The snail and the CSA

Last week I made a huge mess in the fridge in the process of thawing some beef. Over the weekend my wonderful husband took it all apart to clean it out well while I had all the veggies out prepping for the week. He did such a good job that he even found the snail that was on the underside of the bottom shelf, which doubles as the top to the produce drawer. I was so glad that it was still alive and we set it free in the bushes off the porch. It seems very ironic to me that just as we are finally slowing down we would stumble upon a lovely little snail, which to me is the embodiment of slow. We are proud members of Slow Food USA but in the last few weeks haven't been taking the time to prepare meals and enjoy them together. So being in the kitchen with Jared when we found the snail was just so special, I am crazy, I know. It is so nice that things have calmed just in time for the start of the CSA season. Not that I don't love the beets, kale and cabbage that we have been getting all winter, but the start to the CSA season is a sign of lots of yummy food to come. Last season was a little crazy, I eagerly anticipate being able to soak in all of the bounty from our local farms a bit more this year. I really feel like farm fresh foods is one of the ways that God tells me he loves me. I am in such awe at the diversity of different crops and how fragile the system is. Too much rain or heat and there is a problem. Yet, it all works out and large populations have sustained on this fragile system. What a beautiful example of God's beautiful control of everything. I love how much my little Claire is like the snail and the farm. So fragile, yet she perseveres, with a great deal of patience, she can do the most amazing things. It is so hard to learn to back off and not facilitate nature, this morning as I was patient Claire stood up using only contact guard for assistance, something that she has been able to do, but it depends on me giving her the time and not rushing. So many lessons to learn, too bad my brain is so finite, I guess I will just have to keep trying to go slow and absorb what I can.