Is This Soup Worth $150?

Saturday, January 16, 2016

$150 soup?  Never heard of it? Well, here's a story about an adventure that involves a tow truck, 2 women, a couple of ditches, and soup that might just be worth $150.  Read on...

My day today started out very quietly, and productively.  My quiet time was spent with the Lord in a beautiful way, as I gazed outside at the snow gently falling.  Then I made a loaf of Honey Oatmeal bread for breakfast.

Next it was time to clean my refrigerator out, and soup was on the menu for the day.  I pulled all the veggies I could find out of the fridge, and plopped them on the counter.



 Broccoli, onion, garlic white sweet potato, parsnips, butternut squash, carrots, celery, kale, and collard greens were all going into the pot...


First up was to melt the butter, and saute the onions, celery and a handful of frozen poblano peppers that I found in the freezer.  I love these kinds of soups where you can use what you have on hand!


Then it was time to add in my previously made homemade turkey bone broth.  Next up were the hard veggies that would take longer to cook -  squash, sweet potato, carrot, and parsnip.



I let the soup cook for about 30 minutes or so, and then added in the broccoli, kale and collard greens. It was beginning to smell scrumptious!



While the soup gently simmered on the stove, I wanted to cook up the remaining veggies that didn't fit into the soup pot.  I mixed olive oil, rosemary and thyme with the remaining white sweet potato and butternut squash, and popped them into the oven at 425 for 30 minutes to roast.


While the sweet potato and squash were cooking, I made kale chips.  I tore the leaves off the stems (saved the stems for my morning smoothie) and placed the leaves into a bowl, and added a bit of olive oil and some salt and mixed it all well.



Kale chips!  Really, really awesome!  Love these!  It is a great way to have something crunch and salty to munch on without any carbs... so so good... :) I just popped them in the oven at 425 and baked for about 15 minutes, or until they began to slightly turn a bit brown.  They come out hot, salty and crunchy!


 And my roasted veggies... again, wonderful!  These will be put in the refrigerator to add as a side to a main dish for a meal this week.  I just love getting things like this done ahead in one day, and makes meal prep during the week much easier.


The chickens were happy... I took the veggie scraps out to them... all kinds of sweet chortling sounds as they munched away :)


Then I went for a walk, while the soup simmered gently on the stove...  and the turkeys followed me down the road.  I had just fed the chickens the veggie scraps, and they thought I still had some for them. LOL... I don't want to feed them too much, to get them dependent on us.  It is a bit of a  battle of minds, because I feel sorry for them, yet I don't want to interfere with nature.


Annie and I continued our walk.  It was snowing gently, and quite gray out.


Beautiful fences along the way.  My neighbor's fences... she has such pretty ones!


The red barn being the only spot of color amidst all the gray.


I thought this particular pine tree was quite stately, set apart in the field, against the backdrop of the mountains, and log house hidden in the woods.


Annie was grinning from ear to ear... her favorite thing to do, and mine too... walking in freshly fallen snow! We had fun making our own tracks.  I walked quite carefully though... the ice underneath the snow was a silent threat constantly to us as we walked.


Yes, it was a gray kind of day... but beautiful just the same!


Back at the house... my soup was ready.  I added a few pieces of sliced fresh basil on top as well as some of my kale chips.  Yum!



As I stirred my hot bowl of soup, I realized I was alone.  And hungry.  Should I eat?  All the family were busy today doing other things, and I was home alone with a pot of delicious soup.  I thought about how nice it would be to share my pot of soup with someone, and prayed for the food, asking the Lord if I could, how I could share this soup with someone.

I sat down at my computer desk with the bowl of soup.  My intention was to send an email to a friend while I ate my soup.  As I began to eat, I was by the window, and saw my neighbor walking down the road.  Hmm, I thought, I bet she would enjoy a bowl of soup.. so I texted her.  Her response was quick and not what I expected... "I've slid off the road just past your house, and locked myself out of the truck. I had to walk back here to my house to get my key and call the tow truck."

Oh, no problem, said I.  We've already been there and done that this week.  Don't bother with the tow truck. Our Big Daddy truck will get you out!

So off she and I went to see what we could do about pulling her truck out.


