Dorothy May

Today is the anniversary of my Mother in law's birthday. She was born January 18, 1924. She lived her entire life in the state of Utah and most of it within a few miles of Ogden. She ventured out a few times for TDY and to come visit her children as they moved around, but mostly she was a stay close to home kind of girl.

She spent most of her life in the single lane, though her few years of marriage gave her a son and daughter that she adored. Her children gave her 9 grand children and before she passed away her great grand children numbered 18.

She bought a cute little house up on 3rd street where she lived for more than 45 years. She loved her little house and kept it neat, tidy and updated. She loved to go uptown to shop and she had the same hairdresser that she visited weekly for over 30 years.

Mom was passionate about some things and passive about others and you never knew when the passion might come out. She had closets full of clothes and enjoyed jewelry and shoes. She loved food as long as it was not chicken, and a snack of cheese, nuts or candy was always welcome.

My husband and I were with her most of the last month of her life. It was good to share those quiet moments. She had been my mother in law since I was 18, we shared our lives for 35 years. I loved her very much and I miss her. I hope she thought I took good care of her grand children and was a good wife to her son.

Dorothy May Butcher was a mother and grandmother filled with love for her family. Happy Birthday Mom.

Gratitude

Yesterday I listened to a wonderful talk on Gratitude.

I have known for a long time that being thankful for the things you have makes a person more gentle, kind and happy.

It is the philosophy of looking at half a donut and seeing the sugared delight and not the hole, taking a half glass of milk and enjoying the cool refreshing taste as it couples with the donut and not measuring who got more--you or the person you are sharing the sweet treat with.

Gratitude makes you happy to have a friend to share with.

Selfishness makes you wish for the whole calorie filled diet buster for yourself forgetting the delight that comes in sharing a sweet moment.

A few thoughts I took away from the talk were:

gratitude precedes miracles. If only because you have a different way of looking at the things that are happening in your life.

We should be humble enough to cherish the blessings we already have. We live in an awesome era. Most of us have plenty to eat. We live in homes where we are warm in the winter and cool in the summer. We have clothes to wear and shoes for our feet. When tired we have a comfortable bed to sleep in.

Joseph B. Wirthlin is quoted as saying,

"Gratitude is the mark of a refined soul"

Refined is my thought word for today as I mentally list my blessings.

-Soup

On a cold winter day there is something about a hot bowl of soup.

I did not like soup when I was younger. To this day I prefer thick creamy soups, although I am starting to appreciate a bowl of steaming delight with a variety of tastes and treats swimming in a savory broth.

Tonight I am on my own for dinner. My sweetheart is at a business meeting and I have been busy organizing and cleaning my pantry. My tummy started to remind me it was meal time so I went to the fridge to find a left over or two that might do. I found some leftover veggies and a bit of soup--tossed it all together and warmed it up. Added a piece of homebaked whole wheat bread and a glass of milk--YUMMM. Comfort food for a cold winter night.

My mother gave me a cook book for Christmas--one of those books where everybody submits their favorite recipe. I have had fun reading it and earmarking new recipes to try. In the tips area there was a suggestion to pour vegetable cooking water and left over vegetable pieces into a freezer container. When the container is full add tomato juice and seasoning to make a cost free surprise soup for dinner.

It is just recently that I have started having left overs like that. Seems that I sometimes still cook for an army when there is just a couple eating. I guess I need to find myself a freezer container and start the makings for a pot of surprise soup. Tonight I found left over cabbage and lima beans--strange items for my fridge--but they were requested by my grand daughter--who knew a 9 year old would like lima beans??

After tonight's tastey delight I am excited to find out what the next suprise soup has to offer.

Don't know if I can top lima beans and cabbage.

1-11-11

There are some fun days on the calendar this year:

New Years Day was 1-1-11
My husband tells me yesterday was a fun day for computer smarties: 01.10.11 and October will offer up a few more 01 days on the 1st, 10th and 11th
Today is 1.11.11
In November we get 11-1-11 and 11-11-11

I have a coupon for the craft store that is valid today only for an item I have been looking at. YEA!!

This morning we woke up to about a half an inch of ICE which means closed schools and no work or late openings throughout the county. How does that affect my coupon?? I will call the store and see if they are closed like they should be and maybe they will honor the coupon tomorrow.

