The Gift of Prayer

Positive Pensées

Kathy King

The Gift of Prayer

“Prayer should be the key of the day and lock of the night.”

George Herbert

Prayer.

A lot of people say, “I’m praying for you.”
You hope that they mean it, and offer those prayers for you.

To pray, to ask, to seek and perhaps even to find. 

Prayer provides a solace that in this world we simply cannot find. 

Prayer doesn’t have to be verbose, big or grand.

Prayer can be a quiet supplication when no one is around.

Pray, listen, meditate and read.

Bear your soul's needs, give your burdened spirit a reprieve.

Pray for your neighbor, your enemies and your friends.

Pray for those ravaged by war, hunger and pain.

They need your prayers to cope with their insurmountable pain.

Take a few moments and lift your head. 

Pray to the heavenlies. 

I assure you, you will have no regrets. 

This morning I decided to read the news.  I don’t particularly like reading the news.  I stopped watching a long while back.  I just couldn’t stomach the partisanship of the reporting.  I would scream at the TV, “Just the facts man!  We don’t need your commentary.”  As I opened the news app, I was overwhelmed with sadness at yet another war.  Children crying, families being killed or taken hostage.  It was just too much to bear.  I started to cry for these poor people. As I sit in my home in relative quiet, covered by a blanket and comfortable, I can’t help but feel so many emotions.  It was overwhelming.  What do we do as a people in the situation when we sit across the pond in relative peace and stability?  We pray.  Some folks say, “You are in my thoughts and prayers.”  That is not what I mean.  We should take a moment and pray for those ravaged by war, those who are hostages, those families that have lost loved ones suddenly.  It doesn’t have to be grand or verbose.  Just, “Dear God, please bring peace, help these people. Please end this burden of war.”  That is it.  I read a few little blurbs about prayer earlier. Some of the take away portions from the act of prayer were as follows:  Prayer is the soul of hope. When we pray we light a candle in the darkness. Prayer rouses us from the tepidity of a purely horizontal existence and brings us into awareness of those in need around us.  It is a bonding of the souls.  Prayer is transformative.  It brings you out of your bubble and puts your mind on others who are indeed in need of prayer for their situations.  This will be a short musing today because well.... My heart is heavy for those who are burdened with fear, suffering, so much suffering.  I will leave you with just a couple of quotes:

“Prayer is the forerunner of mercy. Turn to sacred history, and you will find that scarcely ever did a great mercy come to this world unheralded by supplication.”  Charles Spurgeon

“Prayer does not fit us for the greater work; prayer is the greater work.”

Oswald Chambers

Please friends, pray for Peace.  

Positive Pensées

A double rainbow outside of our home recently. 
May our thoughts be like a double rainbow.

Positive Pensées

Kathy King

This is my very first Pensée that I wrote well over a year ago. I knew that I had to find some direction in this empty and quiet house. I sat and wrote each day for hours. I poured out my thoughts. It was almost like dealing with grief. Today I am writing more Pensées just about daily. My brain never stops. But this one, it was the catapult that lauched the musings.

“The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts: therefore, guard accordingly, and take care that you entertain no notions unsuitable to virtue and reasonable nature.”

Marcus Aurelius

The Gift of Life, the Universe and Everything.

Thoughts or Pensée’s (Pahnsehs) if you will.

One day I prayed and prayed as to what to call my little musings. This brought to mind the philosopher Blaise Pascal.  He lived during the 1600s and was a bit of a genius.  His father was an accountant who wanted Pascal to help him.  When the task became too laborious, Pascal invented a calculator.  That is one of the many things that Pascal contributed to the world of science. If you ever have the time, his works and history are well worth a read.  In the latter part of his life he dedicated his time and service to God.  Hence his work, Pensées. He never finished the whole book due to his death but what he wrote was pretty amazing.  That is the inspiration for my little musings. 

Ideas, notions, beliefs, and perception.

Thinking, pondering, music, cogitation.

Call them what you will but our thoughts define us.

