Farmer's Market opens April 1!

I recently mentioned to Josh that I would really like to learn how to cook vegetables. When I was a kid, my mom was terrific at preparing superiorly delicious meals except for one minor thing. She is a serious lover of vegetables, whether fresh or frozen or canned. Being the busy mom she was and the only one in the house who like veggies, she generally prepared canned, which, to be frank, seriously gross me out. I'm sorry to you canned veggie lovers, but they are just not good. So, I've come to the realization that I'm a vegetable snob! I used to think I didn't like vegetables at all, but I don't think that's actually true. I like them fresh, roasted, grilled, etc., but I really don't know anything about them. Anyway, after this long digression of my history with vegetables, the point is that Josh bought me a vegetable cookbook! And it's fascinating! The beginning talks about different things to pay attention to when buying veg's, different ways to cook and store them, and finally, a lot of really tasty sounding recipes! So I'm pretty excited to try some out. The only problem is that a lot of the veg's in the recipes are not extremely common...which means they will be difficult to find in this area. The grocery options in Jacksonville are less than ideal...Wal-mart, Food Lion, or the commissary. Maybe I should grow my own...

With Josh's first deployment since our wedding (nearly 4 years ago already) approaching, I've been feeling anxiety. This deployment will be significantly different than the last one. On his first deployment we were dating, so although I loved him, my love for him was different than it is now and I was not as dependent on him as I am now. We weren't married, didn't have children, lived near family, etc., etc. In those ways this deployment will be more difficult...however, this time he will be on a base, not patrolling. I still struggle with putting the last time out of my mind. For those unaware, Josh was injured on his last deployment. He was shot in the left arm and back, with the bullet traveling all the way through his abdomen and out the front by his belly button. In the process he lost his spleen and left kidney. So, although I'm aware this deployment is far safer, it's still difficult sometimes to move beyond the past. I praise God that he saved Josh's life and I know that I need to trust Him for Josh's safety in this upcoming deployment. "Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you." 1 Peter 5:7. I am grateful that there is so much uplifting scripture dealing with anxiety and fear.