Sunday, February 22, 2015

Hi everyone,

My current desktop, although quite dark, I find quite interesting.

I have a couple of things about my last letter that I just want to mention to you.

First the good news…

Momma liked my story of David and Dolores.

Next, the bad news…

Mike, while proofreading my last letter, was quite upset at me for talking to strangers. I don’t think he stayed upset too long when he saw what a wonderful story I made, but it has been an ongoing issue with us. He is often afraid for me. “You’re going to meet someone who isn’t so nice one of these days.”

Sigh.

This is something I have talked about many times over the years. When your number is up, your number is up, to put it quite crudely. And it isn’t what I said to him. What I said to him was, “On the appointed day, at the appointed hour of my death, I will be there. And nothing can change that.” I paused and put an end cap on that statement. “I trust God.”

I’ve thought about this quite a lot. I do trust God to keep me safe until my appointed time. That doesn’t mean I’m going to throw myself off a mountain and expect God will save me. I know better than that.

I am not going to rehash all of the things I’ve said on this subject before. If you have been reading me through the years then you have already read about the movie I saw about a man who lost his love just before they were to be married. He built a time machine and went back in time and tried to change things but no matter what he did, he couldn’t change the outcome. He only managed to change the way she died.

If you have been reading me through the years then you have already read about a branch falling off a tree to kill the woman who had been posing for a photograph underneath it.

If you have been reading me through the years then you have already read about a rock falling from a hillside, smashing through the windshield of a car to kill the young Microsoft exec who was driving and sparing his family.

Pretty much guys, when it is time for you to die, you will die. God doesn’t make any mistakes and something good can come from something bad.

“If our destiny is predetermined what is the point in living?” you ask.

While it is true that God is sovereign, He has given us free will. We can choose the path we take and it all works out to God’s plan.

Anything you do, He can use.

You just have to seek God…

And trust God.

And I know that I have a long way to go but I think I am on the right path. I just need to shut up and listen, you know what I’m sayin’?

<<<<<>>>>>

There isn’t much that happens in the parking lot here at Luby’s that Mike doesn’t know about. There are cameras all over the place. Even Itsy will sit and watch the monitors, especially if her daddy’s outside. You can see her little head swivel from monitor to monitor as she watches for him. She knows which monitor he will appear in next and when she sees him coming up the stairs. she’ll run to the door and be there when it opens. If she’s not then chances are she was sleeping too hard and only woke when the door opened.

“Ginger?” you ask.

Ginger just follows Itsy’s lead.

But anyway…

Winter months there isn’t as much traffic going in and out of Luby’s as in the summertime. About a month ago we notice this little sports car pull into the parking lot and park in the back of the lot. He wasn’t close to the dumpster so we didn’t think he was trying to dump his garbage. That’s called Theft Of Service, in case you didn’t know. So Mike watched as he got out of his car, locking it behind him. The lights flashed. Then he walked across the parking lot and we tried to guess where he was going. Wise Guys? Wok & Roll? The ATM?

No. He kept going right up the street. A few hours later a car pulls in the lot and parks beside the little sports car. The man gets out of the passenger seat and gets back in his car and they leave, going in different directions.

At first it was only once in a while then it got to be more and more often.

Now she picks him up here and they have even shared a meal or three together at the Mexican Restaurant before their tryst.

“If that guy put half as much energy into saving his marriage as he was into having this affair, it would make his marriage better.”

“How do you know it’s his fault? It might be his wife’s.”

Yeah, it’s always the wife’s fault.

“What if she is the married one?”

Yeah, there’s always that too. In which case I would say, “If that gal put half as much energy into saving her marriage as she puts into having this affair…” you get it.

<<<<<>>>>>

We have a new addition to our family. Hello! Hello! Welcome to our world Bramzen (Bram) Gatlin Harrison! This big boy arrived on 2-12-15 and weighed in at 12 pounds and 8 ounces.

If you knew his mama you would be filled with wonder that such a tiny little woman could have such a big baby! Truly a gift from God.

<<<<<>>>>>

This glowing, beautiful woman is my granddaughter Julie. She will give me my first great-grandchild. Bristol Ann Renee Johnson is due sometime in May.

<<<<<>>>>>

I have been wanting to ask you if you have tried something called Refrigerator Oatmeal. I know, right! It sounds crazy but it isn’t bad, once you get used to it.

“What is it?” you ask.

