Madison122web

TheTime COIN
Camille Anding
The calendar shouts 2022. And with
the New Year I have great intentions
- bordering on resolutions.
The first is collecting material for a book entitled: From Mysteries to Meals.
It will be a simple task because all the collectibles are presently frozen stiff in
our freezer stationed nearby in our carport.
The upright freezer isn’t oversized, but it is a bit larger than average and keeper of unnamed
containers and bags that hold items I deemed worth saving. Just what kind of items, you
wonder? That’s the mystery of my book. A few containers are labeled; the majority are not, and
I’m well aware that it’s a job that’s months past due. Every freezer shelf is crowded, and every
drawer is spilling over. Even the icemaker is screaming, “Too tight!!”
There’s no better time than the present, the beginning of a new year, to give me that initial push
to begin. My first step is where and how to begin – a shelf at a time or a random selection of three
or four items per meal. I’m certain that the largest number of mystery containers hold small
portions of vegetables that I saved for soup day. Our freezer testifies that soup day hasn’t been
on my calendar for months. That day WILL be on my calendar this week.
The meat and remaining-casserole containers will know their destiny once they are thawed.
I will be a chef extraordinaire if I can concoct edible dishes from taco meat and sweet potato
casserole!
Within two, maybe three weeks, I’ll have a clean, spacious, organized freezer with breathing
room for the icemaker. I’ll have created a variety of new dishes for my recipe book, and we’ll
eat so much “mystery” soup that choosing to dine out will be an opportunity with unparalleled
gratitude.
There’ll be spiritual lessons, too. 1) I’m blessed to live in a land that has leftovers and modern
conveniences designed to store them. 2) A large pot of soup (if not too mysterious) should be
shared so there won’t be any leftovers recycled to the freezer. 3) It’s a wise person who labels
things and NOT people.
58 • JANUARY 2022