Leftovers

"Leftovers" is a word that often has negative connotations of not being as good as the original or not being good enough to make the first cut, as if only new and shiny have value.

"What are we having for dinner tonight?"

"Leftovers."

"Oh."

But leftovers can have great value, too. Spaghetti sauce, for instance, often tastes better the next day. So does lasagna and macaroni and cheese with bacon.

Doubling portions when cooking on Monday means having "leftovers" for Tuesday and extra time for other projects.

Cutting elements from a story and then putting those "leftovers" into a separate file means you have a fresh persepctive later. You can decided if they should go back in - or if they are better served in another story - or they are simply evidence you know where to cut (pat yourself on the back).

Stories that were "leftover" from my schedule last week means I don't have to go hunting for ideas this week.

Leftover materials from one craft project can be stored for another. I used to run a Sunday School at a church, and I saved everything and accepted donations from the church members of everything. I had a wonderful supply closet - and those leftovers were just the thing when I purchased large, trifold cardboard for every student to recreate the "John of the Ladder" icon. They could use every and any form of media stored in the closet. The kids loved it.

Memories of great experiences are another type of welcome leftovers, ones that stay fresh in our hearts long after the experience itself fades.

I have three boxes in my closet of "leftovers" from my attic office in Channahon - tangible memories of the "Ron" years, spent in the home his parents built, years that dementia robbed from him.

Circling back to food, Rebekah and I did not cook this weekend for the Sue's Diner page on the BryonySeries website.

This means that if you didn't try her chocolate chip cookie recipe from last week, you can still try it this week.

I love chocolate chip cookies fresh and warm from the oven.

But they also taste great the next day.