Freezing Apples – and what the old folks taught me
I learned at a young age the value of the wisdom which can only be gleaned by those who have lived a lifetime before us. My parents taught me to listen and they drove the lessons of my grandparents home through repetition and life application. These are things I was fortunate enough to be taught by example and I’ll just bet you have already been taught them, too. Still, it never hurts to have a few of them written out plainly all in one place.
So today, as I bring you an easy method to freeze apples which my mother learned from her step mother, I’m also bringing you a little bit of wisdom directly from the folks who came before us with hopes that you’ll be kind enough to share some of your life’s lessons at the end of this post as well. ~clears her throat and steps up to the black board~
First off, a help with perspective:
Troubles are temporary. So is life.
Decide which one you want to focus on.
This is an extension of “This too, shall pass”, which is a blessing and a curse. Most folks think of it in terms of hard times: hang on, this too shall pass, but it also works for good times and moments of joy.
Holding your newborn babe? This too, shall pass.
Spending an afternoon with your mother? This too shall pass.
Live in the moment, Focus on what is important. Don’t let that time with your mother pass with you living in the hardships instead of the joy. That’s not to say don’t worry about paying your bills but don’t spend all of your time in the presence of your loved ones seeing only your bills instead of their faces before you.
If you can’t say something nice…
This is a big one that most folks learn around preschool, but it seems in our modern era that a great many have either forgotten it or decided to ignore it. In the age of the internet where people get all trumped on a power trip of anonymity, it is even worse. Before we are quick to think ill of another, and most especially before we are quick to speak ill of another, we need to put ourselves in their shoes and realize that they are a person just like us. It never hurts to think of how our words will affect their family either. Remember, the trues test of character is who we are when no one is looking.
Just because someone has money doesn’t mean they’re better than you. Just because someone doesn’t have money, doesn’t mean you’re better than them.
Good people come in all shapes, colors, and sizes. Don’t let the friend of your heart pass you by because you can’t see past one of these obstacles.
Wisdom doesn’t come automatically with age.
This is a very important one to me that I am always striving for. When I was a girl, I thought everyone older than me was automatically wiser than me. That rug gets pulled out from under your feet pretty quick! I’ve found that the folks who seem to have the most wisdom and understanding are those who have valued and sought it throughout their lives, using each situation to try to become a better person or to have a better understanding of others.
More often than not, doing the right thing won’t be easy and no one will even know you did it.
Your reward for being a good person is being a good person. Be glad you can sleep at night and get over it. You may not have a parade thrown in your honor but personal pride counts for something. Hold your head high and know your Mama would be proud of the person you have become. Honor, Integrity, and your good name cannot be bought or sold. They must work for and careful cultivated through a lifetime.
At the end of the day, there is always something to be grateful for.
To me, no one was a better teacher of this than my great grandmother, Lela. Most folks who consider themselves to have hard lives by today’s standards would change their thinking pretty quick were they to live just half a day in Lela’s shoes during her younger years. A sharecropper with four children to feed and take care of and a husband whose primary talent was taking what little money they acquired and spending it for his own entertainment purposes. She and her children worked from sun up til sun down, sometimes going to bed hungry because there simply wasn’t any food. They’d come in from a long days work in the fields and the kids would fall asleep wherever they sat first. Lela would walk around with a bowl of water and an old rag and wash the dirt off their feet.
But you know what? Lela always felt she had a lot to be grateful for. All four of her children were healthy. They had a roof over their heads, and though it was meager, they had food. Lela was wise enough to see these things as blessings rather than focus on their predicament as a curse. As a result of her attitude, we are now on our fifth generation of positive thinkers in this family and every single one of them have been happier and more fulfilled by growing up learning from her teachings of gratitude.
This is where you come in. What life’s lessons have you been taught by your elders that have guided you to be the person you are today? I’d love to hear them and a little about the person who loved you enough to teach them to you. I’m always talking about my grandparents, now it’s your turn!
Eventually, I get around to the tutorial so here are the apples we’re gonna freeze today.
This method works for any type of apples. Today I am freezing Jonagold and Fuji. If you’re going to be freezing them for a pie later, you might want to cut up a few granny smith and include some in each bag.
You’ll need about a gallon of water. First though, pour about a cup of that warm into a large bowl. Add about 1/4 of a cup of salt.
