Wok & Roll by Peter Kwong, (Frederic) Inter-County Leader
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As the evenings get colder, it’s time to share six stories that can warm your heart. And if that doesn’t do the trick, try my turkey curry soup recipe at the bottom.
A 4-year-old child’s next-door neighbor was an elderly gentleman, who had lost his wife recently. The boy asked his mother if he could go visit his neighbor, who always brought him candies and fun toys.
After spending a whole afternoon, he finally went home. Curious, his mother asked just what he did. He answered, “Nothing, Ma. I just helped him cry.”
In Ms. Debbie Moon’s class, the first graders were sharing their family pictures. One little girl’s picture stood out, as her skin color and that of her family were not the same. One boy blurted out, “So, are you adopted?”
Before she could answer, a little girl in the back raised her hand and said, “I know about adoption, I was adopted.”
Now, more curious, Ms. Moon asked this little girl, “So, Marie, what does it mean to be adopted?”
“Well,” Marie responded calmly, “My mommy told me that I grew in her heart instead of her tummy.”
On my way home, I passed by a park where there was a Little League baseball game going on. I saw a little boy sitting excitedly on the bench. I couldn’t help but find a place next to him and asked, “So, what’s the score, son?”
“14 to nothing,” he exclaimed.
“14 to nothing. Who has 14?” Judging by his expression, I was anticipating that it was his team.
“They are 14, and we are nothing.”
“What?” I asked myself, how could he be so excited about such a lopsided game? I couldn’t help but ask him why he was so excited.
“Oh, I am next up to bat.”
Talk about looking at life in a positive way. We have so much to learn from our children.
Little Jimmy Scott was so excited to participate in the school play. They had different auditions for different parts, but somehow little Jimmy was just not cut out for any theatrical part.
Yet, one afternoon, he came home all excited. His mother, puzzled, asked what part he would be participating in. “The cheering and clapping part. I would be leading the audience,” he exclaimed.
Remember the cartoon character Hagar the Horrible? He was teaching his son the art of shooting an arrow. After many tries, the arrows still missed the target by miles. Instead of getting frustrated and upset, he patted his son on the back and said, “It’s great, son. All your arrows hit the ground.”
Positive reinforcement 101.
An eyewitness story:
A little boy, about 10 years old, was staring at a pair of warm shoes in the store window. An elderly lady, who was passing by, stopped and asked just what this shivering boy was doing, staring at the window.
“Well, I was praying that God will give me a pair of shoes to warm my feet.”
Without saying a word, the lady took the boy inside, and asked the clerk to bring her some hot water. The clerk obliged immediately. The lady then helped the boy soak his feet in the warm water, and asked the clerk for some warm socks.
After cleaning his feet and putting on some warm socks, they proceeded to get the boy the warmest boots. The boy was ecstatic and asked the elderly lady, “Excuse me, ma’am. Are you God’s wife?”
Now, how about some turkey curry soup with sour cream topping for the cold evening? A good way to use up the leftover turkey from your Thanksgiving feast. This recipe serves four.
Turkey curry soup
- 8 oz turkey, cubed
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 potato, diced
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced
- 8 oz coconut milk
- 8 oz evaporated milk
- 1 tsp chicken bouillon
- 1 tsp garlic, minced
- 1 tbs curry powder
- 4 tbs sour cream
In a heated large pot, add 1 tbs oil and minced garlic. Then add all vegetables and curry powder. Cook until potatoes and carrots are soft, then add coconut milk and evaporated milk. Then the cubed turkey, and bring it to a boil. You can add more milk to thin out the soup. Season to taste with chicken bouillon. Add a tablespoon of sour cream on top of each bowl and serve with steamed rice or buttered toast.
