Bottoms Up!

I spent a while in the Sisters' garden this morning picking veggies. Sister Bernadette has a skilled weather eye and was teaching me how to read the signs of storms coming. Shades of grey and direction makes a big difference. She is a real nature girl. Sister Bernadette is well known around here for her divining gifts. She can find water with a divining rod. I can't imagine her leaving the farm for the convent, but she did and the Franciscans made her an elementary school teacher, specializing in Social Studies. A travelling group of nuns visited their Sunday School back in the 1960's and took them away. "Got us out from underneath the cows," they tell me. Both seem very happy with their lives, although a hundred dollars a month spending money doesn't seem enough to keep Sister Grace in gardening supplies. I sneak her some cash every now and then for all this produce I am hauling out of there. She sold some pickles to her doctor for $10 and was thrilled. I am planning on making soup, soup, soup to get us through the winter. Yesterday's soup was onion,broccoli and cauliflower - with curry powder, and lots of salt, pepper and dill, ofcourse. Today's soup is cabbage, celery and onion. My soup almost always has wine in it. Does something wonderful to the broth and gives the veggies a nice flavor. When I unfreeze it to cook, I often make a pot of wild rice and add it to the soup before serving. Thickens it up and makes for a hearty meal.