Stir until salt is dissolved.
Add the remaining water. This water should be cold.
Now we’re gonna peel our apples and slice them up one at a time.
Cut them however you prefer.
I usually do sections.
Be sure and remove the core.
There we go!
As you cut them, place all of the slices in the salt water.
I left the skins on some of mine because I prefer my fried apples to have the skin on.
Push them down in the water a bit and make sure they all get submerged good at some point.
After they have soaked for a few minutes, drain them in a colander.
Then place in freezer bags and label.
Laying them out flat like this when you freeze them will keep them from sticking together and allow them to thaw quicker.
Here is a bag of apples a few days later, frozen and still beautiful thanks to the wisdom from the “old folks”!
You can take these apples directly from frozen and use them fried, in muffins, cakes, or pies!
No, they won’t have a salty taste!:)
Freezing Apples
Ingredients
- Apples
- 1 Gallon water
- 1/4 C Salt
- Freezer Bags
Instructions
- Place one cup warm water in a large bowl. Stir in salt until dissolved. Add remaining water cold. Peel and slice apples (can leave skin on them if desired). Place each slice in salt water as you go along. When done with all apples, stir water a bit to make sure all have been submerged. Drain in a colander. Place immediately in freezer bags, label, and freeze.
Google Recipe View Microformatting by ZipList Recipe Plugin
Ingredients
- Apples
- 1 Gallon water
- 1/4 C Salt
- Freezer Bags
Instructions
- Place one cup warm water in a large bowl. Stir in salt until dissolved. Add remaining water cold. Peel and slice apples (can leave skin on them if desired). Place each slice in salt water as you go along. When done with all apples, stir water a bit to make sure all have been submerged. Drain in a colander. Place immediately in freezer bags, label, and freeze.
Some of my favorite Southern Plate apple recipes:
- Apple Dapple Cake
- Apple Skillet Cake
- Fried Apples
- Crock Pot Apple Butter
- Apple Flautas
- Apple Orchard Snack Cake
Live in the North Alabama area and looking for apples? Try Isom’s orchard in Athens, that is where these beauties came from!
“The wisest mind has something yet to learn.”
~George Santayana. To submit your quote, click here.
Please share a life lesson you were taught by your parents, grandparents, or just someone who came before you below. If you like, feel free to just use the space to brag on the good folks who raised you!
Posted by Christy Jordan
on Sep 9 2009. Filed under Dessert, Freezes Well, Misc.
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Grandma always taught me to seek the humor in everything. We were always laughing.
Your grandma was one wise woman! I can’t imagine how dull life would be without a well honed sense of humor!
Gratefully,
Christy
I will be back later to share more in depth!!
And BTW Drop Biscuits=Yummy Everyone loved em!
I never knew you could freeze apples. Thank you so much Christy I will be starting on some apple recipes soon.
You’re so very welcome! Hope I get to see ya soon, too!
Great wisdom and tutorial Christy
Thanks!
You are so sweet, Angie, thank YOU!!
Someone once said, “Character is what you do when no one is watching.” I am trying to impart that to my children so that they learn, no matter who is or isn’t watching, the most important thing is to do the right thing–ALL THE TIME.
Truer words were never spoken. So very true. So so very true!
My dad always said, think twice about what you are going to say before you say it. You don’t know who it will effect and how.
Does the texture of the apple change when you freeze it?
Smart dad! Excellent advice. I think we’re all gonna be a bit wiser from all of your comments!
I’ve always just used them to cook and bake with and the texture hasn’t changed. I’m not sure if you used them to just thaw and eat raw. I’ll have to go try that now!
Wow…ya’ll covered the bases pretty quick. I’ve got one that not everyone has heard, but I always use from George Bernard Shaw…
I want to be all used up when I die.
You know, Kris, I’ve never heard that one!!
BUT I LOVE IT!!!!
My Mamaw used to say,”You don’t usually mean to, but you have to mean not to”. and “Manners are a gift you give other people”. This is a big one in my house. My kids know that I am going to try my best to make them productive, God-lovin’, grateful people, but I always tell them if they end up being a derilict, they are going to be the most polite one. Basically – if you end up in jail, you will be the most polite inmate.
Very wise Mawmaw, I’ve never heard that saying but it was so well put, I think I’ll start repeating it to my brood!
