'll give us lots of salads (which I eat every day for lunch)throughout the winter months. Here in Riverside, I guess "winter" means the possibility of rain in January and February!

I was delighted to see that the flowers I had planted last week were already up in darling little bow-shaped clusters which I won't look forward to thinning out. The scallions are growing taller, but not filling out much, like my children in their lanky adolescent stage. The cilantro is very slow, but coming along, and the carrots now have 3 inch tops that remind me of ferns I saw in the forests of Colorado so many years ago.

Time to thin out the carrots. I found myself very curious as to their color. The green onions I picked last week were perfect tiny replicas of mature onions, even had that oniony smell and taste. So, about every 1-1/2 inch or so, I pulled the babies up. The miniscule carrots had the carroty smell, but were a pale whitish-pink, I guess not unexpected, but kind of a disappointment. (Am I in just a bit of a hurry?) Steve and I each ate one, and they're carrots, all right. You sow carrot seed, you get carrots! Sow a good deed, get blessed, maybe not by the recipient, but certainly by God! Hebrews 6:10 says, "God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love, which you have shown toward His name..."

I should have just stuck with my original plan to stay home, but it's hard to keep a good woman down--or out of her car! So while Steve walked the dogs, I drove down to a printer to place an order for our names to be printed onto the beautiful Christmas cards I had bought on sale at Berean Christian Store in Redlands. On the way down to Sloan printers, I realized I was on empty, so I got gas at Brockton & 14th. Went on over to Sloan, and found their doors closed--permanently. What a shame--they are good people whom I used for my school board campaign printing in past years. So now where? Over to Kinko's, near Magnolia and Jurupa, now FedEx, but they told me that since there is foil on the cards, the heat of the printer would melt it. What? But the girl did recommend PIP printing over on Market.

Meanwhile, parked in the Kinko's lot, I tackled another issue. I was finding out that my health plan didn't reimburse for out-of-network chiropractors--great. I guess I'm improving anyway, I thought as I went over to Vons to see what was up for Thanksgiving and get a couple of items since I was down at the Plaza anyway. Looks like I'll be able to get a 26 lb turkey later this week, pretty cheap. I just have to clear out a huge chicken and rice casserole sitting in the bottom section of the fridge--company for dinner tomorrow should take care of that!

I called PIP while strolling around in the store, having decideded not to make any more stops in person. They laughed at FedEx Kinko's apparently ludicrous statement about the foil on the cards, and said they could do it 1 day turnaround. Now that's my kind of business, skillful and on top of things! "Seest thou a man diligent in his business?" Proverbs 22:29 asks. "He will stand before kings." He'll also earn his customers' respect and get the orders and referrals!

On the way home at last with some good news about the cards, my frustration melted away, and I had gotten some plans together for Thanksgiving, anticipating a large crowd, which I love! New daughter-in-law, new potential son-in-law, and new potential nephew-in-law will be in attendance with the rest of us--good times!

Let the celebrations begin as we focus on home and family in special ways through the end of the year. How I thank the Lord for creating families originally!