The Three Ts: Tulips, Turnips, & Thunderstorms
I love tulips! Resplendent, resilient, and yearly returns describe this flower whose hardiness gets it through cold weather and into the springtime. Tulip bulbs are planted in the fall before cold weather and frozen ground. With a variety of colors to choose from, planting them alternately allows for a splash of splendid color in the spring. But… they don’t have a scent. Many people do not like that fact about tulips, but the Dutch people regarded this lack of scent as a virtue, because it demonstrates the flower's purity. Tulips originated in Turkey as a wildflower. Later, the Turks cultivated and domesticated tulips around the 15th Century.
I don’t like turnips. The turnip is a tubular vegetable, but bitter to taste. Both the bulb and greens can be eaten. People I know that like turnip greens add sugar to them! Although after some research I am going to try roasting the turnip instead of boiling Maybe you could try a different way to cook turnips through roasting. I read that they take on a sweet aroma with a nutty taste. Of course, they have healthy benefits that we should all be aware of. These bitter babies found their origin in Asia.
I like thunderstorms. I know that sounds crazy, but growing up in the south they were common and not scary. Thunderstorms bring an ambiance mixed with the smell of rain, the sounds of thunder, and the wonder of lighting. Although the first thunderstorm may have been with Noah and the Ark, proving that might be difficult. Not because there is no scientific proof but no one alive today was alive then. We know Ben Franklin experimented with electricity and he also discovered lighting emits electricity. The biggest recorded thunderstorm took place in India in 2014 and emitted over 1.3 billion volts of electricity. But in all their awe we need to be prepared when a thunderstorm heads our way.
What do these 3 Ts have in common? Nothing but the first letter of each word. Another T word to tie this altogether is Time. When it is time, tulips bloom. When it is time turnips grow. When it is time thunderstorms form. The great King Solomon said to everything there is a time (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8). What is it time for you to do; plant tulips, grow turnips, or watch thunderstorms?
Until next time, the heart of the matter is the matter of the heart.
Dr. Michele
