More on Cookies

Hello,

Miriam called to tell me that I should rethink taking those cookies to any public gathering. She then informed me that she had just made some delicious chocolate chip cookies. In my heart I know those would be more accepted, but I am not ready to go there.

I called her back to tell her that I do not eat chocolate and seldom have I felt that bothered anyone in their offerings to the public. So I figured that I could just do it. Then Miriam informed that she had been making a joke. We talked one more time in which she told me that she had tried to make peanut butter cookies with real peanut butter and not from the partial sugar and oil kind that is so popular in US grocery stores. It sounded much like mine had with just making crumbles. Guess those recipes depend on sugar and oil from many sources.

In another phone call Miriam learned that about six or seven other people were bringing cookies and this meeting might have 70 in attendance. Then she figured it was fine for me to bring whatever as people would have other choices. Maybe I will provide an additional choice for someone more like me in baking style.

When did taste become king rather than health? I remember my mother being proud of the fact that she did not stint on sugar. When did sugar become the big important ingredient? Is it because no one really checked nutritional things? From articles I have been reading recently the same things have happened to our fruits. They have been bred for sweetness disregarding nutrition; consequently we get less food value from most modern apple varieties.

Paula

Cookies

Hello,

Leroy announced, “I need to take three dozen cookies to a meeting.”

“Ok,” I said, “Just go buy some.”

“They specified homemade,” he said.

Then the anxiety just seemed to grow as I have not made cookies in three or four years. I look at cookie recipes and I am appalled at the proportion of sugar and oil to other more healthy ingredients. And it reminds me again that we give these things to children as something good. Maybe the taste draws them in but there is little goodness with it. By goodness I mean something that contributes to health. I am not sure why veggies that are loaded with nutrition got such a bad rap.

I looked over some recipe books and recipe cards. I finally settled on a recipe that I had never made, but it only required one cup of sugar and ¾ cup peanut butter. These cookies are needed on Tuesday. I made them today, but not without difficulty. The stiff mixture was so unbearably difficult to stir until I remembered my hand mixer that touted its ability to stir the stiffest dough. Well that mixer lived up to its claim; however the dough was so dry that I could not form it into the required balls.

Leroy wondered if it was because my peanut butter is only peanuts without added oil and sugar. That could be a factor. Also it used whole wheat flour and that seems to have varying levels of dryness. What do to? I remembered in the distant past adding another egg so I tried that with little success. Leroy suggested that I might add some oil so I did that. It almost hung together. Then Leroy suggested that I put it in a pan and make bars. That suggestion worked or at least appeared good.

It baked ok, but how to tell when it was done? I confess to being quite mystified by that. When I did finally take it out, I tried cutting it up. That was difficult, but was accomplished after much perseverance. I tasted some and thought they tasted good. However, will anyone else think the same? Maybe no one will ask Leroy to ever bring cookies again. Leroy will give them the taste test. If they fail, I will try to make some oatmeal raisin cookies. I hope I can still make them. Course I will have to buy butter as I have nothing in the house that qualifies as shortening. Or perhaps we can find some place that makes homemade cookies.

I should also reveal tell that these cookies have a cup of sesame seeds and a half cup of coconut in them. I had some of the usual store bought sweetened coconut in the house so I put that in rather than my unsweetened variety. Do you think anyone else will think these are sweet? I certainly do. However I think many other things are much too sweet and others appear to like them that way.

I have to confess that I did eat several pieces that broke off. Now my stomach does not feel good. It certainly is not used to so much sugar and oil.

Paula

Sunny Day

Hello,

The sun is shining, the sheets are on the line, the kitchen floor is washed, and Leroy is futzing around on his bike trying to make it shift better. What a great morning. In the afternoon we will drive to the Burlington area to help Leroy’s sister and husband celebrate their 50^th anniversary. It should be a nice drive and a nice visit.

As the sun streams in the window it shows off the two poinsettias that still look quite beautiful. Then there is the primrose that has two lovely yellow blossoms. Out of the nine poinsettias in this apartment I would say that four or five of them are almost as good as Christmas time. The others have lost a few leaves. The shamrock, amaryllis, and impatiens are blooming as well. I am blessed with green and color.

I am behind with my walking but have put on four miles for two days so that should help with the total. It is so hard for me to get any miles in on Monday and Tuesday when I work from noon to the evening. I seem to have a “to do” list for the mornings that does not come home.

The church staff here is going to help Leroy celebrate his retirement by taking him out for lunch. We do not really see it as retirement since he will be working almost full time. It is retirement on paper only. It is retirement because of the health insurance issue. It is more economical if we use Medicare and the supplement we are buying. He is blessed because they are going to send him on some Stephen’s ministry training (he always likes to learn more), pay his way to the Synod convention, and pay him a salary for the hours he works for them. When Leroy starts on the extended contract in July he will move his office boxes out of here and into the church. That will be nice to decrease the amount of things here. What could be better? We will be living in luxury.

Paula

Haircut

Hello,

It had been a month since my last haircut. Yesterday I needed a haircut. Today I planned to get one, but my hair looked so much better than yesterday. However I could not go next Wednesday because I will be on my way to MN to babysit for Brian’s children. Now that I have the haircut I am happy as it looks much better except for the fact that it points out more clearly that hair is disappearing. I know there are products that one can buy. Should I get such and admit that I do indeed want to look better? What cost is vanity? Why does my sister have such a great head of hair and I got the thinning variety? Oh well, for now it is not too much, but soon it will be like a beacon going before me. Already I find it harder to control. Seems that is backwards. Less hair ought to easier to arrange instead of springing up in weird ways. I am trying to be grateful because while my hair is lacking my health is good. I should whine when I have something serious to whine about.