Her truck was in the ditch pretty good, and just after a very tricky corner too.  Then soon after we got there, the tow truck arrived.  So the tow truck, without much difficulty, hooked up a winch to her truck, and winched her out of the ditch, much easier than she and I could have done it.

Then my neighbor and the tow truck pulled down the road a bit to finish up the business transaction, while I told them I would go down the road to the next intersection and turn around.  During this exchange, I had invited my neighbor over for soup, and she gladly accepted.

Then my adventure really began. I noticed a creaking and a grinding noise as I put the truck in gear and it started going sideways.  I thought, Wow, these roads are REALLY icy! I was sliding sideways down the road towards the ditch that the neighbor had just got pulled out of!

I let off the gas, and steered the truck in the opposite direction and gently hit the snow bank. Then I realized as I tried to drive again that I had an issue with the rear passenger wheel of the truck. It was frozen stuck, and not turning, and dragging, and all this on ice! I had to keep driving it sideways down the road until I got to the area where I could turn around.  I finally managed to limp the truck down  and got it turned around.  Since the rear passenger wheel wasn't turning, I was going to have to drive it like this back home.  But, I was headed back towards the steep corner with the ditch where the slide had happened.  I was still driving sideways trying to stay on the road, when the tow truck driver showed up.  Since I was sideways in the road, he stopped, and I stopped. 

He told me that he had planned to go the other way out to the highway, but decided to come back this way.  I was so glad he did!  The Lord sent him!  He looked at my tire, and said yes, the brake drum was seized or froze and the tire wasn’t turning and the only way to get it free was to drive it without touching the brake.   I asked him if he would mind driving the truck around the corner past the place where my friend went in the ditch.  I was worried about how to maneuver that corner sideways! 

He was such a nice man, and drove the truck sideways around the corner for me. Then, he kindly followed me the mile to my house, as I drove down the road sideways! It was unbelievable. I prayed and prayed and prayed and asked God to let me get home without a tow bill.  The road was so slick that the tire that was stuck could not get enough traction to break free.  I'm sure the neighbors were out on their front porch wondering what in the world was wrong with truck driving literally sideways down the road!  If I tried to straighten the wheel, the truck would head straight for the ditch.  The only way to go was sideways, with my steering wheel cranked all the way to the right!  It was the most nerve-wracking mile I've ever driven! 

But there was another turn to maneuver, and while not as bad as the last one, it was still looming ahead of me.  As I wrestled with the wheel, driving sideways, I began to worry I wasn’t going to make the last turn, when suddenly the brake drum turned loose, and the truck drove straight again! Thank you Jesus!  I was amazed at how in the moment of my fear, the Lord just took care of it! 

It was quite the nerve-wracking adventure, even for me... but just at the moment when I felt so inadequate, He provided first the tow truck driver, and then unlocked the wheel before the second turn. I made it home safely, pulled right up into the driveway without any issues, and parked it right where it will stay put until my dear husband or son can see what is causing the problem.  

Why aren't husband and son home when adventures like these happen?  LOL! 

So, my neighbor had come to eat soup and was wondering what had took me so long... and we laughed and laughed until we cried after I told her the story of what had happened, because she did not see any of it.  It was what we both needed, a good laugh after all that craziness! Isn’t the Lord just amazing how He works!  

My neighbor said, "You know I ended up with a $150 tow bill because of your prayer for a friend to share your soup with",  and I said to her… "Yeah, but wasn’t this homemade soup worth $150" … and we laughed and laughed again!  This story will go down in the books for sure, and I'm sure the neighbors, and the tow truck man will have a story to tell too... I mean, how often do you see anyone drive a mile sideways?  On sheer ice! 

You know... this has been kind of a long story… but there you have my afternoon… it was amazing to me how the Lord works when you pray as you go about your day. A simple prayer – Lord let me share my soup with someone… and look at what happened with that prayer… well you just never know the twist His answer is going to take, I know that much for sure!  

I suppose I need to be careful exactly how I pray from now on... you just never know what adventure the Lord will take you on, to answer that prayer... I am speaking from experience... and laughing and thanking Him anyway! 

So what do you think of this $150 soup??? 