I love your attitude towards manners and think I’ll adopt that, too!
It is similar to my attitude towards education. “You can be a ditch digger if you like but you’ll be the most educated ditch digger around!”
I had no idea apples could be frozen! Great to know!! Do you think this would work with pears, too? We have a pear tree and about this time each year we end up with more fruit than we can handle.
You know, Beth, I’ve never thought about freezing a pear because I never have any to freeze! lol I love pears but just buy one or two every now and then and eat them usually on the way home ~heehee~
I would certainly try it. I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. You could always try it out with one and check on it the next day.
If you do, please report back and let us know!!
Gratefully,
Christy
Well… things look good! My pears looked great the 2nd & 3rd day after freezing. Now I’m not sure if this holds true for all pears, and I wish I knew what variety tree we had, but for what it’s worth my frozen pears are looking pretty awesome.
Whenever I complained about some minor problem, my mom would say, “I hope that’s the worst thing that ever happens to you.”
oh wow….those few words really have an impact, don’t they?
Thank you and again…wow!
Waste not-want not. This was one of my mom’s favorite sayings and I believe she learned it from her dad. I have written on here before how my mom could make a meal fit for a king out of very little and how we canned everything that came our way. She also did a lot of sewing and made many of our clothes as well as altering and remodeling items. Stain removal was a specialty of hers. In other words we made do, used it up, and saved wherever possible. I learned these things as well and they have served me well in lean times. Even when I became a little more comfortable financially, I still followed these principles. At times, my now adult children made fun of my miserly ways, but now that they have families to rear they are gaining an appreciation for frugality and now know that we were “green” long before it was a buzz word. I think the lesson is that if you save where you can there is money for other things you desire.
Elaine, you are so very right. I think in just about everything the “old ways” were better. Lucky are your children to have been raised that way and congratulations on them being able to see the wisdom in your effort and sacrifice today!!!
Love the apple tutorial and post, it is so heartwarming!, and I’d like to share a couple of many quotes that I still here in my head of loved one’s past.
A funny from my army Dad that was good for me, but doesn’t apply to anyone else, “Never marry a farmer!, you have to see the world anyway you can.”
My mother, “A child can’t help who their parents are, never ever judge a person by their family.”
A college professor, “Just because a teacher/professor/or other person of authority tells or teaches you something about a topic or yourself, doesn’t mean its true, question everything.”
Thank you! I’m learning so much from this post! I think I’ll have to use some of these on my end of post quotes, too.
Your family’s wisdom is truly a gift…thank you for letting me (and us) benefit from it as well.
I love it!
Not enough people listen to “old folks” these days. This is certainly apple freezing time!
AMEN and AMEN!!
My Mamma and Daddy taught us 5 kids by their own actions…we weren’t exactly told how to act, but by example, it was instilled in us to strive to be good kids and well behaved. We attended church a lot and the principle to not hurt or harm another person was also learned at an early age. Both my parents have passed and everyday I’m thankful that I have their bloodline running through my veins and am sure they would be grateful that I have blossomed into a respected and loved adult. For those who still are blessed to have their parents, grandparents and siblings still on this Earth, please treasure every moment you have with them…make wonderful memories to savor later. Thanks, Christy, for your heartfelt tribute to your folks. Blessings, Judy
Judy, you are such a wonderful blessing to all of us. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, for being generous enough to share your heart.
Gratefully,
Christy
I know that a lot of time and effort went into composing this post. Thank you, Christy, for taking time to share. I know Katy and Brady need your time too.
My maternal Grandmama always taught (by example) to live life to the fullest and to have fun.
My Mama always inspired me & my brother that “we could become anything we wanted and the best one too!”
My sweet Daddy always finishes our mealtime prayer with “We love everybody” …and he does. I am grateful to be blessed with loving and kind parents/grandparents that always gave so much back to their church and community.
Terri,
Thank you so much for always seeing “behind the scenes” at what all it takes to get a post up! It’s kinda hard to juggle everything and still give the kids the time they need. I don’t think I’ll ever be as good a mother as they deserve but I’m always paddling as quickly as I can beneath the surface to get my work done and try my best! I’m partially ashamed to admit that as I write this I am sitting at the dinner table with them while they eat their after school snacks, trying to get a few comments responded to so I can get more work done later tonight! Oh, and I just flopped spaghetti on my keyboard..
