Tender Mercies

It is now safe to say that summer is officially over. The temperatures have cooled down to below freezing at night, there is now less sunlight than night, and we picked up our final share of farm-fresh veggies last week from our CSA farm. What is a CSA you ask? It stands for Community Shared Agrilculture , which is a program where you have a direct relationship with the farmer and where your veggies grow. We payed $365 at the beginning of the season and picked up our fresh veggies every Monday from June through September.  There are a handful of CSA farms in and around Fairbanks, but I am glad we picked Calypso Farm ( click for link ). I had the opportunity to go to the farm a couple of times to help out with farm, talk with the wonderful farmers, Susan, Christie, and the other farm hands, and get my hands dirty! I was able to help out with some thinning of the carrot plants in the early season, and then in August I was able to help with their compost pile. The season officially c

For dinner last night, we ate chili. Caribou heart chili to be exact. I have to give thanks to our friend, Grant Petersen, for giving us the heart from the caribou he shot a couple of weeks ago. While many people to not enjoy organ meats, we really do. Other than the fact that they're delicious, it is also probably because I did not grow up on them, and only began incorporating them into our meals a year ago. Did you know organ meats were highly prized by native groups traditionally? I've read that they would eat the organ meats first, saving the muscle meat for the dogs. This was especially true for their warriors and pregnant and lactating women. Organ meats just have a greater nutrient profile than muscle meats. I know I feel SO great after a meal that contains organ meats.  Let's look at the nutrient profile of heart meat: (This is for beef, but caribou is going to be similar, with probably greater values since it is wild game). Heart Nutrients High in zi

My favorite mode of learning is from other people's examples. On Monday I was reading my little sister's weekly letter from the mission field, and I really liked this part: "My new companion is Sister Kira Barker--and I couldn't be happier! She is always happy and I asked her how she stays so happy all the time, and she says she is just super grateful." Super Grateful. The wheels in my mind began to turn, and I felt like I wanted to put this to the test. Although I have been taught countless times to show gratitude, it is so easy to slip into the "wo is me" attitude. I really have LOVED these past four days because I have been SO much happier and more my true self.  Here are some examples of ways I have changed my thought patterns: "I can't believe Marshall is gone again and this time I do not know when we will see each other again," to "I am so grateful Marshall has a great job that he is good at, and that we are so good at havi

Earlier this summer I stopped by the farmer's market to pick up a couple of things on my shopping list. While I was there, I ran into an acquaintance and FRG leader of my husband's company. I said hi and we exchanged "how are you," but that was it. You see, I was in a hurry. I didn't think I had the time to talk and grow a friendship. I was subconsciously going through my list of things I needed to accomplish that afternoon and nothing was going to stop me from my goal. Wow. I am really embarrassed to share this story, but it helps to make a point.   I used to be the queen of to-do lists, so much so that if I completed a task that was not on my list, I would write it down just so I could check it off.  But I've now realized that when I had these lists, I would get so caught up in getting everything done, that I would often miss small moments in my day that are really precious. Things like a conversation with a friend you run into at the farmer's m