I think that the dear Lord has a sense of humor, and that's all I've got to say... for now...  :) 



59 comments

  1. Oh my gosh! Such beauty in these photos!!!!!! and what a cute pup :)
    XO Ellen from Ask Away
    www.askawayblog.com

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    1. Thanks for your visit, and your sweet words! So happy to meet you... and yes, we sure do love our sweet Annie-girl! :)

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  2. Oh my goodness, that has happened to me many a time, and I don't relish it at all :0( but your soup...now that is something I can enjoy any time of the day :) stay warm dear lady. mari

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    1. Oh indeed, it was a memorable event for sure... so.. you've had a tire lock up before in the cold? Yikes. My husband has had it happen to him, but I've never had to deal with it myself. Hope you are enjoying your beautiful snow fall :)

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  3. What an adventure to say the least. Your soup does look wonderful. I am so thankful for you visiting my blog and your kind encouraging words. Bless you!

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    1. Yes, it was an adventure.. not one I want to repeat any time soon, but the soup did make up for it all... I enjoyed another bowl of it today :) Thank you for your return visit, and I do look forward to getting to know you better, and so thankful that your heart was encouraged! :)

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  4. You are having a full Winter Time Adventure I say. :-)
    The soup does look and sound wonderful.
    Carla

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    1. Yes, we are having lots of winter adventures here... but we love it so! And I enjoyed another bowl of soup too... it gets better every day :)

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  5. You certainly have had your share of truck adventure in the snow this week, my friend! Your soup sure looks yummy...and I am sure it was just what you and your friend needed after that adventure!! Be safe!

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    1. Yes, that we have... and adventures somehow easily find me. I'm still enjoying that soup, had a bowl again today.. and it seems to get better and better :) I'm enjoying my full $150 worth! LOL!

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  6. Hahaha.. That is funny but I am sure the soup made up for it all... xo

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    1. LOl.. yeah it wasn't real funny until *after* it all ended well... lol.. and then we could laugh and laugh, and enjoy the soup. I had another bowl today, and every day it just gets better... :) Have a blessed day friend!

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  7. Oh dear, what an adventure! Do be careful on the snow/ice. Love Annie's smile! And boy that soup does look good!

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    1. It was an adventure, that is for sure! Had another bowl of soup today, and it just keeps getting better! :)

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  8. What a true adventure for you! And your friend! Wow, that is just amazing how God sent the tow truck driver back right when you needed him. You can just see God's hand all over this one! So thankful you were safe, most of all. God bless you, sweet friend. :)

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    1. Yes, it was quite an adventure, one I hope not to repeat, lol! But, the soup definitely was worth it, and I enjoyed another bowl of it today... it just gets better and better :) Appreciate your visit, and know that you have a lot going on this week! Praying for you my precious friend!!!!

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  9. So every time you make soup...is something extraordinary going to happen?! What an adventure, and frightening too. So glad you are safe.

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    1. Oh I hope something extraordinary doesn't happen every time I make soup, lol... but I guess I better learn to know that when I pray, God is listening :) And His answers are never what I had in mind. I love that about our God! Yes, it was an adventure I hope I don't have to repeat, but I'm still enjoying the soup. That's just the way the Lord works, He mixes the difficult in with the blessings, and the blessings outweigh the troubles, every time!

      Have a blessed day, and I do appreciate your visit :)

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  10. Oh I can smell the delicious aroma of your soup all the way here. What an adventure you experienced but God was by your side. Do take care in the winter weather.
    Have a nice week and stay warm. xo

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    1. The soup was wonderful... and I'm still enjoying it today.. it just keeps getting better! It was an adventure I hope not to have to repeat, but thank the Lord for it ending well! Appreciate your visit today... and do hope you are enjoying a lovely start to your week :)

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  11. Oh wow! What an adventure you had. I'm so thankful the Lord protected you through it all. Driving on ice is very scary and then to drive sideways has got to be even scarier! My oh my!
    I bet that soup is worth it all and then some. It looks delicious!

    Yes, definitely watch how you pray the next time....haha!