Your folks sound wonderful but then again I know they must be in order to have raised a person with a heart such as yours.
Gratefully and sincerely,
Christy
I think every mama worries that they aren’t doing a good enough job but with how proud Brady is to be known as the son of Southern Plate and Katy not realizing cookies can be purchased at the store because her mama makes ‘em I’d say you are doing a wonderful job.
AMEN, SISTER!!!! Wonderful wisdom that we all have heard but it bears repeating!!!!
P.S. I never knew you could freeze apples!! My granny always dried hers.
I LOVE to dry them but freezing is so easy and cool, too!!
Dried apples make the BEST fried pies!:)
Hey Christy! I love apples! Whenever I slice them, I make sure I add a bit of lemon juice to the water. It prevents them from turning brown.
Forgiveness is admitting to yourself that you cannot change the past.
I never thought to freeze apples before. Thanks!
When I’d complain about a situation in my life, my Mama always told me, “No matter how bad things are, somebody’s got it worse than you.” Then she’d hug me and tell me that things would work out, to be prayerful about it and to have faith.
Mama is going to have surgery @ UAB next week to have a pancreatic tumor removed as well as a tumor in her liver. Prayers are appreciated.
Dear Carol, I am sending up prayers for you and your Mama, as well as for all those who will be caring for your Mama, before, during and after surgery. The Lord is always faithful to those who trust Him. You are truly blessed to have such a precious Mama, and she is blessed to have you.
Thank you MaryC for your kind words and prayers. Our faith has seen us through a tough year.
My Mom would always say, “Stop and smell the flowers!”
After surgery for her pancreatic cancer, she was still drugged up when there was a knock on the door. I had just told her the cancer was not removable when she grabbed my hand to make me wait before getting the door. She then looked me square in the eye and said, “Right now, if they ask, tell them to flip the flowers!” She then winked at me and went back to sleep.
To this day when I’m having a bad day, I allow myself a few moments to “Flip the flowers” then I realize what all I really have to be thankful for.
Also, I will pray for your Mom and your family as you all face this surgery.
Thanks for your prayers and sharing your Mom’s story. There is no one in our lives quite as special as our Mamas.
I have found that putting apple slices in salt water will keep them for many days in the refrigerator all ready to snack on.
Christy, can this also be done with pears? I got a bag of pears from a friend’s farm and was wondering if they would freeze well.
Thanks.
My grandmother and mother always said, “pretty is as pretty does” and when my four kids start complaining that something isn’t fair they can recite what I’m going to come back with, “Life’s not fair. Learn it now and you’ll be better off in the long run.” Thanks for keeping us grounded Christy!
My precious namesake Granny who just died last Aug at 92 always said…..
#1 “Kissing dont last but cookin do”
#2 I like to shop so she always told me”stay out of the stores and you will not want for anything”
I never thought about freezing apples! I’m going to have to try that for sure. I may even make the husband buy me that deep freezer this weekend! I just do NOT have enough freezer room in my side-by-side.
My mama was big on the Golden Rule – Treat others how you want to be treated. But my husband made a good point once. A lot of people treat others the way they GET treated, instead of how they WANT to be treated. (Maybe he’s wiser ’cause he’s got an extra year on me!)
And my daddy is a carpenter and he always told me “Measure twice, cut once.” And truthfully, that really does apply to more things than just cutting wood.
I guess like double check yourself before you do something you can’t take back. You can’t uncut wood and you can’t unspeak words, you can’t un-do a lot once the damage is done.
I love this conversation!
My granny was my hero….on the funny side, when we would pout or make faces she would tell us to stop that or it would get stuck like that. Also, she always told us we would never get us a husband unless we got our room cleaned! But the most important thing I learned from her was to keep your word! If you tell someone you are going to do something, DO IT!
This post has given me a hankering for some fried apples or some apples and dip! Yum! Thanks for a wonderful website, I look forward to reading it each day!
You will learn a lot more with your mouth shut, rather than open.
Do at least one random act of kindness every day without letting anyone else know you did it.
Another sweet and heartfelt post…thank you for sharing again with us and gently “nudging” us to pause and remember how fortunate we are to have been taught many beautiful life lessons. The key now is to make sure we pass them on to our children. My Mom always said to me…”pretty is as pretty does”! Says a lot doesn’t it? My version to my sons is…”everything you do says something about who you are” (the pretty thing just doesn’t go over well with them!!
