The Breakfast Club

Before

After

Feeling Gratitude

It was nighttime; the lights were low, I was headed to go read.  I felt overwhelming gratitude for health and home at this moment.

Good Night All.

Gotta Have These in the Kitchen!

I use my Blendtec EVERY day.  It is awesome and makes great fruit smoothies, as well as fabulous green smoothies.  It is about 6 months old, and looks like it is about ten years old.  I hope it never dies.

I  have a very simple bread toaster.  But, it gets used every 

morning for breakfast to toast English muffins 

or whole-wheat toast.  I NEED a toaster.  

When we were in China, it was so hard to find a toaster.  

I asked all around and finally was told about 

a big store way downtown where I could likely get one.  

A toaster is a necessity.  

Okay, so this next one is not used every day, but it certainly gets used - a lot:

I love this wheat grinder....it's fast, noisy, and great!

I use it about every two weeks to grind wheat for bread...I love this little handy, dandy machine.

Okay, so the blender is long gone, but the bread mixer lives on.....

I love this little work house.  Between the two of us, we can turn out a mean batch of whole-wheat bread; light, tasty, and healthy.

Sometimes I think of Grandmothers  slaving in the kitchen.

I gotta say, "I'm glad I'm living today."

Because I do love my kitchen gadgets.

The Weekly Visit

It was our normal weekly visit.

S has lots of fun stories about people, her family, life.

It's easy to be around her and hear her stories.  And, believe me, she has many of them.

That week the story was about Joan.

S and Joan had worked together for a few years.  Joan was much older than S and was about to retire after working for many years.

One Monday morning, Joan came to work feeling downhearted and just in a sad mood.

S wondered what was wrong.

Joan explained, "When you are old, in the church, no one notices you or cares.  It's all about the youth.  And young mothers are absorbed in their busy lives, which I was also with my seven children.  I feel like a non-entity when I go to church.  It's so discouraging.  After many years of contributing, I have no place.  I'm not needed!"

S told me how she reassured Joan, how she told Joan it wasn't true, that she had lots to give, that Joan was very significant to her ward.

And, now, years later, S was echoing to me the sentiments of her long-ago friend, Joan.

"I have no place; I'm not needed." she said sadly.  "And now, I totally understand what Joan was saying those twenty years ago. "

Life - it's a cycle.

And, it's a good reminder to just enjoy every day no matter what age or circumstances.

Just be grateful for whatever is out there for us.

On the Mother's Day Menu....

...compliments of Brent:

Grilled asparagus

Ham

Salmon

Riced Potatoes

Wonderful meal cooked by a wonderful son-in-law.

Then, later on, topped off with strawberry shortcake.

Oh, yeah, Jenni, Barbara and I were loving it.

Thanks, Brent.  Don't you think every day should be Mother's Day at your home?

A Lasting Legacy

It was early Saturday morning.  I was in the LDS temple.

One of the officiators used my name...HACKWORTH.

A man standing in the room said, "Would you be any relation to Dorothy South Hackworth?'

I smiled and proudly said, "She is my mother-in-law."

"Didn't she write a book about Touch of the Master's Hand or something?"

"The Master's Touch," I said.

"Yes, I remember it.  The cover was so memorable.  My mother had the book in our home while I was growing up.  My mother loved the book and it meant a great deal to her.  But, when she died, my sister got all my mother's books...I was disappointed.  But, I recently found a copy at the DI."

Later in the hour when we had another chance to speak, he asked... "Tell me a little about Dorothy Hackworth, so when I read the book, I will think of something personal about her."

"Well," I said, "she was a saint.  She was a marvelous person.  Just so good and kind.  She was wonderful.  Also, I believe that her book was one of the first books Bookcraft published that was not by an established author or by a general authority."

Then I told how she came to write the book.  She was just making a collection of faith-promoting stories for her husband for his birthday. Others wanted copies, so it just mushroomed from there.

He told me a little about himself - a pediatrician - father of many.  And, he was gone.

But, he had stirred in me the remembrance of my dear mother-in-law.

So, on this MOTHER'S DAY, I pay tribute to my 2nd wonderful mother - also a Dorothy - who died in 2000.

Dorothy, fifty years after its first publication date, you have left a lasting legacy; not just for your family, but strangers far away.

And, that is very remarkable.

Coming Soon!

Yes, indeed...the pomegranates are well on their way!  Yum...Yum!