    Enjoy your week and stay warm!
    Hugs, Amy

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    1. It was an adventure that I don't want to repeat, for sure! But the soup was worth it all, and I enjoyed a bowl of it again today, and it just got better, I think :) Love how soups do that! I am definitely learning that the Lord listens to my prayers... but His creative answers are never what I expect, lol! I appreciate your visit today, and hope you are having a good week, not too busy! Take care of yourself dear friend :)

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  12. Oh wow! What an adventure you had. I'm so thankful the Lord protected you through it all. Driving on ice is very scary and then to drive sideways has got to be even scarier! My oh my!
    I bet that soup is worth it all and then some. It looks delicious!

    Yes, definitely watch how you pray the next time....haha!

    Enjoy your week and stay warm!
    Hugs, Amy

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  13. I really enjoy your story telling and adventures. The soup looks delicious and I'm sure your friend was delighted to have some after all you both went through. Thankful for God's goodness to you both on that day! Have a blessed week.
    Pam

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    1. I'm glad you enjoyed following along with the adventure. I certainly didn't set out looking for it, lol! I've been enjoying the soup, had a bowl today, and it just gets better and better! I am thankful that it all ended so well, indeed!

      Hope you are doing well in your neck of the woods... always love hearing about your adventures as well! :)

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  14. Love your story - what started out as a nice calm morning ended up as a real adventure by the afternoon. So glad you enjoyed the $150 soup. Thanks for sharing.

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    1. It was quite an adventure that ended well, thankfully! Sure appreciate your visit today :)

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  15. Hi MM! I think it's a gift to know that God has a sense of humor, and to be able to enjoy a crazy afternoon! Your soup definitely looked worth $150, and I loved the kale chips recipe tips :)
    Blessings,
    Ceil

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    1. The Lord's sense of humor, and way of arranging events for our ultimate good, never ceases to amaze me! The soup has been a delight for several days, and the kale chips didn't last long! :) Appreciate your visit, and pray the Lord is blessing you today! :)

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  16. I was visualizing you, the neighbor, truck, snow, tow truck and sliding sideways, the whole time I was reading! Great storyteller, you are.
    Yes, $150 or more. The soup looks delicious. I think I can even smell it!

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    1. Thanks Christine... it was quite an adventure that ended well, so I am thankful! And the soup has kept on giving... it was well worth the $$ :)

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  17. Of course it was worth $150! Friendship is worth much more than that. I just love the pictures you took on your walk. The scenery is absolutely gorgeous! I especially liked the one with the red barn! Stay warm!

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    1. I do love looking at that red barn every time I walk! It was quite an adventure, but it all ended so well, and the soup just keeps on giving and giving, I'm still enjoying it :) Hope you are having a blessed and wonderful day!

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  18. What an adventure you were on! Oh my! I love red barns! The scenery is lovely and I'm glad your friend got to enjoy your soup. I made turkey soup today too, a little different than yours though. You have a beautiful pup. Thank you for sharing.

    Blessings,
    Sandi

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    1. I love turkey soup... I made homemade broth and save the turkey and make several pots of soup after the holidays, so comforting! It was quite an adventure on Saturday, but it ended well, and for that I am thankful... and we are still enjoying the soup, it just gets better every day :) Have a blessed day my friend!

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  19. Oh my, what a story! It's wondeful that The Lord has a sense of humor and you and your neighbor, too.
    Your soup, veggies and kale chips look so good right now, and are making me hungry!

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    1. It was a wonderful adventure, and so glad that it all ended well! Appreciate your visit! Have a blessed and wonderful day :)

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  20. Gorgeous pictures, but oh my, what an adventure!

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    1. Yes, it was an adventure, and one I hope to not have to repeat any time soon! Yet, it all ended well, and we are still enjoying the soup :)

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  21. Hello,

    Your soup looks so delicious. I am sure it was especially good after being in the cold for so long.

    Thank you for visiting my blog.

    Keep warm,
    :)Hope

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    1. Oh thank you Hope, indeed it was delicious soup, and after all that adventure, it was the best! I enjoyed visiting your blog, and hope to get to know you better :) Have a blessed day!

