Halloween Kitty

 

You may have heard the saying, “Don’t buy a pig in a poke,” and you may know it means “buyer beware.” But do you know why? In Middle English, a poke was a bag or sack. If you bought a piglet in a sack without first inspecting it, the animal inside might be something you wouldn’t serve for dinner. Like, for instance, a cat. But not all cultures consider pets off the menu. Restaurants in Vietnam openly advertise canine and feline meat, though vendors must disclose their sources. So, it’s surprising that this month in Ho Chi Minh City, twelve men were arrested and charged with the theft of over 2,700 family pets. They’d operate between dusk and dawn, trapping and trafficking cats in residential neighborhoods. I keep my cat indoors at night, so she doesn’t become roadkill. I guess in some places, cats should be kept indoors so they don’t become dinner.

Four Rail Fences

 

Chicken Soup in a Pumpkin

 

1 large pumpkin (big enough to fit a whole chicken!)

1 whole chicken

Shredded cabbage

Sliced carrots

Sliced mushrooms

Sliced onions

Crushed garlic cloves

Fresh rosemary, sage & thyme

1 chicken stock cube

Salt & pepper

Olive oil

 

Cut the top off pumpkin to create a lid. Scoop out seeds, leaving flesh intact. Add cabbage, carrots, mushrooms, onions and garlic. Nestle the whole chicken inside and add the fresh herbs, stock cube, salt and pepper. Place lid back on, rub outside with olive oil and carefully transfer to oven on baking sheet. Roast at 350F 4 hours, until the chicken is cooked and vegetables are tender. No water needed! As everything cooks, chicken, vegetables and pumpkin release juices, creating a natural broth. Carefully remove the chicken; shred meat and return it to the soup. Ladle into bowls with some of the pumpkin flesh and enjoy!

Twenty Friendship Stars

 

“As we reflect on the great things the Lord has already done and remember His goodness and mercy, we are better positioned to grasp the bigger picture and to rely on His promises to us. We can trust Him.” – Elder Dale G. Renlund

“As covenant followers of Jesus Christ, we minister with compassion to whomever God places in our path. We do it because that’s what the Savior did. And we’ve made a covenant to follow Him.” – President Timothy L. Farnes

“No time or effort is ever wasted in reading the Book of Mormon. Not for you, not for your children, not for your family, not for anyone.” – Elder Jeremiah J. Morgan

“We can learn to live in spiritual lift. And when we sink, our gentle Savior is there to lift us up as we turn to Him. Jesus Christ loves to lift.” – Elder Patrick Kearon

Fifty Butterflies

 

“Do not take life too seriously. You will never get out of it alive.” – Elbert Hubbard

“I’m sick of following my dreams, man. I’m just going to ask where they’re going and hook up with ’em later.” – Mitch Hedberg

“Before you marry a person, you should first make them use a computer with slow internet to see who they really are.” – Will Ferrell

“Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac?” – George Carlin

“A pessimist is a person who has had to listen to too many optimists.” – Don Marquis

“The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits.” – Alber Einstein

“If you want your children to listen, try talking softly to someone else.” – Ann Landers

“A bank is a place that will lend you money if you can prove that you don’t need it.” – Bob Hope

Floating Pinwheel

 

It’s the largest human-made excavation; the world’s deepest open-pit mine. You can see it from all over the Salt Lake Valley, and when you fly in or out of Salt Lake Airport, it’s impossible to miss. People have been digging copper ore here since 1848. I’ve heard it called Bingham Canyon Mine, and Kennecott Copper Pit. It’s owned by the Rio Tinto Group now, and the British/Australian Corporation intends to keep it running through 2038, maybe longer. But they won’t just abandon the mine when they’re done. They mean to restore and rehabilitate much of this area. In fact, they’ve already been doing so for decades now. One example is the East Waste Rock Reclamation project. They’re reshaping millions of cubic yards of dumped rock, covering it with topsoil and planting native grasses and shrubs for storm erosion management. The pit itself is simply too big to fill in, but the end plan involves stabilizing and securing what’s left.

Eighteen Friendship Stars

 

Which restaurants do you miss most? First on our list is Thaiphoon. They had great pad Thai and evil jungle prince, but we still dream about their short ribs and wasabi mashed potatoes. Training Table was never wheelchair friendly, and toward the end their food and service were truly abysmal. But I miss their hickory sauce and their blue bacon and mushroom Swiss burgers. For a while, I tried making corn tamalitos like Chevy’s, but never quite managed it. We used to pick up pies at Marie Callender’s for Thanksgiving, then return the tins for a refund. We liked pretty much everything from McGrath’s Fish House. We never visited the downtown location of Snappy Service Lunch, but Larry H. Miller did. When the owner lost his lease, Larry arranged for him to relocate inside Jordan Commons. Snappy used to split hotdogs before grilling, and serve them between grilled bread slices. I miss that, too.

Orange Pinwheel

 

“To err is human; to forgive, divine.” – Alexander Pope (1711). October 7 is National Forgiveness Day, a day for forgiving others and for seeking to be forgiven. Forgiveness allows us to release anger, bitterness, and resentment, which can otherwise dominate thoughts and emotions, and prevent personal growth. By forgiving others, you open the door to healing, compassion, understanding and inner peace. Forgiving someone who has hurt you doesn’t require you to let them hurt you again, but it does allow you to move forward and relieve yourself of the burden of victimhood. Forgiveness isn’t just a charitable act towards others; it is a gift to yourself. By letting go of past hurts, you gain freedom, serenity, and the ability to live fully in the present. If you don’t manage it today, you can try again July 7 (Global Forgiveness Day), the first Sunday in August (International Forgiveness Day), or October 10/11 2027 (Yom Kippur).