Punch Bowl Cake

I got this recipe many years ago from my 84-year-old friend, Okie Davis. Basically you take a glass punch bowl and layer it with cake, pudding, cool whip and fruit. Today I made one with broken pieces of angel food cake, vanilla pudding, fresh strawberries and cool whip. Yum!! Sometimes I make it with cherry pie filling. It's absolutely delicious made with brownies, chocolate pudding and raspberries. Double yum!! Try it!! I guarantee you'll like it!!

Memorial Day

It's Memorial Day weekend and I'm thinking of my dad. He was born May 18, 1923 in Pleasant Grove, Utah. In December, 1942, he was drafted into the army and received training as a radar operator. In 1944, dad was on a ship headed to the South Pacific. He spent nine months guarding his radar equipment on the island of New Guinea. In 1945, he was shipped to Manilla in the Philippine Islands where preparations were being made to invade Japan. The United States dropped atomic bombs August 6th and 9th on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and Japan surrendered. The war was over. He witnessed the signing of the peace treaty between General Yamashita and General Wainwright on Luna Beach, Philippines. Dad was sent home and entered the San Francisco Bay on January 5, 1946. He said he will never forget the cold night he returned home and saw Mt. Timpanogos covered in a glistening blanket of snow under a full moon. Dad died March 6, 2007 at the age of 83. Today, he has over 100 descendents and leaves behind a legacy of courage and faith. He was one among many who served his country to preserve our freedoms. Thank you, dad.

Talents

Carpe Diem

How much time do we spend worrying about tomorrow when we should be living today?! I've heard the phrase, "Today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday." Too much time is spent worrying. Worry wastes your time and gives you ulcers. The opposite of worry (or fear) is faith. I remember the lyrics to a song I heard when I was young, "Don't worry about tomorrow, just think about today, the Lord is right beside you, to help you on your way. Have faith, hope and charity. That's the way to live successfully. How do I know?, the Bible tells me so." Matthew tells us to take care of today for tomorrow will take care of itself. In Latin we read, Carpe Diem, seize the day. Cherish yesterday, live today, dream tomorrow...

Counting my blessings...

I had a conversation recently with one of my grandsons that went like this:
Him: "Gramma, why don't you have any kids?"
Me: "I do have kids."
Him: "You do???? Well, where are they?"
So, I told him the names of my five children and he gave me a very confused look. "Huh???" Just for the record, I have five of the most amazing children God ever put on this earth!! They married wonderful spouses. Plus they have given me 17 grandchildren to cherish and love. How can one woman be so blessed?? My heart bursts with gratitude and love as I count my many blessings and name them one by one.

Men

I feel sorry for men. For one thing, they have to wear socks all summer, neckties on Sunday and they have all their plumbing on the outside. They have whiskers they have to shave every morning and they have to figure out what to do with all that testosterone. My husband came out of the shower wrapped in a towel one day and asked our young son to leave the room so he could get dressed. "It's okay," our son replied, "I won't laugh!!" See what I mean? Plus men always have the dilemna of how to respond to a woman's questions. "Does this make me look fat?" They can't win!! One time I stepped on the scales and burst into tears. My husband asked me how much I weighed and I told him. Trying to soothe my tears he said, "Well, that's not as much as I thought you weighed!!" See what I mean.