Bountiful Blessings!
Hello, Christy-
Nice post, and useful tutorial.
My Grandmother on my Dad’s side often said “The world is at the public library.”
My Grandmother on my Mom’s side said “Even the Lone Ranger had Tonto.”
My favorite Great-Aunt said “Be kind, tell the truth, and it will work out.”
Lawrence
My mother’s mother used to tell us teenagers: There ain’t nobody out after midnight except drunks, druggies and drag-nasties.
I have come to realize that she was exactly right!
Along that line, that reminds me of what my Mother-in-Law was taught….”Nothing good ever happens after midnight”. Sort of another version of your quote. Love it!
If you hoot with the owls, you can’t soar with the eagles!
Mmmm. Valerie’s post about apples and dip sounds delicious! Anyone have some good ideas for a dip to use with apples?
My mother always insisted that I go to college–I am now in my 24th year of teaching and looking forward to retirement in 4 more years!–so I would never be in the position of having to depend on anyone for my support. My dad instilled in me a love for reading; he always said if you can read, you can do anything. Anytime I complained of boredom, my parents’ response was, “There’s plenty of work to do around the house” and they’d promptly give me some chore to do. I learned quickly how not to appear bored! Another gold nugget from my parents, “Always finish what you start.” And there are many more; you can bet I used everyone of them on my own three sons.
My twin sons just made your chocolate cobbler tonight – it was so easy for them and just delicious.
My maternal grandmother used to say “Circumstances alters cases.” In other words, we can set our minds to doing one thing, but often things happen which can alter the course. My mother would say this to us growing up and it would help us to accept disappointment.
I’ve always liked this one:
“Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is knowing that you don’t put it in fruit salad.”
I’m not sure who said it first, but an oldster passed it on to me.
I have been reading your recipes and DROOLING on my keyboard!! I just HAD to chime in here…
My daddy always says, “You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar” especially when I was a bratty teenager and was fighting with Mom! Truer words were never spoken!! It sure is easier to get what you want or need by being polite and respectful rather than acting like you deserve it! I now share this wisdom with my 3 kiddos. They are learning fast!
I just want to tell you that i love web site. Thanks for sharing .
I didn’t know you could freez apples. Do you think you could freez quince. We have tons of them.
Well girls, I’m really happy to hear about freezing apples! I can’t believe I didn’t know about this sooner! My grandma loved to say “Only one life, twill soon be past…only what’s done for Christ will last!” I loved reading what everyone else had to tell about their precious moms , dads and grands! thanks to everyone for sharing!
I love this saying from your Grandma and it is so true!
Hi
Love the comments – my mum always had a comment for every occasion – “It’s no use complaining you’re like a doormat if you let people walk all over you!. “No use waiting for the clouds to roll by, you sometimes have to get up there and push them!” Every tub has to stand on it’s own feet. I’ve been trying to remember the catching flies with honey rather than vinegar saying, glad to see it, she always used it when someone was rude. I find myself repeating her sayings to my daughters.
Hi, Christy! SO glad I found your website–I was Googling canning labels, and clicked over here. Then I saw the “Freezing Apples” link, and got all happy! My apple trees have me crying “Uncle!” this year, and was wondering if I could freeze them w/out sugar. Now I don’t even have to ask anyone! Can’t wait ’til I get done w/ all these apples I’ve got so I can have time to poke around here. Looks like you’ve got some great recipes.
My Mama always told me “Pretty is as pretty does.” It sure holds some truth–I’ve seen some of the most beautiful people act just as ugly as they could–and it took all that beauty right off their face. I tell my daughters the same thing.
Looking forward to seeing more of Southern Plate!
♥Susan
Well I have to sadly say I never knew either set of grandparents and I lost my dad to cancer when I was just 15 and my mom went into a deep depression so I kind of lost both of em at a young age. But they taught me to love and respect others and to love and respect myself. No matter what give to others even if it’s just a smile. Never rob someone of a blessing.(be a good receiver)Never Ever apologize for your family; you didn’t pick them,and never have friends that you have to apologize for because you did pick them.
No matter the job; including cleaning toilets do it to the best of your ability!
