Soup

I caught a cold, so I’m home making soup – random, leftover stuff soup. It’s got some chicken, some pork, half a baked potato, some celery I threw into the freezer before we went on vacation, some leftover chicken gravy, and a few other things I found in the fridge.

I used some broth that I had stored in the freezer. Some of it was pork broth, according to the label. Some was…also brown. I don’t know. I’ve been making broth more regularly, but I was not great about labelling it for a while. My sister-in-law posted about making broth, and I picked up a few handy tips.

When I cook meat, I save the bones and the drippings and I slow cook that with veggie scraps. Carrot peels, celery tops, broccoli stalks, that outer droopy layer of onion etc. I let it simmer for a few hours. Then I drain out the veggies and bones, and have some delicious broth. I toss it in the freezer for later.

My other sister-in-law and her husband bought me an Instant Pot. I used the saute setting for the first time today to saute the leftovers, and then I put the frozen broth into the pot on the soup setting. It’s an experiment, but I think that experimenting like this is safe enough. Can you really mess up leftover soup? It’s always delicious.

Overpacking

I carry a backpack wherever I go.
Who am I without it? I really don't know.
It holds all the things I imagine I need—
the things I use to build my identity.

I carry my missteps, I carry mistakes,
along with my proof I'm not really to blame.
I carry my triumphs, I carry success,
ready to show them in case of request.

I carry my fears and I carry my plans.
I know it looks heavy, but please understand
I can't set them down. I can't leave them behind
for someone who won't even know me to find.

Without explanation, they might disagree
about all these things that made me be me.
Who am I without my exhibits and proofs
that my time on this earth has been of some use?

If I cannot justify all I have done,
if I cannot prove I've seen some battles won,
if I cannot show I deserve to be here,
why then would anyone let me stay near?

And yet, there is One who doesn't agree.
There is One who tells me my pack isn't me.
He says it is heavy; I need to let go.
Who am I without it? Only God knows.

He says I am made on purpose, with care.
I don't need to show my whole life as a fare
to travel through life at His side, for I'm loved.
The fare is to trust that His love is enough.

How My New Year’s Resolution Is Going (It Isn’t)

It’s been said that a writer will do anything to avoid working on their current project. I made a New Year’s resolution to get a picture book manuscript accepted by a publisher or an agent by the end of 2023. I don’t think I sent out any queries for it after February. I got a bit distracted.

You see, while I was researching publishers (because I did start working on my resolution) I found a publisher who was looking for board book manuscripts. Board books are more expensive to print than picture books, so they make less profit. I thought that since I had a board book written, and someone was looking for board book manuscripts, I should take advantage of that opportunity. I edited, revised, rewrote and finally submitted that story. I haven’t heard back yet. But you see, I wasn’t really avoiding my pet project, I just got distracted by a pressing deadline.

I also entered numerous poetry contests and a few short story contests, because deadlines for those came up, and I hadn’t been successful with my research for picture book submissions. I won a short story contest, got published in Open Minds Quarterly (Spring 2023 edition), had a poem published online by Agape Review, and then, having nothing to do but work on my picture book, I wrote a devotional instead.

You see, a few people over the years have suggested that I turn my blog into a book. I thought about it, prayed about it, and finally settled on sorting through my posts looking for the more spiritual ones to turn into a month-long devotional that looks at three Christian themes. As I’ve been blogging for 9 years, sorting through all those posts took some time. Then I had to rewrite some, revise others, and write some new ones to fill in the gaps. Then I had to add questions for reflection, and a forward, and well, before you know it, it’s September.

With my rough draft for my book done, maybe I’ll finally take a break and submit my picture book a few more times. At least then I can say that I tried. Although, I have a new manuscript for a young picture book that needs a little polishing (It rhymes!), and there’s the Common Wealth Short Story Prize coming up, and I need to research places to submit devotional books, and I need to start job searching since both kids are off at school this year. There are just so many other things to do instead of submitting a picture book.

The bad new is that my New Year’s resolution seems to be abandoned at this point. The good news is, all the things I’ve been doing to avoid it (I’m mostly kidding about that) have been very productive. I’m sure I’ll get back to my picture book eventually. Maybe I can make the same New Year’s resolution for 2024. It’s been a very helpful resolution so far.