Spinning plates?????

So ........ I had a fun day today. I was contacted by the University of Illinois Rock Island County Master Gardeners to teach a seminar at their annual nursery school. The canning classes were taken but could I possibly teach something else?

We-e-ell, I could teach a soup class, using home preserved products. So ...... that was the plan!

As any good interior designer, flower arranger, gardener knows.......... things are always better in odd numbers. OK -- one soup is not enough. Two is just not right. Three ...... I will do three soups. That sounded so easy in November.

In February ....... reality hits me. Hard.

Three soups??? Three soups??? I said I would do three soups in 75 minutes?? All at the same time??? Without opening a can that says Progresso???

What can I say?? I have a therapist on retainer ..... Honey knows I'm crazy ..... I came with papers!

Seriously, do you remember the plate spinners on Ed Sullivan? These jugglers would be spinning plates on 6' tall sticks and just as they finished putting all the plates on the sticks, they would run back to the beginning to keep the plates spinning. Three soups ........ all at the same time!!

Well ..... I had a ball! I'm not sure how anyone else felt about it but as long as I have a good time teaching -- I am happy.

I demo-ed homemade tomato using home-canned tomatoes, corn chowder (my personal favorite) and roasted butternut and garlic soup.

See them in the mirror? And look at that big-honkin' mirror!! I felt just like Rachel Ray-Paula Deen-Martha Stewart ........ all rolled into one! I loved the mirror!!!! And hey! For all you Quad-Citians ..... I'm on a stage at the I-Wireless Center!! OK -- its a little stage. But its still a stage!!!

After class -- I got to talk to lots of the participants. Mostly about my boots. Aren't they awesome??? Re-sale shop!! Cheap!!I was so honored to be included. Terri and all her wonderful committee made me feel so welcomed. What a great group of people!! But aren't gardeners the best people???