Where do you keep your thoughts?  Are they full of hope in quite clearly a time of struggle?

Do you think of your family, your friends, or your neighbors?

I took a look around our neighborhood this week and thought, “I have lived here for well over 10 years and I don’t know a lot about the folks that live just a few feet from me.” I felt a great sense of sadness and shame that I am not more involved with those around me.  I do believe the last couple of years has really re-shaped our conception of friends, community, and a sense of belonging.  Certainly social media has been both a help and a hindrance.  I have read several rants recently about how people are awful.  Why waste your time, etc.  That gives me great sadness.  While yes, there are folks who definitely are not great, there are some who are looking for a reason, a purpose to elevate their character.  I recently came across a post that said, “Try not complaining for 24 hours and see how it changes your thoughts.”  This really struck me.  The post brought to mind my husband’s words to me recently (well a lot recently), “Stop saying I have to go do the laundry, I have to go to the store, I have to fill in the blank.  Try to replace it with: I get to go to the store, etc.” That one single suggestion completely changed my attitude. Am I still working on it, yes! One of the reasons I started writing again is an empty nest.   My house is quiet, the kids are all grown.  It’s such a strange time.  I told my husband in some small ways it is almost like a death when your role changes from mom of kids to mom of adults.  This year my youngest will no longer be a teen anymore.  She will be turning 20.  Wow.  Time flies. I used to hear church ladies say, “Don’t blink! They will be grown in an instant.” They were right.  So if you all want to hear funny stories, silly musings, music, and other shenanigans please consider following my journey into the next phase of life.  I will leave you all with a quote from Pascal who wrote the book Pensées (pahnsehs) which is translated “Thoughts.”  He said,  “Kind words don’t cost much.  Yet they accomplish much.” I hope you will join me in this journey of finding small bits each day to ponder that can change our attitude in a meaningful way.  Does that mean that you ignore that there are bad things going on around you?  Certainly not.  But rather even when life is a struggle you can find that beacon of light at the end of the tunnel to pull you through until you reach the surface.

My books are on Amazon!

The Quacktastic Adventures of Ellie and Lord Barks a Lot

Clean it Up!  Wash it Up!

Coming soon:

Appalachian Allegory

The Case of the Missing Honk Honk

The Case of the MIssing Ornaments

The Gift of Seeds

Plant the different seeds.....

Positive Pensées

Kathy King

The Gift of Seeds

“When you start planting different seeds, new things will grow.  Peace. Calm. Wisdom. Love. Beauty. Purpose. Keep tending your garden.  Just wait and see.”

Unknown

What is contained in a seed?

What causes it to grow?

That little seed can produce a miracle when tended and encouraged to grow. 

A little water, some sun, perhaps some fertilizer and patient care. 

Those seeds start to sprout and show their little specks of green. 

The miracle starts to happen, the beginning tendrils of the plant can be seen.

As they continue to sprout they grow and bask in the sun. 

Then leaves, the fruit are germinating all from the gentle care. 

A seed contains everything to begin new life. 

The nutrients, the root, the stem, the leaves. 

They are all in that little pod. 

What a miracle indeed!

Plant different seeds. 

Plant peace to be your respite.

Plant Calm to help you cope.

Plant wisdom to get through this thing we call life. Let your wisdom grow. 

Plant Love to help you understand yourself and others, even when they struggle. 

Plant beauty within so that your soul will shine and exude outwardly so that your beauty can be seen. 

Plant Purpose in your garden.  Make it your intention and objective.  

Watch your garden grow, tend it each day, and watch your glorious blooms show that a beautiful garden is not only possible but it is the best, most fragrant and beautiful way. 

