I’m celebrating! Last week, I canned four little pints of salsa using the few, small peppers I grew in my own garden. This is a HUGE accomplishment for me. For years, I’ve openly envied others' beautiful gardens, and their pantry shelves lined with preserved goodness. Gardening, canning – those skills have always been way beyond my limited abilities. I stocked my food storage with canned fruit from Macy’s case lot sales. And I continued to replace the sad little pot of basil that I couldn’t seem to keep alive.

This year, as we’ve worked to become more self-reliant, we decided to put in a garden. Yes, we planted way too late. (The little bit I knew about gardening applied to Utah, not Arizona.) Yes, our little plants wilted in the summer heat. (Did you know that tomato pollen can cook?) And no, it never gets cold enough in AZ to kill all the pests and bugs that devoured my beans overnight. In the end, we harvested two tomatoes, one tiny zucchini (Who can’t grow zucchini?) and a handful of peppers.

Not much of a harvest. But as I chopped up those little peppers and canned my four little pints of salsa, I couldn’t help smiling.

In one of my favorite General Conference talks, President Uchtdorf teaches:

“The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul. No matter our talents, education, backgrounds, or abilities, we each have an inherent wish to create something that did not exist before. Everyone can create. You don’t need money, position, or influence in order to create something of substance or beauty. Creation brings deep satisfaction and fulfillment.”

Read more here.

President Uchtdorf also said, “To me it appears that our splendid sisters sometimes undervalue their abilities—they focus on what is lacking or imperfect rather than what has been accomplished and who they really are.”

This is what I thought of when Suz shared her idea for this blog. We are so hard on ourselves. Too often we compare our weaknesses to others’ strengths. I may not have shelves of canned fruits and veggies. But those four little pints of salsa bring me joy! They show that I’m learning and experiencing, and somewhat succeeding. What a wonderful idea to celebrate our individual, everyday accomplishments - all at our own PACE!