LOVING BROWNIES

TODAY IS WEDNSDAY, AND ON WEDNSDAY, I FEED MISSIONARIES. ALL WEEK, I THINK AND PLAN WHAT I AM GOING TO COOK, THEN I MAKE SURE I HAVE EVERYTHING, OR, I GO TO THE STORE ON TUESDAY SO THAT THERE WILL BE NO "MISTAKES" ON WEDNSDAY. SINCE WE ALWAYS HAVE LUNCH, I HAVE TO GET UP IN TIME TO FIX THE CHOSEN MEAL. TODAY, I BOUNDED OUT OF BED, GROOMED MYSELF AND HEADED TO THE KITCHEN. THE PHONE RANG, AND IT WAS A NEIGHBOR WANTING TO BRING ME A GIFT. OF COURSE I WAS TICKLED, AND TOLD HER TO COME RIGHT ON OVER. GLANCING AT THE CLOCK, I STILL HAD PLENTY OF TIME TO COOK. SHE CAME OVER AND GAVE ME A LOVELY WALL VASE FOR MY BEDROOM. WE VISITED, AND THEN ANOTHER NEIGHBOR CAME TO VISIT. ANXIOUSLY GLANCING AT THE CLOCK YET AGAIN, I REALIZED THAT I WAS GETTING INTO A TIME CRUNCH, BUT I DIDN'T WANT TO OFFEND MY SWEET NEIGHBORS. THE SECOND VISITOR TOLD US THAT SHE HAD TO GO, AND GOT UP TO LEAVE AFTER A REALLY NICE VISIT. THERE WAS NOTHING FOR IT, I HAD TO START LUNCH. I EXPLAINED THAT I HAD TO START TO COOK AND MY OTHER LOVELY NEIGHBOR TOLD ME THAT SHE LOVED TO COOK AND SHE WOULD HELP. I AM NOT USED TO THIS, BUT I TOLD HER THANK YOU AND GAVE HER THE CELERY TO CHOP FOR THE HAWAIIAN HAYSTACKS I WAS MAKING. HAWAIIAN HAYSTACKS ARE A GREAT MEAL- YOU PUT A SCOOP OF RICE ON YOUR PLATE, THEN SPOON CHICKEN AND GRAVY OVER THE RICE. AFTER THAT, YOU TOP IT WITH EITHER CELERY, CHINESE NOODLES, PINEAPPLE, ONION, CHEESE, OR OTHER THINGS. YOU CAN COMBINE THEM ALL IF YOU LIKE. IT IS REALLY A WONDERFUL DISH AND THE MISSIONARIES LIKE IT. ANYWAY, MY NEIGHBOR JUST JUMPED RIGHT IN AND CHOPPED THE CELERY, AND THEN PEELED AND CUT UP A CANTALOUP TO GO ON THE SIDE. I WAS COOKING THE CHICKEN AND MAKING KOOL-AID. ABOUT HALF AN HOUR BEFORE THE MISSIONARIES SHOWED UP, I REALIZED THAT I HAD NOT MADE A DESSERT. (DESSERT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THE MEAL!) I TOLD MY NEIGHBOR THAT I HAD NOT MADE THE DESSERT AND SHE TOLD ME SHE WOULD DO IT, BUT WHAT DID I WANT TO MAKE? I ONLY HAD A HALF HOUR, SO CHOICES WERE LIMITED, BUT WE FOUND A COUPLE OF BOXES OF BROWNIE MIX AND SHE GOT TO WORK. SHE MEASURED AND WAS SO CAREFUL TO FOLLOW DIRECTIONS, AND INTO THE OVEN WENT A LARGE CAKE PAN OF PECAN BROWNIES. SOON, THE MISSIONARIES ARRIVED AND CAME IN THE KITCHEN TO THE SMELL OF LUNCH, BUT MOST ESPECIALLY THE AROMA OF BAKING CHOCOLATE. EYEBROWS LIFTED AT THE TEMPTING SMELL, BUT BEFORE WE SAT DOWN TO EAT, WE TALKED ABOUT A SCRIPTURE THAT I HAD READ THE DAY BEFORE. THE BROWNIES CAME OUT OF THE OVEN AND WERE FROSTED, AND I INVITED MY SWEET NEIGHBOR TO SIT DOWN WITH US. SHE