give a man a fish....teach a man to fish..

So.... A man saw a beggar and decided to give him one of the fish out of his creel as he had enough to feed his own family for that day. The beggar was happy and thanked him again and again. The next day, the man saw the same beggar in the same place waiting for him and for another fish. So the man took the beggar down to the river and showed him the fine arts of fishing. After catching enough fish for the man and his family and for the beggar, the man took the beggar home and showed him how to cook the fish. The beggar looked as if he had tasted heaven's food itself. The beggar thanked the man and his family profusely and left. The man didn't see him for a long time. One day, the man and his wife went to a Five Star restaurant and had a wonderful meal. The man wanted to compliment the chef and was told the chef was already on his way out to meet him. The chef sat down and asked how was the fishing these days. The man was confused. He then looked closer and saw it was the beggar. The beggar went into how that meal at the man's home inspired him to show other's the wonderous display of taste buds to something made well and eaten. The beggar/chef went into how he went to school on government grants, graduated culinary school, started working for a uncle's friend at a local diner until he had enough altered recipes to break out on his own. He then fell into better luck as to his grandmother died and in her elation of her grandson "getting back on his feet" left him all her money. He took that money and bought this restaurant and now pays others to work for him and he sits back and watches the dough rake in. The man and his wife were happy for him and wished him well. When the bill came it showed the full amount. The man and his wife were taken aback but paid it anyway and left. The next month the man read in the newspaper that restaurant was closed and the chef was sentenced for filing false income tax returns. The chef was sentenced to 12 months and a day in prison. The chef also admitted that he underpaid employment taxes by $250,000. The man folded the newspaper and asked his son to finish all his chores so that he would earn his full allowance.

chapter one towards my mini grape arbor

I finally have twigs from a real-honest-to-goodness grape farmer/winery. Because of my selective hearing, I can't tell you the name. 4 twigs from my Mom on my baptism birthday. I think she's the only one who celebrates baptisms anymore... I think it's pretty cool.... and that I got grapes... you know the thing about "I am the vine, you are the branches..." a very humbling verse, but also very staggering in the fact you are very much connected to the King. Anyways... so as I'm planting the branch twigs, I found I only have two of them. I found them in the bushes by the deck two days later. They are in the ICU and hopefully if I nick them, they will be green and I will plant them. I still need to find an umbrella of sorts while they "get their legs" for about 2 weeks. They look like baby cows which were just dropped, very unstable and fragile. I've been crossing my fingers hoping for some growth or a show of green or buds or something. I'm a very impatient gardener, checking on my plants everyday... it also forces me to pounce on the weeds sucking up what my plants need. Now that I think of it... am I the same way with my kids? Jumping on every bully that comes their way? Yikes!!

Finally, sweet and BIG!!!

After 3 years of growing strawberries and watching them creep their way into neighboring plants, I have moved half of them under my pine trees. They are much happier. Even though they are not in a sunny place for half the day, the leaves are bigger. The fruits are slower producing so we will see which are sweeter. So far, I have picked a quart from my central garden and have won smiles from the kids.