SIX WORD SATURDAY 5-31-08

Hidden gift--gathering: stuff, people, ideas.

WHAT'S YOUR HIDDEN GIFT/TALENT?

Colette Amelia is one smart girl. She always gives me something to think about and with my very little Winnie the Poo-type brain it is sometimes a stretch. Anyway, today she said something that made me sit up and take notice. She said, "...we have many gifts that we do not appreciate and in many instances we don't even know we have...and they are things that many would love to have."

So, I am sitting here thinking what gift I have that I don't appreciate or perhaps ever know I have. I think I may be "a gatherer."

I am a gatherer of things--for instance, last week a friend of mine cleaned out her basement and gave away boxes and boxes of mason jars. I knew if I brought any home there was going to be TROUBLE. So I did. And there was. And there still is. There is much muttering and grumbling in the land. And in the house. And in the car, where the bottles still reside.


They go, "tink, tink" when we go around corners or over bumps so they are a constant reminder that Lynne brought home more "junk." But, I was justified in bringing the bottles home as I might need them, especially if the beans sprout and grow and prosper. Then the dilly bean machine will have to ramp up and I'll need those tinking bottles.


Here is a picture of dilly beans.

And here is a picture of some of the things I have gathered and put together in my living room. I do so love things. And Jesus--I love Jesus. Can you see his picture? He is looking over Jerusalem. Sorry the photo isn't better.

I am a gatherer of ideas: I have the most glorious ideas which no one seems to appreciate. Sometimes I am so unappreciated that there are rolling of eyes in the land and the car and the front lawn and maybe even at church, where I really try not to be too glorious with my ideas. But, honestly, I do have some great ones.

I am a gatherer of people. There are interesting people around every corner. I have never met a boring person and some of them are fascinating. Everyone has a story and I am all about the story. And the friendships.

I am a gatherer of food storage. We are counseled by the Church to store a year's supply of food, clothing and money if possible so we will be prepared in times of need. So, I buy food when it is on sale and trundle it down to the basement. I don't have a year's supply but we could exist for a while--we might have some strange meals but we could eat. And if we had to sprout wheat and eat just that I suppose we could live for a fairly long time.

My favorite place to shop is in the basement--even when it is blurry--and unorganized, which you see is both, in this photo. It's almost always cheaper to go downstairs to shop than running to the store for a can of mushrooms or tomato paste. See? Strange meals, tomato paste and mushrooms on sprouted wheat. Yum.

I am a gather of information. I love new information and learning new things. I used to be constantly taking a class. I listen to talk radio. I watch The Food network. I surf the Internet, doing research on things I'm never going to need or use. I watch informational type TV shows, well except for "Lost." Who knows what kind of TV show that is. Confusing, that's for sure.

So, whether it's a gift or not, I'm a gatherer. What gifts do you have?