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  22. What a story! And the photos are amazing! I must say that the soup looks delicious but for $150 I would hope there would be shoes as well.
    Amalia
    xo

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    1. LOL... yea, it was a pretty expensive tow bill, but in the end we were all thankful it ended well! :)

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  23. That's a great story! We never know what the Lord has in store for us each day, but we do know that He is faithful to lead us through it. One thing that comes to mind with all you shared is that now your husband knows there's a problem with that wheel and will tend to it. I think maybe the Lord wanted you to know about it so you could fix it and avoid a worse problem. That soups is right up my alley. I'm ready to make some! xo ~ Nancy

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    1. No, we never know what the Lord can do with our day... now that's a fact you can count on! But, how faithful He is to arrange it in such a way as to bring about a greater good, and for that I am always thankful! Yes, the truck needs some attention, and hubs knows about it. Its parked until that work can get done!

      Soup is definitely in for this January... and we are still enjoying my soup from Saturday, it just gets better and better :) Have a blessed day Nancy!

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  24. ooooooooh my now that's a story. as i read and from your title, i kept wondering where we were going....then it all came together!!!

    what a great looking and sounding soup. the best ones are the ones with no recipe!!!!!

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    1. I agree, the best soups are the ones that come from different ingredients, and a whole lot of love :) Appreciate your visit today :)

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  25. What pretty pictures! The soup looks really yummy too! That is quite the story about the truck. It brought back memories of when some friends were visiting one winter and their truck's wheel froze up like you described. I looked out to see our friend driving rather crazily(pretty much sideways like you said) out our driveway and then down the road. His did finally unlock too but not until after he had run into our house number and scratched his truck up good.

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    1. Oh my... it is a terrible experience for this to happen, but I guess it is far more common than I realized! Thank you for sharing that, and I hate to hear that there was some damage because of it. That is why I am so thankful that my adventure ended without any undue damages! Appreciate your return visit, and look forward to getting to know you better :)

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  26. You soup looks yummy, I do the same thing roasting off the vegetables I find they taste better. Although I'm not fond of kale chips or otherwise they do look good. Sounds slippery where you are and good job your neighbour didn't get any further into the ditch to find a tree.

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    1. Yes, it truly all ended well, and for that I am so thankful! The soup has been a delight all week! My son tried the kale chips and was pleasantly surprised, and loved them! He is a very picky eater, so that was good for me to hear. I will be making more soon :) Hope you have a blessed and great day!

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  27. Oh my word! I don't know what to say!
    God bless you!
    Laura of Harvest Lane Cottage

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    1. I know... it was quite an adventure, but to God be the glory, it all ended well! Thank you for your visit Laura, have a blessed day!

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  28. Just a wonderful post from beginning to end. It was quite the winter adventure I will never experience on the west coast. I'm fascinated with all of your photos of the snow. They look like postcards. Also, I enjoyed reading about your chickens. I've been interested recently in backyard chickens- just don't know how well my dog will welcome the idea.
    Take care and thanks for sharing!

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    1. I hear you are all supposed to be getting a lot of rain this weekend, I do hope it doesn't cause you any problems! We are to get a lot of rain too, which is sad to me, because it will mean a lot of melting snow, and messy stuff on the road. Such is winter though!

      About backyard chickens, if you got a coop and built a large run for them, then you wouldn't have to worry about your dogs. I wish you luck! :)

      Thank you for your kind words about my photos, I love to take pictures, and appreciate people enjoying them, so thank you!

      Have a blessed day!

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  29. I am sitting here snuggling my sick baby and I enjoyed your story. Glad it all turned out well. That soup sure sounded tasty.

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    1. Oh no, a sick baby, I'm so sorry to hear that! Will say a prayer for your sweet little one for a quick healing! And indeed, the soup was tasty, and has been enjoyed very much.. and we are all just so thankful that it all ended well, to God be the glory!!

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  30. Sweet friend, I can just see you off to the rescue {{smiles}} What a blessing for you friend to have someone like you in her life and what a blessing for you to be used by the Lord in such a wonderful way. I am glad all turned out for the good.

    Your soup looks delicious, my friend :) Happy hugs to you!

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    1. It was quite an adventure, that ended well, and for that I am so grateful! The Lord knows how to turn an ordinary day into something quite extraordinary, and I never cease to be amazed at how He does these things!

      Thank you for your visit, appreciate your friendship so much! :)

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Your comments are blessings to me, and I appreciate each and every one, they are precious to me! I appreciate you taking the time to comment on my blog... this is what makes blogging worthwhile! Have a blessed day!

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