{October Tomatoes}
Temperatures are starting to drop here particularly at night. I begrudgingly picked the last remnants of my tomatoes before the frost destroyed them. I was bit disappointed to do so because the harvest was so late this year. The plants were covered in clusters of green, yellow and red tomatoes but I knew the cold would get them if I didn't. Historically I would make a big batch of red sauce that could be used over time but I knew I didn't have enough tomatoes to do that now. I would have to come up with something else to do with the tomatoes. I am going to make green fried tomatoes with the larger one. Marty's never had green friend tomatoes and I like digging into my old Southern cookbooks every once in a while to prepare a dish that my grandmother would cook. The smaller tomatoes were a little more difficult and required that I venture out of my comfort zone. I am going to pickle them. I have canning tools that came in useful for making applesauce and marmalade but pickling, it's new for me.
I smile as I think about the challenge of creating the perfect pickled tomato because just yesterday the perfect use for my tomatoes would have been a simmering red sauce. Now I am researching recipes and scheduling time to create the perfect pickled tomato; the new plan is good. Life is similar to the pickled tomato enigma. One day we are dreaming, planning and working towards the "perfect" life, when something happens and our vision of life goes awry. What happens then? For most of us we start to imagine and craft a new perfect life and as we embrace that new vision our happiness returns or increases because we found new opportunities that we did not know existed. The new plan is good.
The danger comes when we can't let go of our perfect plan. The inability to find the next opportunity or challenge out of the imperfection that caused the need for change can only result in personal dissatisfaction and unhappiness. Being unable or unwilling to see the beauty in the new plan only brings sadness. Of course we would all like to live out our perfectly planned life. Really? But if that is not meant to be, look hard at the imperfections and see what opportunities may open up to you. The new plan maybe good.
Hugs,
C
