The Plan

Yesterday I attended an awards ceremony where former BYU football coach Lavell Edwards was the guest speaker. He talked about how we won't succeed at anything if we don't have a plan. Then today, we attended a conference broadcast from the Marriott Center at BYU. The speakers were Elder Holland, Sister Beck, and President Packer. Excellent talks on how to have a plan that will take us back to our Father in Heaven. In that plan we should never rely on our previous testimony, but should renew our testimony every day. The Lord is voting for us, the devil is voting against us and we make the final decision. Faith is the key to spiritual survival in these latter-days. Having a plan will keep us on the right path, the one that will lead us back to our heavenly home.

Clam Chowder

Today I went with my sister-in-law to her family's cabin in the mountains. The elevation there is 9,000 feet. The temperature was 40 degrees when we arrived. The leaves are changing colors and it was a beautiful sight, with white barked aspen trees, pine and oak trees. The air had a crispness to it and made us look forward to the coming fall weather. I immediately thought of clam chowder, one of our favorite fall meals. I'm going to have to make some tomorrow. Maybe you should, too!!

Clam Chowder:
4 cups diced potatoes (I cheat and use frozen hash browns)
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
2 cans minced clams
Simmer together until soft.
Make sauce:
2 sticks butter
1 cup flour
Melt butter and stir in flour to form a roux
Stir in one quart half and half. Stir continuously until thickened.
Add 2-3 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper
Add to potatoes, etc. Stir and serve.

Zucchini, meeny, miney, moan.....

A man had an out-of-town visitor and had taken him to visit many local places of interest. The final day of his visit was on a Sunday and so he was invited to go to church. After they had parked, the man made sure he had locked his car. The visitor asked him why he had locked his car since he hadn't locked it at any of the other places they had visited. Surely he didn't need to lock his car in the church parking lot! The man turned to his visitor and said, "If I don't lock my car, I come out and it's full of zucchini."

Zucchini meeny, miney, moe. Plant a seed and watch it grow.
Eeny, meeny, makes a lot. Like a magic cooking pot.
Eeny, meeny, munch a lot. Zucchini every meal you've got:
Zucchini bread, zucchini spread, zucchini casseroles,
Zucchini pies, zucchini fries, zucchini dinner rolls.
Zucchini juice, zucchini mousse, zucchini jam and scone.
Zucchini hash, and succotash, zucchini, meeny miney, moan.
(From the book, "Busy in the Garden" by George Shannon)

Zucchini Bread
1 cup oil
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 cups grated unpeeled zucchini
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups flour

Mix together and pour into greased loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour at 350.

Baby sea turtles

Last night our son and his three young daughters were walking along the beach when someone told them to be careful where they were stepping because baby sea turtles were making their voyage from their nest to the ocean. Our son took some video with his phone and emailed it to us. (You gotta love modern technology!!). We were able to watch the little turtles as they followed their instincts and made their way to the sea. If they don't make it to the water, they can be eaten by seagulls or other animals. Statistics show that only 1% of the baby turtles make it to the sea. So, it was a great victory to see the little turtles swimming in the water. We could draw lots of parallels to their plight and apply them to our own lives, but sometimes it's enough just to enjoy the miracles that are around us.

Happy Birthday Nannette!!

On August 12, 1969, I became a mother. An 8 lb. baby girl was born at Utah Valley Hospital and placed in my arms. Her skin was pink and she had peach fuzz for hair. We didn't have a name for her since my husband had insisted for 9 months that she was a boy. We decided on the name Nannette. Today she is the mother of four boys and she is a beautiful, intelligent and wonderful woman. I am so blessed to be her mother. Happy Birthday, Nannette!! I am so proud of you and love you so much!!

"There are no birds in last year's nest..."

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote the phrase "there are no birds in last year's nest". Every spring, the birds build a new "home". They never return to last year's nest, and so it should be with us. Past sorrows, regrets, and hardships should be left behind as we move on to new opportunities that await us. It does us no good to dwell on the past, but we should concentrate on the future by building a new nest and looking forward to a brighter future.

No empty chairs...

"God intended the family to be eternal. With all my soul, I testify to the truth of that declaration. May He bless us to strengthen our homes and the lives of each family member so that in due time we can report to our Heavenly Father in His celestial home that we are all there~father, mother, sister, brother, all who hold each other dear. Each chair is filled. We are all back home." ~ Ezra Taft Benson