Recently I wrote a little musing about blooming.  How can we bloom even in the midst of adversity?  I wanted to take that a step further and talk about seeds and planting today.  When I first started planting a garden I had no idea what I was doing.  None.  I went to the store, bought the seeds, picked some random shady spot (I am not kidding) in my backyard and planted a few seeds.  I did not really buy any soil to counter this harsh southern clay that we call mud here.  I just dug little holes, put in a little water and hoped for the best.  I was so proud that I called my neighbor, the master gardener over and showed him very proudly my “garden.”  Well, being the graciously lovely person that he is, he said, “Well, you do have a little bit growing and you are trying, but they may not grow too well.  They are not in the sun.  You planted them in the shade.”  I fancied myself so much of a gardener that I didn’t even bother to ask the master gardener for help.  How often do we rush to do things without reading about it because we are so excited or think… “I can do that, it can’t be that hard!”  Or, is it just me?  Well, life is much like the seeds we plant.  We start with peace.  Peace is defined: freedom from disturbance; tranquility.  What is in your seed of peace?  Quiet? A moment’s respite from life as we know it? How do you find those seeds? What about calm? The absence of confrontational activity.  The absence of anger.  The absence of nervousness.  Where can you find that?  Wisdom? Love? Beauty and glorious Purpose?  Where are those seeds found?  Well, certainly there is some contained within ourselves but all of these concepts have to be sought and planted in you. Some find them through reading scripture.  Others through meditation.  To take the idea even further.  Wisdom comes from listening to those who have had many years on the earth.  In a lot of societies the older generation is venerated because they are the germination of wisdom, love, peace, calm, etc.. If you want peace in your life, plant it. If you want wisdom, seek it. If you want love, give it.  If you want calm, look for it even when things are crazy all around you.  One of the things that I remember about having four small children in diapers long ago was that I had to develop a sense of calm even when the little toddlers were running around and screaming.  For me it was thinking of music, or even putting on some music that would calm them down.  I sang a song in my head, and It worked.  Plant those seeds purposefully and wait and see what happens.  History is full of folks who found peace in the midst of struggle.  Irena Sendler was a social worker in Warsaw, Poland during World War II.  She helped about 3000 Jews and Polish people to safety during that time.  She went as far as to pose as a nurse to get into the Warsaw Ghetto.  She was captured, beaten, tortured, left for dead, tortured again, and never gave one single name away.  A lot of those names were children.  She never backed down.  Through that time of struggle she was still able to make it, and go on to continue her social work well after the war.  She lived to be 98 years old. She had planted a pretty strong garden within her heart and soul.  I leave you with this quote: “Peace. It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work.  It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart” Unknown.  Plant your garden purposefully with good seeds.  Your crop, your blooms will be a gift to you and others.  

Source: Reader’s Digest

My books are on Amazon!

The Quacktastic Adventures of Ellie and Lord Barks a Lot

Clean it Up!  Wash it Up!

Coming soon:

Appalachian Allegory

The Case of the Missing Honk Honk

The Case of the Missing Ornaments

The Gift of Learning Empathy

I took this photo in the mountains of North Carolina.  It speaks empathy to me for some reason.

Positive Pensées

Kathy King

The Gift of Learning Empathy

“The highest form of knowledge is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another’s world.”

Plato

Does empathy ever cross your mind?

Does your mindset ever wander into another person’s worldview? 

To have empathy means to be able to suspend the self-centered view.

To pause and try to see the circumstances of folks you may or may not know. 

Selfies, self-love, self-care, and self.  

How many times have you heard this particular phrase?

What if we take a moment each day and turn these phrases around in a more meaningful way?

How about trying another person’s perspective, encouraging friendly care. 

Even if you cannot fully see yourself in their shoes, the act of trying can change your view.

Trying can also speak to the person who is struggling. 

You have taken a moment to reflect and convey that you care about their circumstance.  

This action will go a very long way. 

*I wrote this last year, I write every single day… I do.  I decided to share this one with some additions because I too am learning a lot about practicing better empathy.  The dictionary defines empathy as: The ability to understand and share the feelings of another. 

Well folks, we are about to start a wild and wacky election cycle….  Are you ready?  I certainly am not.  Let us find an extra helping of empathy during this time.  