Missouri Adventure

Our youngest daughter is a singer/songwriter and performs in an all girl bluegrass band. They were performing this past week in Branson, Missouri and so we decided to spend the weekend there. We got out of bed at 3am Saturday morning to shower, finish packing and drive to the airport. Our flight was supposed to land in Branson at 11am, but due to bad weather (and the fact that the Branson airport has no radar), we were diverted to Kansas City, removed from the plane and asked to wait. After a couple of hours, we were told the plane was returning to Atlanta and our flight had been cancelled. That was the bad news. The good news? They were securing a bus to take us on to Branson. The bad news? The bus only had 47 seats. There were 108 of us on the plane!! Just about then, two couples from Miami asked if we wanted to go in on a van that would take us to Branson. We climbed aboard the van with them and another family of four from Virginia. The good news!!.....The bad news?? We were introduced to our Somalian driver who didn't speak English. By now I was so tired, my brain wasn't functioning properly. "Great", I thought, "a Somalian pirate"!! I started planning how we could take him out if he pulled over and tried to rob us. The drive was four hours. We looked like a bunch of bobble-head dolls as we snoozed through the ride. We finally arrived in Branson 8 hours after our scheduled arrival and as we bid our fellow passengers goodbye, I reminded them what Kermit the Frog used to say, "There isn't a word yet, for old friends you've just met!" The next two days were spent in Silver Dollar City enjoying the band perform on stage. We flew back home last night and as we walked off the plane I asked my husband if he could take one more piece of bad news.....I had lost our parking ticket. The good news? We finally made it home to our very own bed! ZzZzZzZz

Mothers Day

A child clings to her mother yearning for safety, security and love.
A young woman gleans from her mother the knowledge acquired from life's experiences.
A middle-aged woman learns from her mother the accrued wisdom of years gone by.
An old woman accepts from her mother the reality of eternal life. ~ nlp

Never give up, but get even!!

I was asked a few years ago to give a talk in church on "The Joys of Motherhood". Here is the talk I gave:

Every Mothers Day, I would sit my children down and tell them that the only thing I wanted for Mothers Day was happy, loving children who obeyed and didn't squabble and fight with one another. I would watch them with teary eyes as they sang; "Mother dear, I love you so. I will try all day through, to please my Heavenly Father. I'm so glad He gave me you". By the time church was over and we had made the trek home, I realized that my Mothers day wish was unrealistic. I would hear the familiar sounds from the back of the van. "Mom, he's looking at me!!" "Am not!!" "Are too!!!" "Mom, he took my whatever!!" "Did not!!" "Did too!!" By the time we arrived home, I had had it. I would send them to their rooms and tell them not to come out until they were ready to leave for college. Then I would go into my own room and shut the door. I deserved some peace and quiet on Mothers Day!! I decided then and there, that even though I wasn't a perfect mother and I knew that my children would never be perfect, I was going to get even!!! So, this is what I did:
1. I stayed home. For twenty-five years they were under my surveillance 24/7.
2. I elected myself president of their fan club and showed up at every recital, concert, awards program, and playing field.
3. I made them take music lessons and I even made them sing together.
4. I accompanied them on their choir trips to Boston, Montreal, Williamsburg and Orlando.
5. I bribed their friends with home made treats and a place to hang out.
6. I made them go to church every Sunday and early morning seminary, Young Women and scouts.
7. I made them accountable for their choices.
8. At the age of twelve, I made them do their own laundry.
9. I made them teach me what they had learned at school each day.
10. I started "Moms Savings & Loan". They had to work to earn money.
(No free handouts at our house!!)
11. I never allowed the Relief Society to bring in meals. I taught them that compassionate service begins at home. If I was in the hospital, they had to serve one another.
12. They had a strict curfew!! If the Holy Ghost goes to bed a midnight, then so should they!!
13. I made them dress modestly, especially at the dinner table.
14. They were required to keep the Sabbath day holy.
15. They were required to kneel every day in family prayer.
16. They had to participate every Monday night in Family Home Evening.
Yes, sir, I got even!! and what did they do in return?
1. They made me pin Eagle Scout badges on both sons.
2. I had to look on as all three daughters received their Young Women in Excellence awards.
3. I had to take three of them to the Missionary Training Center.
4. I watched as they earned college degrees.
5. I had to go to the temple with everyone one of them.
6. I've had to accept wonderful daughters and sons-in-law into the family.
7. I've had to rock 17 grandbabies.

Yes, Mothers Day is a wonderful day now. My advice to all you young mothers out there is "Never give up, but get even!!"