Surprise--they are open and the coupon is good only today!! Now I have a dilemma on my hands. Do I go out in this when they are asking everyone to stay home unless it is an emergency? Is the craft store an emergency type store that should be open??

I enjoy staying home on icy days, they are like a bonus day. Time to get the oven working and a game or puzzle on the table. A hot pot of soup and home made bread sounds like a treat to warm the soul.

Nope--the craft store is not an emergency type store that needs to be open--even if it is 1-11-11

Sunday Dinner

When I was a little girl my grandma would cook a Sunday meal and invite her family to share it with her. Roast beef, mashed potatoes swimming in gravy and home made rolls with melted butter. All these years later I can still smell and taste the delicious offering.

When we moved away my mom would cook a roast or chicken every Sunday. My other grandparents would come visit and I have many happy memories of our family lingering over a good meal with pleasant conversations.

When my sweetheart and I were married we shared Sunday dinner with my parents at their house for the first few years. Later, after my parents moved, I started cooking Sunday dinner at our house and have done so for over 30 years now.

Today I was excited to fix Sunday dinner for my family in my renovated kitchen. I read the instructions for the new stove and set the timer to cook the roast while we were at church. We returned home and were greeted by the smell of roast beef. The rolls were raising on the counter and ready to put in the oven. I started the water boiling for the mashed potatoes and vegetables. Put the drippings on the burner to make the gravy then realized that the burners were not heating.

OH, NO!! What is this?? I got out the manual and read the instructions. Looked for safety features that might be causing this phenomenon. Found the hot plate from the original remodel 10 years ago to finish the gravy. Put the veggies in the microwave.

When I have a hungry family to feed, I will figure out how to do it. One year we lost electricity just as I was cooking Christmas dinner--my sweet husband got out the camp stove for that meal. Today I am thankful for alternative cooking methods inside the house and grateful I do not need to build a fire and get out the dutch oven.

Today we had a meal to remember. It tasted delicious, not cooked with conventional methods, but a hungry family was fed and an enjoyable conversation enjoyed. Tomorrow I will make telephone calls. What will the answer be????

Return and Report

I've been busy working on that to-do list I created for myself the other day.

Sometimes when I am overwhelmed I have found it helps if I write it all down and then start whittling away at the mountain until it becomes a mole hill I can live with.

With the help of my sweetheart we got the laundry folded and mostly put away. I've been working on cleaning out the cabinets and sorting through things I really do not need anymore. The repair man came to visit and after a bit of work and hot water things are functioning like they are supposed to. The small art brush and I have been friends today doing the touch up of straight paint lines.

I talked to a few friends yesterday and they still have their Christmas up so I decided not to worry about that today, maybe this weekend--besides--I love the tree lights at night.

While I was out paying the Tax Man yesterday I stopped to look for a 2011 calendar and found a pretty one for just $1--guess waiting until after the start of the year has a few benefits. I think I will set up a new household information center not in my kitchen, my ideas are still working on that one.

Yes, the mountain is becoming a size I can handle. I try to remember the little engine at times like this:

I think I can, I think I can!

Overwhelmed

I am a bit overwhelmed. It is a new year and I want to write about my goals, blessings and hopes that were realized last year and dreamed of for this year.

I received a family history book about my grandparents and am so excited to sit down and read about my heritage. Family History wants a bit of my time lately....when????

I look at the kitchen my husband and I have been working on this last week and want to write about how good it feels to refresh that which is tired and make it new again.

I look at the mess around me from Christmas, travel and home remodeling and just want to get busy and clean it up--but, where to start?? Put away Christmas first?? Touch up the paint first?? Put items back into the cabinets first?? Do the laundry first?? Unpack the suitcase--gotta fill it up again next week, Hmmmm??

I look at my new appliances and want to load up the fridge and start the DW but both need a visit from a professional before they are ready to go--seems the doors do not fit right, but the Microwave and stove are working--good, I can cook dinner tonight.

I look at the calendar and see the tight schedule I am on this month with doctor visits, repair men, and travel for work and family. My phone is ringing from ladies I need to visit but, I need to stay home and take care of.....

It is a new year. New opportunities to make good choices. But which one is the best good choice??

Gotta get organized--Need a 2011 calendar, Need 26 hour day, Need to write down a daily schedule, Need more energy and brain power--That should do it!!

Now where to find those items??