We just finished an election cycle last week.  It is that time where you dance a jig of glee because you are not inundated with political commercials, political mailings and the never ending political text messages that come through at a racing pace.  Every person that I have encountered on multiple sides of the political aisle has a pretty resounding point of view.  Why do politicians focus on what tears us apart rather than what brings us together?  The consensus?  An overflowing lack of empathy.  Some of this mindset is very much conveyed on social media.  Yesterday, I read that the majority of “inflammatory posts” from both sides of the political aisle come from about seven percent of the population!  Just seven percent!  This means that an overwhelming portion of the population is either very wary of the division or they want us to work together because we have more in common than what we disagree upon.  Think about it, if you spend most of your time in one echo chamber that supports your world view, how does that foster empathy?  Empathy puts you squarely in an experience that you are not familiar with.  Recently, I read a story about a man who boarded the subway in New York City with his two small children.  The father sat down and hung his head low.  It was almost as if he were in shock.  The kids proceeded to run around the train with little to no supervision.  Many folks gave the kids a bad look and thought, “Why can’t this father reign his kid in?  They are acting crazy!”  The antics continued for several moments until a passenger on the train asked the man why he would not tell his kids to sit down and be quiet.  The man responded, “I know I should discipline them but their mother died this morning and I am at a loss as to what to do.” Those words disarmed the whole angry train.  How often do we leap to judgment when we see certain actions that we think there is a quick and swift solution to the problem?  I know I am guilty quite often.  Are there exceptions to this rule?  Absolutely.  In a world teaming with folks pushing through life, how many are struggling? The Good Samaritan is a prime example of empathy.  In the Bible a parable was told of a man who was robbed on the side of the road and left for dead.  A priest passed by, looked at the man and could not be bothered to help him because he was in a hurry and after all, that activity was above him.  He had important things to do!  A Deacon (an authority in the church), passed by and thought, “Oh he is bloody and hurt!”  Yet he did not stop to help his fellow human.  Finally a Samaritan stopped and helped him.  What is the significance of this action?  The Jewish people during that time highly regarded the Samaritans as people who were not worthy to associate with.  They were not allowed in the temple, they were not allowed to be associated with the Jewish people.   Yet this man had both sympathy and empathy to help out his fellow human in need.  I would wager these stories carry over into everyday life.  I will leave you with this quote from Henry David Thoureau: “Could a greater miracle take place than for us to look through each other’s eyes for an instant?”  Empathy truly is a gift and practice that is greatly needed in this day and age.  

Source:Linkedin.com, biblestudytools.com

My books are on Amazon!

The Quacktastic Adventures of Ellie and Lord Barks a Lot

Clean it up! Wash it Up!

Coming soon:

Appalachian Allegory

The Case of the Missing Honk Honk

The Gift of Blooming

Plant yourself in fertile soil and bloom!

Positive Pensées

Kathy King

The Gift of Blooming

“When you are in a dark place, you sometimes tend to think you’ve been buried.  Perhaps you have been planted.  Bloom.

Unknown

Are you in a dark place?

Is there much despair?

Do you feel dormant and feel lack of growth and meaningful care?

Is the light not at the end of the tunnel?

Can you not break free?

Well perhaps dear reader, you may just be planted to take root and bloom for all the world to see. 

Take the time, reflect and pray. 

Water your spirit with scripture or meaningful words each day.

Fertilize your mind with goodness, grace, and discipline.

Make it your purpose to grow strong roots that can withstand the rays of the sun, the pounding rain and the days where no rain can be found. 

Bloom the most beautiful blooms, and after you have taken the time, show others the true meaning of going from seed, to root, to sprout, to bloom.

Show your blooms beauty, let your fragrance fill the room

Show everyone that you went from darkness to light. 

Be the example of true and beneficial growth. 

