LUNCHEON AND A BATH FOR KRAMER

VISITING TEACHING LUNCHEON

Today Sarah and I hosted a luncheon for the women we visit teach each month. Pam, Genny and Maisel. We had Caesar salad, chicken fingers--made with bread crumbs, coconut and chopped nets, Magleby's style Parmesan rolls and buttermilk pie.

Sarah gave the lesson. My favorite quote from the lesson was from Elder Richard D. Scott--he's my favorite General Authority--“You cannot today remotely imagine what that decision to be unwaveringly obedient to the Lord will allow you to accomplish in life. Your quiet, uncompromising determination to live a righteous life will couple you to inspiration and power beyond your capacity now to understand” (“Making the Right Decisions,” Ensign, May 1991, 34).

I certainly could use some inspiration in my life and I am trying my best to live a righteous life so maybe that will come true for me.

Here's a picture of the rolls. I forgot my camera so any photos are on Pam's site.

KRAMER'S BATH

Kramer, pre-bath. He has no idea he's about to be snatched and soaped.

Can you see why he is called Kramer?

"Someone help me."

" Quit lookin' at me."

"Will the humiliation never stop?"

"I don't wanna be blow dried."

"Well, I must say I look pretty darn good, in fact I may look great!"

And now look what my master does! Throws a lousy sock on me. The humiliation never ends.

SIX WORDS FOR VISITING TEACHING LUNCHEON

Food and friends and beautiful handiwork.

LUNCH AT THE QUILTLER'S

Today, the dear ladies, who are my Visiting Teachers, hosted a luncheon for the women they visit each month. It was at LouAnn's house. LouAnn is a quilter--besides being such a darling woman. Her house is decked out with all her handiwork.

This was the quilt she made for the luncheon. She apologized that it wasn't quilted yet.
Our visiting teachers are the "Book-ends."
This is the quilt she is making for Christmas.
Everywhere you look there are handmade items, antique furniture and of course, quilts.
The quilt on the left has tiny squares of fabric that mean something special to LouAnn.
This little doll is in honor of her mother, who was a wonderful gardener.

This little cupboard is filled with her miniature quilts. And I will close with the sentiment on this sampler, "All is well." These three words have saved me from despair on more than a dozen days/nights. I have a whole file of "all is well" messages from emails from friends and family, which I open often and read. Most are from one friend, who I love as much as is possible. I am very lucky to have such wonderful friends.
All is well.

THERE WILL BE NO FUNERAL POTATOES AT THE AFTER-FUNERAL-LUNCHEON

Tonight we went for a walk and I said we should stop and see a friend who's husband died two days ago. Phil said we shouldn't because he hadn't showered and I had garlic breath.

"Nonsense!," I said, breathing in his direction. He staggered in a daze and I took him by the hand--temporary blindness from the fumes--and before he knew it were were there.

I got an assignment. Please bring some food to the luncheon after the burial so she and some other family members can have something to eat. It can have no ham, no wheat, no sugar, no potatoes.... NO POTATOES? What about the famous Mormon funeral potatoes? I guess that's out. And some family members are vegan or at least used to be. I don't know what their status is now.

"I can make some roasted vegetables," I said, "They are wonderful."

"Oh," she said with just the barest hint of disappointment, "we make them all the time," Translation: Don't make those, please. Or maybe my translation filter is on the blink.

"Beans," she said, "some kind of chili would work but no wheat."

Wheat? In chili? And chili for a luncheon? It was my turn to stagger.

"You can figure something out," she said. "You're such a good cook."

I can't, I thought. I really can't.

So, now I am home, with my garlic breath, looking up recipes on the Internet for sugarless, wheatless, hamless, potatoless and honestly, there were two other restrictions in there somewhere. What were they, I wonder? Oh yes, one was dairy. No dairy of any kind. So the caramels really would have killed her with three kinds of sugar and two kinds of dairy. And no corn. That was the other thing. No corn and if those family members are still vegan it will be no meat, too.

I'm going to need some inspiration. I'm off to search the Internet for recipes with practically no food products in them. Wish me luck.

PS I've been looking for an hour now and I think I can do this. Found some great sounding recipes on Veggies Unite. Mmm.