Skipping along the yellow brick road, somewhere I landed in Oz and hadn’t realized it. Who knew purple potatoes would thrive in the desert? Certainly not this gardener. I never thought of planting such a thing, let alone enjoying a 10 pound harvest of the beauties. Thank goodness for the Mysterious Marine and his bountiful garden. By the way, his were prettier than these in the stock photo.
The last few days have been the best kind of normal. These days each Friday afternoon arrives with a gigantic sigh at 3:30 pm. With a week of stress and strain in the rear view mirror, weekends are now to be enjoyed without worry of kids or classroom.
Friday night, I ventured into a place that I’ve never been. In such a tiny town, there are still so many discoveries to be made. This weekend began at the bowling alley, where many very tired and stressed out teachers met to laugh and share a cold drink. With my choice being a tall glass of ice water, it was fun to sit and listen to these wonderful women that give their days to children. We are all growing our town one little child at a time. It was nice to meet these gals in a different setting.
With a dinner date looming, I had just enough time to laugh a bit and then it was time to dash. Now, how often does a gentleman prepare fresh caught Alaskan Salmon reeled in on his very own line? The Mysterious Marine is a man of many talents, cooking being the most special of all. He can turn anything into a marvelous meal. Everyone who knows me well knows this. Fish and I don’t get along. Ever. This man has introduced me to a different kind of fish. The fresh from the ocean kind. Although it will never be my #1 meal request, under his watchful eye, fish is delicious.
On Saturday, it was time to retrieve Oliver from his delightful time at Puppy Camp. He was worn out in the best kind of way. Then, it was on to a day of shopping at Costco. Just as I remember from so long ago, Costco had everything I needed and more. From packaged rotisserie chicken breast to Gummy Halloween Candy Eyeballs for my kiddos, walking the aisles was so much fun. In 1989, the first Costco opened in Fresno, California. What amazing things they sold then. Costco products have changed over the years, but it still holds treasures of the best kind.
In the evening, still stuffed from lunch, MM and I decided to skip dinner. Sitting outside on his deck under the beautiful desert sky, he decided it was time for a down home potato harvest. And so it began. Truly, I haven’t had this much fun in awhile. Just under the soil, we found at least 10 pounds of purple potatoes of every shape and size. Big ones. Little ones. Misshapen ones. Ones that were perfectly formed. All purple. In a matter of minutes, the harvest was over, while we continued to marvel at the crop. If you have never planted potatoes, do it next year!
Yesterday was a day for church and family. Greeting all my gal-pals in the House of God was nourishment for my soul. Sunday has become my day of rest and worship. A time to think about the upcoming week and all the duties and responsibilities that wait. With a visit to a sweet Mom and a turkey dinner with all the fixin’s, the weekend evaporated. I enjoyed every last moment.
Purple potatoes are now my vegetable of choice. The potato harvest is over, but the memory will live on. A weekend of friends, family, and autumn harvest. It just doesn’t get better than that in this little dusty town at the wide spot in the road off the interstate.
Whatever you do today, marvel at the smallest of blessings. Even when the days are their darkest, there is something worth smiling about. Find YOUR purple potato. You might need to scratch the surface a bit to find it.
More tomorrow.