I know that each and every one of us have felt like we were in dark places at varying times in our lives, right?  Perhaps you feel like you are in a constant dark place.  So much of life is how you look at it, is it not?  The cynic would probably disagree, most likely.  Maybe not.  It probably depends on the cynic honestly.  I digress.  We have all found ourselves in dark places.  Honestly, I have struggled with this since late last year. Health issues, family issues, work issues, house issues, etc.. etc.. etc..  There are times when it seems that they all pile on at one time.  That is when the darkness can, and will come in, take over and overwhelm you.  So what can you do?  For me, pray.  Pray lots.  I have started meditating with classical music.  Active listening (I am a talker that is a challenge for me), finding one thing each day to be thankful for.  I made a resolution for the New Year to say, “Good Morning” to my husband each day.  Honestly, some days I mumble it.  Some days I say it cheerfully.  I have only missed one morning this year.  Set goals.  For me, it is to publish my novel and two more children’s books before the year is over.  That is ambitious, and I may not make it… but they are goals.  My husband often asks me, "What are you building?" I would add to that... What are you planting? Start small, make your bed in the morning.  Have you ever heard the lecture about making your bed?  The idea is that if you make your bed every morning you will start a habit that will lead you to more discipline which in turn will help you go on to do bigger and better… and more disciplined actions. Also, what kind of soil are you planting your seeds in?  Are you just throwing it right out to where the birds can consume it? Are you wasting your time on situations that are just that, for the birds?  Are you planting on rocky soil?  The plant springs up and then dies quickly because of the shallow soil.  The sun scorches the plant and it is just not going to bloom.  Do you plant yourself amongst thorns? The thorns will take you over. I liken those thorns to life.  You are either going to live purposefully or life is going to dictate it to you in some way and as my husband tells my kids, “If you don’t make a plan, life will make it for you, and in most cases you probably will not like it.”  That way is usually the way of thorns.  Overwhelming thorns that keep you in a state of constant disarray.   You will rarely if ever bloom.  Or, is your soil fertile? It is filled with good influences, good thoughts, good reads, filled with a spiritual circle that can help you in the toughest of times. During your dark times, throwing your seeds to the birds, those physical delights that provide temporary solace.  They have no lasting effect.  The rocks provide a temporary solace.  Those things that on the surface might bring you pleasure.  But when the hard times come, the sun beats down and there is little water… well, you will wither. The thorns, those things that keep you from discipline.  Those habits that have never really helped but you keep doing them.  They will eventually eat you up in their darkness.  Or… can you gloriously, and wonderfully try to plant yourself in good fertile soil?  You can’t grow if you stay in the darkness.  What is your darkness?  Is it spending way too much time on social media?  I watched a news story that social media is single handedly destroying some folks because they simply do not know how/when to get off.  Is it politics? I tell you what, I cannot stomach more than five minutes of watching anything political these days. It is just too toxic. What is fertile ground for you?  Fertile ground is finding meaning in a world that is lost, praying, meditating, cultivating good habits.  It is spending less time on the screen and more time loving your neighbors.  It is taking a walk, learning something new.  One thing that becoming an empty nester has taught me is that you have to fill your time meaningfully.  Not always, sure watch that TV show, etc.. but find the time to cultivate your spirit and soul. This was and is a tough lesson that I am still learning to this day.  Find that reason for gratitude each day and let it set the tone for your day’s soil.  I promise you, it will come back.  It may take some time, watering and fertilizing but the returns will come and you will bloom like a glorious and fragrant flower.  I leave you with these words, “Sometimes the bravest and most important thing that you can do is just show up.”  Brene Brown.

Source: Make Your Bed William McRaven

My books are on Amazon!

The Quacktastic Adventures of Ellie and Lord Barks a Lot

Clean it Up!  Wash it Up!

Coming soon:

Appalachian Allegory

The Case of the Missing Honk Honk

The Gift of I'm Cute Too!

I took this on a morning walk last year.... It's cute too!

Positive Pensées

Kathy King

The Gift of I’m Cute Too!

“Unexpected kindness is the most powerful, least costly, and most underrated agent of human change.”

Bob Kerrey

Where is your focus?

Is it almost exclusively inward?

Do you pause and look to see those around you?