Christy there has never been a mother that ever feels as if they are the best mom they can be; ask your kids when they are parents what kind of parent you were that will be your best gauge. Just like you lookin back on your childhood and havin the best parents in the world and wonderin how they did it.
P.S. Thanks for the post on freezin apples my family goes every year to pick apples at a local orchard now I can pick bunches so I can freeze some
I had a question about freezing the apples. Are the apples mushy after freezing them? Thanks.
Tammy Jeanneret
My father’s mother died before I was born, but I’m told she used to say “Love many, trust few, learn to paddle your own canoe.” She was apparently quite independent and resourceful throughout her life. It took me a long time to realize how true this rhyme really is.
And a really good dip for apples is the following:
Take a can of sweetened condensed milk and take the top off with a can opener. Put the can in a baking dish and put enough water in the dish to come about halfway up the can. Put this in the oven at about 350* and bake it about an hour. The milk gets thick and caramelly and delicious. Let it cool down before you use it or it will burn your mouth off.
My grandma used to say:
Pretty is as pretty does.
And
Get all the education you can. That is something no one can take away from you.
My father taught me not to hold on to grudges; it’s pointless and leads to things like long-standing feuds where each side doesn’t even remember why they’re supposed to hate the other side. For him, “once it’s over, it’s over.”
And wow! This is a great way to have apples whenever I want/need! Especially since I *love* apple pie!
My Grandmother used to say: ” Stick to your own knitting”. Meaning, in a kind way (she was from Augusta,Ga.) mind your own business. And my Grandfather used to say ” My word is my bond and so is my handshake ” he never had written contracts for any business deals, just his handshake. Remarkable now. Have a Blessed weekend. Steph.
I was raised by my Great-Grandparents. Their wisdom was vast having lived through the Great Depression, a myriad or wars, even prohibition. The number one thing they taught me was that no matter how scarce your food is, you can always feed one more, and no matter how small the table is, there is always room for one more to sit!
My father is my best friend. When I turned 18, he joked and said “I’ve raised you to the best of my ability, so if you “go bad” now, it’s not my fault.” I laughed over it, and then thought how powerful those words were and still are (now that I’m 40). And I turned out just fine!
My Grandmama used to keep me in the evenings and see me off to school the next day while my parents were at their jobs. She shared lots of stories from her childhood (which I need to journal while I remember them), and one was about the time when she missed doing a school assignment for some reason. The teacher scolded her and made her write several hundred times “Procrastination is the thief of time!” I’m sure I received that tale as a result of putting off some of MY homework, and even though Grandmama taught me well I still struggle with time management to this day. So it’s good to pull that one out of the memory bank and run it again thru my head! Christy, thanks for all the hard work and heart you put into your website. It’s a nice place to stop and rest a spell, and to learn lots of new ideas for my family’s meals.
My parents and grandparents are all gone but I have an uncle that I talk to alot and whenever we talk on the phone he always ends our conversations with “Be pretty” or sometimes “Be a pretty girl” to this almost 50 year old niece! My grandfather used to say “never calculate your juvenile poultry until the proper process of incubation has been fully materialized” or he would tell we should “mind our aby-abby dibby-dabby doorknobs” whatever that means! LOL! I really miss him and my father who loved to be silly with us kids.
Hey, Ms. Christy. Which dehydrator model did you buy? Mine is old and needs to be replaced. About Christmas time that will come in handy — you can dry apple slices and string them or include them with candle or other decorative arrangements. The scent is wonderful and they’re quite attractive.
Hey y’all! I’m a little late to the party, but just had to chime in here. The best advice I have EVER gotten came from my aunt, God bless her:
God don’t like ugly!
Thanks Christy, for all that you do here, and for stirring some old memories that make my life richer.
Thanks for helping me make the greatest fried (peach) pies ever!
A few of my fave quotes coming up:
“Insanity is not an excuse for being rude.”
“If you can’t be a friend, be friendly.”
Best to you and your readers,
Michael
My mother always used to say “Life is what happens while we are busy making other plans.” She taught us that God’s plan for us was decided long ago, and we can struggle against it, or we can go along with it. Being a bit of a control freak, I tried at times to struggle against it. Then one day it hit me. God led me to the most amazing life partner, he gave me the responsibility to love and care for 4 precious children, he is always there when I need him most. The struggle is over. Following the leader is so much easier, you don’t step in near as many puddles.