Well, if you Google it there are all kinds of recipes but what I do is I take 1/3 cup oatmeal and I use the old fashion kind but if you want to try the quick cooking-go for it. But I take 1/3 cup oatmeal, a 4 ounce container of Activia yogurt then I use my empty Activia container to measure my fairlife milk, mix it up, cover and put it in the fridge overnight. In the morning you have a quick and creamy breakfast.

There are lots of things that you can do with this recipe and I switch it up depending on the flavor Activia I’m using, but you could put cinnamon in it. Cinnamon is good for you. And chia seeds are good for you too. They are gluten free, a complete plant-based protein, have omega-3 and 6 fatty acids as well as antioxidants which we all know are good cancer fighters. Oh. And they are not that expensive. I got a 12 ounce bag at Hy-Vee for $7. Using a tablespoon at a time makes that bag last a long time.

I also have learned how to toast unsweetened coconut in my iron skillet. Coconut doesn’t have a lot of nutritional value, just a little bit of iron, but I like toasted coconut. Toasting really brings out the flavor.

So there you have it my friends and family. If you do decide to try this, especially for a cool breakfast in the hot summer months, don’t expect to like it right off. I didn’t hate it but oatmeal that has been soaked to soften rather than cooked is different. Not bad, just different. And you might look for more recipes online or simply play with it according to what’s in your house.

And a piece of advice, if you would allow me. I first saw and made this recipe using Greek yogurt. It might be thicker than the yogurt you choose to use so just be aware that if you use too much milk, it could get a little soupy on you. Use less and you can always add to it. I had to do that and discovered that with my fairlife, I like 4 ounces of milk, the size of my yogurt container.

<<<<<>>>>>

Butter.

You want to talk about butter again? And fridge odors?

I’m not going to go back and look to see if I told you something or not, but just let me say that I did have baking soda in my fridge. It’s spent, is what I thought at first, took it out and threw it away. I took a coffee filter, put a fair amount of baking soda in it and pulled up the edges to form a pouch. I secured it with a twist tie, leaving one end a little longer and I used that to hook over the wire rack in the fridge. I made my own fridge deodorizer. But the apples were just too strong and now, with the apples gone, my fridge smells all sparkly and clean again!

Butter.

“By smaller portions,” my beautiful Momma said to me. “Wrap the quarters in plastic before you put them in the fridge.” And, “Butter doesn’t have to be refrigerated.” I knew that but you have to use it in a good amount of time if you leave it out.

“You can’t replace butter!” that cute little red-haired sister of mine says. “Try freezing your extra butter.”

I love my freezer and I use it lots. I love to make big pots of soup and freeze portions for a quick and easy meal. But unfortunately the freezer is right above the fridge and if I can see the light from the fridge below, I’m pretty sure the odor can get up there too.

I did buy a tub of Parkay.

I could get used to the flavor but after eating it I felt like I had a lump of plastic in my belly and I kept burping it.

“Plastic?” you ask incredulously.

I think I thought that because I saw stuff about fake butters before. About how even flies wouldn’t eat it or it won’t melt even in the hot sun. Oh wait. That might have been McDonalds ice cream.

Apples!

Who knew apples could cause so much trouble!

<<<<<>>>>>

Now here’s a question for you. If you don’t want to use plastic anymore, what would you use instead?

Oh, wait. I can almost hear you. Let’s say I like to keep some air popped pop corn on hand and I keep it in a plastic zip-top storage bag. The next day or two days later I open it and I think I taste the plastic. Is that possible?

If you can taste something doesn’t that mean it contains molecules of whatever you are tasting?

Isn’t plastic made from petroleum?

Is that good for you-me-us?

This young lady, although beautiful enough to be a super model, is my niece Alex. She got accepted to an internship at Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory this summer on a full scholarship.

You go girl! We are all very proud of you! Don’t forget us peons when you are rich and famous, okay?

<<<<<>>>>>

Let’s do March birthdays.

Candy Wilson, 2^nd; Horace Smith, 7^th; Helen Louis Henderson Mangold, 13^th; Lorraine Soden Zabitz, 14^th; Elwood Franklin, 14^th; Sara Lynn and Rachel Marie Bowers, 19^th; Miles Smith, 22^nd; Colton Francis Ammerman, 23^rd; Rexford Soden 26^th; Richard Anthony Bowers, 27^th; Howard Richard Bowers, 27^th; Ean James Ammerman, 29^th.

Happy birthday!

If I have forgotten anyone or gotten spellings wrong, please forgive me--then correct me!

Let’s call this one done!

Lots and lots of love,

Peg and Mike