When my children were young, we often rode the bus
downtown to visit dad’s office to take him to lunch. In those days, the business district of town
was booming. Two lively malls flanked
Main Street. There were restaurants,
galleries, theaters and all the trappings of a vibrant downtown. My
children covered their eyes and trembled as we walked past the punk rockers who loitered in
front of Nordstrom, as if covering their eyes would protect them from the spiked
haired individuals with chains and black lipstick. They giggled at the absurdity of walking over
the bridges temporarily built to cross the rivers diverting flood waters down the streets of Salt Lake City. They oohed and awed as we observed the beautiful gardens at
Temple Square after sipping a bowl of Lentil soup from Lambs Café. From time to time we visited the bakery at ZCMI, America’s oldest department store, and
bought a sugar cookie with white frosting that was oddly offset but piled high
and adorned with colorful sprinkles.
This ritual was usually the culminatation of the outing before dad went back to work
and we boarded the bus for home and naptime.
Just the sight of my cookies took me on a fieldtrip of sorts
and put a smile of deep satisfaction on my face and warmed my spirit for bygone
days filled with love, learning and spending time together as a family. How quickly time passes, but for a moment or
two, long enough to look at those cookies, it seemed like yesterday.
Last Saturday, I went to a Vintage market with my daughter
and her friend. There were vendors with
their wares and creations from several western states. In the very first booth, I discovered some
vintage puzzles. Caught with wonderful surprise,
memories of my sweet grandmother overwhelmed me and tears welled up in my eyes as outing after
outing rolled past my mind like a filmstrip.
( I don’t expect many of you to remember what that is.) I remembered her constant scent of rose
perfume, her cotton candy strawberry blond hair and her smile that made me
believe I was the most important person in the world. I could almost hear the music that played from a stereo
that was as large as a set of dresser drawers and remembered her walk-in closet
that had more hats, belts, brooches, clip-on earrings that made our tender ears ache
and shoes than were befitting a princess which kept my sister and I busy for
years. In the few minutes it took for me
to purchase those three little cardboard puzzles, I had all those memories and
so many, many more.
“But
the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall
teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I
have said unto you.” John 14:26
Bringing things to our remembrance is a spiritual gift that
comforts us with past knowledge of our competence and goodness when we falter, reminds
us of lessons learned from past relationships, pricks our conscience when we
are at the fork in the road as decisions must be made, helps us to strive to
lift ourselves beyond where we currently are to what we can undoubtedly become. Bringing things to our remembrance as we go
about our daily lives, gives us cause to not only be fortified by the past, but
to help us have faith in the future. The
best defenses we have to tackle an uncertain future are our successes and
failures of the past.
“How important is it for each of us to remember those times
when without the Lord’s help we could never have accomplished the mission or
the calling, the task or the challenge given to us? When we can draw from the past, we don’t have
to retest every decision or experience, or burn our hand on the hot stove yet
again. We can turn to our storehouse of
memory over and over again to recall, replay, or relive precious, important,
and sacred moments. These will sustain,
comfort, and protect us against uncertainty or a faltering faith. “ ~Ardith
Kapp
My two remembrances this past week have nothing to do with
cookies and puzzles but have everything to do with my desire to be a wonderful
and caring mother to my grown children and an equal desire to be the same type
of doting and loving grandmother that made my childhood rich with experiences offering
self esteem and confidence to my young life.
I am reminded that my priorities are still with my family even if we are
scattered from coast to coast. Situations,
jobs, opportunities to serve come and go, but those deeply rooted areas of
great importance or urgency enlarge and develop. What is sometimes lost or dimmed from our
immediate view becomes new again, if only we can remember.
I have included my favorite sugar cookie recipe shared with me by my neighbor Linda Anderson.
Crisp Sugar Cookies
1 c butter
½ c vegetable oil
1c sugar
1c powdered sugar
2 eggs
2 t vanilla
4 ½ c flour
1t soda
1 t salt
1 t cream of tarter
Cream butter, oil and sugars together. Add egg and vanilla. Mix well.
Add all dry ingredients and mix until incorporated but don’t over mix. Roll out and cut into shapes or drop into
balls with small ice cream scoop. Bake
350 degrees for 8 min or until barely turning brown on edges.
Frosting
¼ c butter
4 c powdered sugar
1 ½ t almond flavoring
Few drops half and half, cream or milk to achieve desired
consistency
2 comments:
sugar cookies are just about the death of me, but maybe i will have to try this recipe.
Great post mom! I still remember those kids in front of Nordstrom's like it was yesterday...the horror was burned into my little brain.
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