In our world where it is selfies and filters.

Let us look outward. 

Let us practice empathy and sympathy in a world full of hurting human beings.

Comments are hateful, folks are suffering. 

How can we be a balm to others?

You can be a balm by observing others.

Do they need a kind word or just a smile?

Look to folks who are hurting, look to the forlorn.

Give a small compliment.  

A simple “How are you?” can make all the difference to someone who is struggling with their mood. 

Don’t worry about the audience of your simple gesture.  It is the action that counts.  

Practice human kindness in a small way each and every day.  

You will notice a great difference in what your life conveys to others. 

*Note

I wrote this well over a year ago!  Some days I get up, feel inspired and write something new.  I did that yesterday.  I actually wrote several.  Today I could not get this particular writing off my mind.  It seems that humanity has found itself in their own “Bubbles.”  No ideas are challenged, no new information is added.  Just and echo chamber of the same ideas.  Other side bad, my side good.  Almost in a caveman like manner.  For the good of humanity we must reach across the aisle and find what brings us together.  

In our quiver full of six children we have a rainbow of personalities.  They are all so very different.  Even our twins are polar opposites in their bearing and demeanor.  When our son Tomas was little, (about two) we had twin boys.  The occasion of twins is not a normal occurrence.  We had many folks come by and just say how cute they were.  What blessings twins just had to be, how life was going to be so interesting with twins. The main theme that was voiced with each visit was just how cute the babies were.  Over and over, all of our older kids heard, “Oh my goodness!  They are so cute!”  Our very non-talkative, silent two-year-old blurted out, “I’m cute too!”  We all laughed and immediately told our son that yes, he was indeed quite cute.  This cute little story came to mind after visiting our granddaughter.  As I pondered how this quiet, (to this day) little boy felt so left out that he had to indeed announce his cuteness.  What does that say about others who are indeed the quiet ones?  The folks who are forlorn, the person that never really offers any personal information.  While that is perfectly acceptable, one small gesture of kindness can in fact make the person who is struggling blossom like a flower.  We as humans tend to focus on the groups and interests that for lack of a better way to put it, they fit in our echo chamber.  What about those folks outside that sphere?  I know we have discussed this comment in prior Pensees but this idea is worth rehashing.  How can we reach across the aisle and love our neighbor?  By focusing on what brings us together.  By focusing on our similarities.  Give that smile to someone that you would normally not think to even look their way.  Say, “Good Morning” and have a nice day.  Open that door for someone who has a handful.  Small deposits into humanity will eventually yield a robust balance of goodwill.  Today I read an article in the New York Times that asked, why are folks so hostile on airplanes?  The answer?  People are almost exclusively inward focused.  That is why.  This time, this age of selfies and me! ME! ME! This has not helped the cause of being a decent human.  Be better, do better, be that change that is needed.  Be that kind word, be that person that opens the door when no one else will.  Be the one that gives that much needed smile.  Take that inward focus and push it outward.  You might see that it will change you inside.  Tell someone, they are cute too! 

My books are on Amazon!

The Quacktastic Adventures of Ellie and Lord Barks a Lot

Clean it up! Wash it Up!

Coming soon:

Appalachian Allegory

and...

The Case of the Missing Honk Honk

The Gift of Biscuits

Be a biscuit! Perfect your recipe!

Positive Pensées

Kathy King

The Gift of Biscuits

“A positive attitude and a sense of humor go together like biscuits and gravy.”

Dolly Parton

The Gift of Biscuits

Biscuits? Biscuits? 

How are they gifts? 

Well, for many reasons…

They are fluffy.

They are warm.

They can be slathered with butter. 

They can be drowning in sawmill gravy. 

Or the tastiest jelly, like no other.

Biscuits have varying recipes to be sure. 

But in each case, they taste awfully good for those taste buds, of that you can be sure.

Find your biscuit recipe, perfect it, make it your own.

Whether that be the flour, the butter, the lard or the buttermilk.

Find it, make it, perfect it, and then share it so that others can benefit. 