An explanation of my scheduled departures in the next few months might clarify my time. April 9, I will be going to Brian’s for a Wed-Mon. trip. The purpose is to babysit and enjoy these grandchildren. I might even get back in time to work on Monday.

At the end of the month I am leaving on the 30^th to May 6^th to help Miriam celebrate her graduation. Again I could just do a weekend, but flights are much cheaper when going from Tue. or Wed. I will enjoy the week so I am not really complaining.

Then on July 2^nd we will fly to UT for a reunion with our children. It is on the Monday following this weekend that Miriam, her girls, and I will drive back to Iowa.

I have not booked the ticket yet, but I am, and possibly Leroy too, going to DC to babysit with Sarah’s children.

Do you get the picture? All vacations or time off focuses around our children. But they are worth it.

Although Leroy declares, “This year we are going camping because I miss it.”

I say, “Don’t get too excited, it will happen.”

Paula

Am I getting old?

Hello,

Yesterday Leroy and I got our taxes done with the help of the friendly capable volunteer at the service we used last year. That good Leroy had all of the needed information. I just sat, filled out a survey, and smiled pleasantly. That is ok; I can still manage to do that with great aplomb.

After that we came home where Leroy settled in for a day of doing any odd jobs around the house on his day off. At 9:30 I knew that I was to be at work at 11:30. Something happened in my brain. I was leaving the house when my boss called. Leroy answered and told her I was just leaving. I wondered if she wanted to remind me to be there at the earlier time of 11:30. Leroy then said, “Paula, it is 11:30.” Yikes! How did that happen?

Sunday afternoon, evening, I emailed the kids asking for pictures of their children so I could make another free collage. Somehow I got involved in watching a movie and I totally forgot about that organizing task. I am ashamed to say that all of my children went to work and sent me good cute pictures. Sigh!

There was something else I was going to relate, but now I cannot bring it to mind. Brain cells are collecting in my feet where they do no good as all I do is stomp on them.

Leroy spent some time yesterday going through his books for his church office. One of our tasks in the spiritually class is to live more simply. Leroy has now weeded out about 25 more books. That is so good. I have only found a few things that I am going to eliminate. Some have already gone to Goodwill. If I could just get rid of the thought, “I might need it in the future” I could lighten the load more easily.

Paula

Good things

Hello,

Last night we were invited out to eat with friends. I think I talked too much, but other than that it was a good time. I even believe I might have repeated a story or two that I had told in the past. Oh, dear, that repeating story sign of aging is creeping in. Brian, however, would tell you that it settled in a long time ago and never left. Leroy and I both enjoyed this time of visiting.

Today I managed to walk 3.5 miles. It is so wonderful that the sun was shining and it was a bit warmer. So many people were out working on the lawns, flower beds, or other outside household chores. It was great to greet all of these people. One other reason to be out walking was that I had gotten some groceries in the morning only to learn when I got home that I had not been charged for some cheese. I walked back to the store to pay for it. They were surprised and pleased that I had come back to correct that oversight. It almost felt like a good deed because of its rarity.

Since the company did not want it back, Leroy decided to take apart the water kettle that had stopped working. This non mechanical genius decided to cut apart some wires and put it back together. On the test it performed wonderfully well. The second time was good too. We are not getting overly optimistic but we think it is healed for the moment even though Leroy has no idea what the wires were supposed to do. His intuition told him to cut them.

Yesterday I told Miriam that I would like to come for her graduation in May. This child lets no grass grow under her feet. She worked out a plan. We have canceled my return flight in July. At that time Miriam, her two daughters, and I will drive back to Iowa. That trip fits in with other plans she had. I think I am to help with the children on this 1200 mile drive. We have also talked about stopping in Missouri Valley where she was born so she can see her birth town. She does not remember it at all since we left when she was four years and one month old. The cancelled flight credit allows me to get a very cheap flight out the last week in April and first in May. Who would have thought this could happen?

Paula

Not Moving

Hello,

Leroy and I will be staying in Cedar Rapids for another year, maybe longer. Leroy is not sure how long he will work now before the pastor decides she is able to come back to work. She has given a letter of resignation to the congregation and is retiring at the end of June. At time Leroy will be hired as a half time interim visitation pastor. He will work about 20 hours for the church while continuing his 15 hours for the museum. It is expected that the church job will last for at least a year while they look for an additional pastor. I am amazed because I kept saying that Leroy would like a half time church job and a half time library job, I had no clue how such a thing could happen. It is now his job with a foot in both worlds. How did that happen? You know if he had not lost half of his job at the museum it would probably not have materialized. Things fall into place in the most amazing ways.

Now one of my goals will be to not accumulate things. A longer stay has a tendency to lead to that possibility. A loaming move causes me to question all purchases in the light of weight and do we really need it.

One purchase I will make is a new water kettle. Ours died. Leroy and I both like them so the search is on. It was under warranty consequently money will be refunded. I would have liked it if they replaced, but there is the right water kettle out there waiting for me.

Leroy does move around a lot without dragging the whole house with him. Yesterday he walked a total of eight miles. I talked him into riding his bike this morning even though it was cold. He was stopping at the church on the way to work so I thought that would give him a chance to warm up before heading out for the last two miles. It is to be much warmer this evening when he comes home.

Paula