Striped Heart

Yellow Flower

 

Over the years, I’ve abandoned a lot of my “bucket list” items. Case in point: “Climb Mount Everest” sounded like a laudable goal when I was in my teens, but now it seems ridiculous.  I’ve wanted to travel Route 66 for as long as I can remember. I’d like to see Meramec Caverns, the Oklahoma City National Memorial, the meteor crater where they filmed the end of Starman, and all the quirky roadside diners and vintage service stations in between. On Veteran’s Day this year, “The Mother Road” will celebrate her 100th Anniversary. Events, festivals, parades, car rallies and preservation projects will happen across all of the eight states through which Route 66 traveled: Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. My state isn’t included in that list. But, maybe if we scheduled our next Disneyland trip for November, we could squeeze in a visit to Barstow and Santa Monica Pier.

Four Kitty Cats

 

May 10, 1999, 35-year-old David Phillips was saw a Healthy Choice promotion offering 500 frequent flyer miles for every 10 mailed-in product barcodes. Double miles if the barcodes were mailed by May 31. David did the math. Pudding cups were the cheapest qualifying product. $2.50 of pudding was worth 1,000 miles – a value of $20. David drove all over Sacramento, clearing stores of their pudding cups. If cashier got suspicious, he told them he was preparing for Y2K. He stacked 12,150 cups all over his house. Then he realized there was no way to peel all the barcodes alone before the deadline. David called the Salvation Army and made a deal. He donated all the pudding. The Salvation Army peeled the barcodes, and David mailed them in time. Two months later, a package arrived; certificates for 1,253,000 frequent flyer miles worth $150,000. Over the next five years, David flew his entire family to 43 countries.

Seven Song Birds

 

In our old neighborhood, there was a retired couple we admired. Half the year, they lived in Utah. They spent time gardening and playing with grandkids. When winter arrived, they packed their car, loaded their dog and cat, and moved to Arizona away from ice and snow. In summer, they’d come back and sit on their porch with mint juleps, greeting passersby. Our current home has a porch, and as of this week, it has two rockers. All we need are the mint juleps.

 

Mint Juleps – Disneyland Style

 

2/3 cup water

2/3 cup sugar

1 cup mint leaves

4 cups crushed ice

3 cups lemonade

3 cups sparkling water or lemon-lime soda

Mint leaves for garnish

 

In a saucepan, combine sugar and water; stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Turn off heat and add mint, crushing gently. Steep 30 minutes, then strain. Add to remaining ingredients for a pitcher of minty goodness to share.

Pinwheel Pop

 

"The Lord will continue to teach and inspire us with personal revelation and guidance." – President Dallin H. Oaks

“Christ’s Atonement changes everything. It brings literal resurrection. It can enable our return to the presence of God and the eternal uniting of families. We can heal, reconcile, abide in covenant belonging.” – Elder Gerrit W. Gong

"You can have that knowledge and confirmation by the Spirit when you study the life of our Savior, the restoration of the priesthood, and the return of the sealing keys by Elijah that unite our families for eternity." – Elder Quentin L. Cook

"The good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ is that we, each of us, can call on the grace of Jesus Christ to help us. With our baptism and confirmation, he promises us the companionship of the Holy Ghost, the messenger of his grace." – President D. Todd Christofferson

Eight Chains

 

In March, 2019, the city of Portland, Oregon planned to plant 500 red maple trees along Belmont Road. Somehow the city’s orders were misread, and the saplings were mistakenly planted on Belmont Avenue. The new trees were installed on corner lots, in parking strips and medians a few miles west of their intended home. By the time the city realized the error, residents of Belmont Avenue had added park benches in the shade and hung bird feeders from the branches. They’d even named their new trees. Portland sent crews to dig the trees up and move them to Belmont Road, but 1,400 Avenue residents petitioned the city to keep their new urban forest. When the crews arrived for removal, 47 residents were waiting with lawn chairs and thermoses. So, Portland ordered 500 more trees for Belmont Road. Today, more than seven years later, both streets boast lush deciduous canopies.

Five Gold Stars

 

Chick-fil-A took chicken salad off their menu almost four years ago. It may have been because people simply stopped buying it. Just like with their carrot/raisin/pineapple salad in 2013, there was no explanation or announcement. It just disappeared.  Luckily, just like the carrot/raisin/pineapple salad, this is easy to make at home.

 

Chick-fil-A Chicken Salad

 

1/2 cup coarsely chopped celery

3 cups chopped cooked chicken breast

2 large hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped

1/3 cup sweet pickle relish

1/2 cup mayo

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Combine all ingredients in bowl and stir until well mixed. If you use a food processor, be careful not to overprocess, or you’ll end up with chicken salad baby food. Salad can be served on its own, or as a sandwich on buttered, toasted whole wheat bread with romaine lettuce.