My life - from the impact of great loss, to a refreshing new take on life and a place where I now share ............... my favorite Plant Strong recipes....

Monday, November 5, 2007

Purple Potatoes!






Purple Potatoes??!!

So I had some Kale in the fridge that I decided I would experiment with for a new soup. I made my weekly trip to Trader Joe’s, and lo and behold, PURPLE POTATOES! How cool is that??
Kati’s favorite color right now is Purple, so these were a must for my soup. Imagine my delight when I cut into them, and realized that the centers have purple streaks…. almost like a star or snowflake design. Throw in some ground turkey (Italian style), sweet onions, kale, garlic and seasonings - and I’m hoping for a delicious and colorful dinner.

Sooooo, we made it through our “First” birthday….
…. The flowers, the cards, the calls, the donations to charities that had impacted Chelsea, the prayers. I am truly blown away at how many of you not only remembered, but also let us know in some way. Thank you, thank you, thank you. It helped. We feel so surrounded and so loved. I know that there are many who know of my tendency to avoid the phone - and had talked to Jackie about what I prefer. You know who you are, and know that just knowing that we were on your minds and in your prayers is just as appreciated.

I think the week leading up to her birthday was actually harder than the day itself. My bright spot was on Thursday when I had the privilege to go up to Doernbecher to see our 9 year old friend Kennedy who is battling Leukemia. It was my first time up there since being there with Chelsea, and it was so much better than I anticipated. Kennedy met me outside, and the brightness of her smile and her genuine delight to see me removed any hint of sadness about being there. We had a great visit, my friends Lisa and Emily gave her a makeover and spoiled me too (I had become quite attached to the Starbucks located in the lobby…).

I was met and welcomed by many familiar faces, and realized that I miss many of the friends that we have made up there. So many who gave it there best to help my girl. Many who were impacted by her and loved by her. It was good, and I hope to go back again soon. I hear that Frank the art guy is still doing his thing, so maybe I’ll start hanging out with him and the kids getting crafty. Arts and crafts were such a blessing to us, and kept Chelsea’s mind and hands occupied for many hours.

We decided to make one last run to LaPine for the season before the snow comes - and I’m so glad we did. Late night chick flicks, remembering Chelsea with sound clips/video clips, wrestling my “adopted” nephews Red and Landon, Kati making cookies with Aunt Dionne, the NFL game of the century (or so they say)… and defiling the “man cave” with candles - and just being together. It doesn’t get any better than that. Thank you Randy and Di for letting us hang. You rock.

And with that, my soup’s about done,
The potatoes: still purple.
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6 comments:

Aunt Sharon said...

Hello Sweet Celeste, can I come for dinner? Yumm you made uncle Dennis and I want to jump in the car and head for Oregon for some purple potatoe soup...how lovely and rich life is when we stop to live in the moment and notice the beautiful design in a purple potatoe. Pure delight comes in simple things just waiting for us to take notice!
Asked to describe the meaning of life in one sentence; Suzuki Roshi said this: Life is like a beautiful ocean, and our bodies are like sailboats and we go out sailng on the beautiful ocean
And somewhere in the middle we sink
And we are home again! So for me, moving from the confining harbor of what we take for granted into the open ocean of unconditional perception is a wonderful journey of discovery. I do so love it when I take the time to appreciate every surprise, like little purple potaotes, when I go sailing on the beautiful ocean.
I love you, Aunt Sharon

Barb said...

Aren't those potatoes so cool?!? I remember seeing them for the first time about 15 years ago and thought, "How cool!" Remember my motto: You can never have too much purple!!! But I love the way Kati says it with the swing of her hips and wagging of her finger!

I love you guys and am so glad that you had a fun time in LaPine.

Barb

celestemc said...

Definitely feeling like I am out on the ocean with all that it brings. Never sure of what's in store next - and no longer fearful of the storms. It can be a wonderful journey when I completely abandon, and simply trust. It's a good place to be.

Anonymous said...

Wow I had no clue there was even such a thing as a purple potatoe! Awesome. I bet your soup was yummy !

I am so thankful that God is comforting you guys and helping you through - been thinking of and praying for you.

Glad you had fun with the Skopps at LaPine - sounds like a great time! I love these falls days, when the leaves are such a pretty color, when the sun still is shining, reminding us to enjoy it while we can. I love it! It helps me to remember how great God is and how beautiful is all His creation.

I had a great time with you on Thursday. Can't wait either to spend time time with Kati on Wednesday night - I missed Cubbies this last week. :)

I just read your note on here - I as well am in the process of learning to trust God. I had always loved the verse Proverbs 3:5-6 and it seems lately God has been really showing me that I do indeed need to just let go and trust. I'm learning there's so much freedom and joy trusting God.

Okay, this got a little on the long side...sorry :) Love you lots and lots, Em

Anonymous said...

I'm so glad to hear you were able to visit Doernbecher again and that it went well. It seems like the 1st time would be the hardest.
Frank and the rest of the CHAP art gang are still here on tuesdays and fridays so I'm sure you and Kati could stir up some fun in the playroom

Lori said...

Suddenly, I don't seem quite so brave, do I? You've learned the secret. It's not as difficult as it seems to trek up to DCH. It's just a place filled with good friends. I'm so glad you braved the journey!

I love the purple potato soup idea! What a wonderful way to add some color to a meal. And I'll bet it's a good way to get some kiddos to eat their veggies. After all, veggies are green, not purple! :)

Thank you for keeping us in the loop on your continuing journey. I miss you all but feel as though you're not far away when I read your writing.