DID. SHE DID NOT KNOW MUCH ABOUT OUR CHURCH, BUT WE HAD A LIVELY DISCUSSION AND EVERYONE REALLY ENJOYED HAVING HER WITH US. LUNCH WAS GOOD, BUT THOSE LOVINGLY BAKED BROWNIES WERE HEAVEN, THICK AND CHOCOLATY AND CHEWY! YOU COULD TELL THAT SHE HAD TAKEN CARE WITH MAKING THEM. THEN, LUNCH WAS OVER AND THE MISSIONARIES LEFT TO GO AND DO THEIR WORK. IT WAS JUST MY NEIGHBOR AND I, AND AS WE WERE CLEANING UP, THE DOORBELL RANG. IT WAS THE POST LADY WITH MY NEW CHINA! SHE TOLD ME THAT SHE NEEDED HELP BRINGING IN THE VERY HEAVY BOX, AND MARTIN WENT TO HELP HER. SURE ENOUGH, MY BEAUTIFUL CHINA HAD FINALLY ARRIVED. I COULD HARDLY WAIT TO OPEN THE BOX, AND AFTER MARTIN CUT THE BOX OPEN, I JUMPED RIGHT IN. I ACTUALLY HAD TEARS IN MY EYES, AS I TOOK EACH PIECE OF DELICATE CHINA FROM THE BOX. MY SWEET NEIGHBOR, JUST AS CAREFULLY, UNWRAPPED EACH PIECE AND WE OOOH'D AND AHHH'D AS EACH ONE CAME TO LIGHT. WITH A SOFT CLOTH, WE DUSTED EACH PIECE, AND THEN TOGETHER WE DECIDED HOW TO PLACE THE CHINA IN THE HUTCH. AS MY NEIGHBOR WAS ARRANGING THE GRAVY BOAT ON A GLASS SHELF, I WAS EMMERSED IN THE SWEETEST FEELING. I KNEW THAT SHE REALLY ENJOYED BEING WITH ME AND IN MY HOUSE. SHE HELD AND CARRIED EACH PIECE WITH THE SAME CARE THAT SHE MIXED AND BAKED THE BROWNIES. TOGETHER WE FINISHED PUTTING THE CHINA AWAY, AND STOOD BACK TO LOOK AT THE LOVELY DISPLAY. HOW HAPPY I AM THAT I WAS ABLE TO SHARE THIS EXPERIENCE WITH HER. WE HAVE KNOWN EACH OTHER FOR SEVERAL YEARS, BUT AFTER TODAY, I FEEL THAT SHE IS A SPECIAL FRIEND, A GIFT THAT WAS JUST UNDER MY NOSE, BUT I DID NOT TAKE THE TIME TO APPRECIATE. AFTER THE HURRICANE, SEVERAL OF MY NEIGHBORS AND I HAVE BECOME CLOSE, AND I MUST SAY THAT THAT IS CERTAINLY ONE ADVANTAGE OF THE STORM. THE DAY WENT ON, AND BEFORE I SAT DOWN TO WRITE, I WENT INTO THE KITCHEN TO FIND A FEW BROWNIES LEFT. OF COURSE I SNEAKED A BIG BITE, AND ONCE AGAIN I FELT HER LOVE AND CARING. IT IS FUNNY THAT A SIMPLE PAN OF BROWNIES COULD MEAN SO MUCH, BUT INDEED, THESE DO- AND I HAVE LEARNED AN IMPORTANT LESSON. ALWAYS REACH OUT AND BE AWARE OF THOSE AROUND YOU, YOU NEVER KNOW WHO WILL ENRICH YOUR LIFE IN THE SIMPLEST WAY.
BY THE WAY, I AM LEAVING ON VACATION ON FRIDAY, GOING TO EL PASO WITH SISSY AND ELI AND JACOB TO SEE AARON AND HIS FAMILY. I WILL TRY TO WRITE WHILE I AM GONE, AND WILL MISS WRITING IN MY OFFICE. TO MISS LYNN H, I WANT TO TELL YOU THAT MY LOVELY CROSS IS HANGING BY THE FRONT DOOR FOR ALL TO SEE WHEN THEY COME OR GO. IT MEANS SO MUCH TO ME, AND I LOVE IT! I AM SORRY TO MISS THE BASEBALL PARTY, BUT MY HEART WILL BE WITH YOU ALL. LOVE, NANASEE