Okay, Okay.  Before you roll your eyes.  You might be thinking, why Biscuits?  Why? Well, this morning I took a walk with my husband, which is huge.  I have had some real health struggles in the last few weeks. I felt so wonderful that I could enjoy the morning air that I thought, “I am going to make biscuits!”  I don’t know why walking and biscuits came to mind…. But… it did. I made them, with some red eye gravy.  They were so very good.  Now, I am not talking about the British version of a biscuit, ie… a cookie. I thoroughly enjoy British biscuits.  I am talking about good, old fashioned southern biscuits.  In my book that I am editing I talk about “Recipes from the Lord.”  I would firmly put biscuits in that category.  It is like the great Nana on high came down one day and said, “This shall be thy biscuit recipe, go forth and give its goodness to the earth.”  There are varying recipes and schools of thought concerning how to prepare a proper southern biscuit.  In my case you use: cold, I mean freezing butter.  You grate it on a cheese grater, use the flour of all flours… Bright Lily (for branding purposes I cannot use the real name) and of course either really cold milk or if you are feeling quite good… buttermilk.  The buttermilk gives it that little kick of sourness.  The oven has to be HOT, I mean, 500 degrees hot.  I mix all the ingredients together and cut the biscuits with my husband’s mother’s old, old biscuit cutter.  I then cook them in a cast iron pan that has been in our family forever.  Probably passed down from the great Nana herself.  Brush the tops with butter.  Yummy.  When I am feeling really fancy I will make some good old fashioned red eye gravy.  Other folks put lard (it rhymes with brisco) in their biscuits, some don’t knead the dough before putting them in the pan.  Those are called “drop biscuits.”  Other folks cut their fat with a pastry cutter, there are options with your blender.  But the main crux of the whole idea is that if prepared properly, biscuits are a delectable delight.  My husband’s grandmother used to make the most wonderful dressing I believe I have ever tasted.  She would usually prepare it during Thanksgiving.  In the place of stuffing, southerners usually make dressing.  In most cases it is made with cornbread (another recipe passed down from the great Nana on high). Grandmother’s was made with biscuits. I could eat mounds and mounds of Grandmother’s dressing.  When I asked her for the recipe she rattled off a few things.  I went home, used my biscuit recipe and well, it did not turn out right.  I remember calling her and asking what I could have possibly done that would have been wrong.  In her sweet Grandmother voice she asked, “Well, did you use butter or lard (rhymes with brisco) for the biscuits?”  I said, “I used my recipe, with butter.”  She replied, “Well, honey, that is your problem, for this recipe you have to make lard (it rhymes with brisco) biscuits.”  The Great Nana had spoken, I had to change my recipe for this delectable dressing.  After doing so, it tasted almost as good as hers.  I was not a Nana yet so I had not quite made the club.  Okay, so why biscuits.  Biscuits are like life.  Sometimes the recipe is so simple.  We stick to the same recipe over and over, which usually works on most occasions.  But, what if we need to consult the great Nana to get a different recipe?  Sure, keep the one you have.  Use it, and use it well.  It works.  But what if you need that lard, that pinch of salt?  More flour?  More buttermilk?  Or any combination of a recipe that will make your life situation a little better to taste or to take?  Keep the recipe from the great Nana on high that works for you.  But also, seek the recipe of others that gets them through life, the universe and everything.  Or, share your recipe.  Be that hug from the Lord to someone else.  My husband and I were watching a television show that is very good about bringing varying points of view into a panel that respectfully (for the most part) discusses issues around the world.  Can we not do the same with each other?  Share our recipes?  Share our flops.  Share that little tweak that will make the recipe even better.  Take that little suggestion that will make those biscuits so light and fluffy that the great Nana will look down and say, “Well done young one, well done.”  

My books are on Amazon!

The Quacktastic Adventures of Ellie and Lord Barks a Lot

Clean it up! Wash it up!

Coming soon: Appalachian Allegory

The Case of the Missing Honk Honk