first monday of march {march 7, 2022}

Grandpa has ears that truly listen, arms that always hold,

 love that’s never-ending, and a heart that’s made of gold.

Today is my grandpa's birthday. He was born on March 7, 1898, and died in 1990. He and my grandma lived on a farm outside of Bloomington, IL. I have so many wonderful memories of summertime visits: running through the cornfields, climbing the apple trees, pumping water into the cows' water trough and feeding the cows, playing in the barn, swinging on the rope swing, shelling freshly picked peas and snapping green beans, going into grandpa's work shed where he tumbled rocks to bring a polish to them. I have a couple jars of those rocks...priceless treasures to me. In this photo, he is wearing his WWI uniform. He was Mennonite and served in the war as a non-combatant. He was a kind and gentle man. 

After a gorgeous spring weekend, Mother Nature has smacked us back to reality to let us know that it's still winter. Time to fix a pot of chicken soup.

Veggies to flavor the broth...Did you think of the prime time Peyronie's Disease commercial when you saw that bent carrot? What a way to bring attention to this horribly uncomfortable sounding condition.

It is impossible to think of any good meal, no matter how plain or elegant, without soup or bread in it.
~ M. F. K. Fisher