Chicago Geese

 

“I was a cashier for over thirty years. I tried an experiment one day, just out of curiosity. I was working at a gas station and all the customers were just MISERABLE one day. They had absolutely no manners. There were no smiles, and not a single kind word. So, I decided to just give the ‘bare minimum’ back to them, just to see what would happen. I wasn’t being overly friendly; I was hardly smiling. I have to say, after only about five or six customers, I found it was far more tiring being miserable than it was being nice to the people. The moral of the story is: it makes YOU feel better when you're nice and/or polite.” – Rachel Sanner

Eight Leapfrogs

 

Valentine’s Day, 2021, Michael Perino shared a story about an encounter he’d had in the grocery store with a Jewish woman buying jelly. The woman told him she always chooses Bonne Maman preserves because the family that founded the company protected her family in France from the Holocaust. I try to share stories here that are uplifting (or at least amusing) and most importantly, true. I wish I could tell you I verified this one. I like the idea of French jam makers risking their lives to shelter the vulnerable, and of gratitude spanning generations. But there’s no way to authenticate the tale. The woman’s name was never mentioned. There’s no telling if she lied, or even if she exists. Bonne Maman wasn’t created until 1971, but the folks that founded it have been making jams in France since 1910. So, I can only say the story COULD be true, and that I hope it is.

Four Bear Paws

 

The first Café Rio was opened in St. George in 1997. Today, their headquarters are in Salt Lake, and there are more than 135 locations in at least eleven states. We love Café Rio for their fast service and fresh ingredients. But when we want their taste at home, this is our go-to:

 

Pork Carnitas

 

1 (3 1/2 to 4 pound) pork butt roast – fat trimmed, if necessary

Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

1/2 cup water

2 bay leaves

1 large sprig fresh thyme

2 teaspoons whole juniper berries

 

Rub pork liberally with salt and pepper and place in slow cooker; add water and herbs. Cover and cook on high 4 to 6 hours or low 8 to 10 hours. Shred meat with two forks. Skim fat off liquid and discard juniper berries, bay leaves and thyme sprig stems. Return meat to liquid in slow cooker. Serve in tacos, burritos, or burrito bowls. Serves 12.

Nine-Patch Star

 

My youngest granddaughter will be seven soon. Since she was old enough to speak, she’s been one steady stream of questions. It can be quite a challenge to answer them. Two Sundays ago, she hit me with, “Nana, if you had a superpower, what would it be?” When she asked why sea water is salty, I Googled it and learned the salt in the ocean comes from runoff, from openings in the sea floor, and underwater volcanoes. What really floored me was finding out we didn’t know WHY sea water is salty until 1979. So, if six-year-old me had asked my grandparents this question, I might have been told a myth. There are Greek and Norse folktales that would serve. For the record, if I could choose a superpower – I realize nearly all superheroes DON’T get a choice – it would be the power to heal others. Evie would choose telekinesis. I’m afraid to ask why.

Ten Barrel Cacti

“When a single woman discovers she’s expecting an unanticipated child, health concerns, spiritual turmoil, embarrassment, financial worries, educational questions, marriage uncertainty, and the sadness of shattered dreams can, in a moment of pain and bewilderment, lead to steps that will bring deep pain and regret. For any who’ve experienced the pain and regret from participating in an abortion, please remember: Although we cannot change the past, God can heal the past. Forgiveness can come through the miracle of His atoning grace as you turn to Him with a humble, repentant heart. Two words are often attached to the sanctity of mortal birth: life and choice. Life is a most precious part of our Father’s perfect plan. By His decree we cherish and preserve life; and we choose the continuation of life once conceived. We also treasure the gift of choice, of moral agency – helping to strengthen righteous choices approved by God that bring eternal happiness.” – Elder Neil L. Andersen

Four Diamond Stars

 

Some random facts to keep you awake tonight:

Venus is the only planet in our solar system that spins clockwise.

When placed in water, lemons will float. Limes won’t.

The shortest complete sentence in English is, “I am.”

Bananas are berries. Strawberries aren’t.

Giraffe tongues can be twenty inches long.

Cats sleep an average of fifteen hours per day. They’re usually awake when you’re not.

Hot water can freeze faster than cold water.

Old rubber bands lose their elasticity. To help them last longer, store them in the fridge.

A typical cumulus cloud can weigh over a million pounds – as much as 100 elephants.

A bit of cake more than 4,000 years old was found in an Egyptian tomb.

If you traveled at the speed of light, you could be on Pluto in four hours.

All the blood in your body travels through your heart once a minute.

August Door Banner

 

I love all these door banners, especially the ones I ended up designing myself. But even art you love can be hard to live with on a daily basis. Case in point: the June door banner has three yellow sawtooth stars that shine like the sun. It has six popsicles in pink, yellow and teal, and three ice cream cones. I enjoyed the bright colors and the fun shapes while I was piecing and binding it, but once it was on the wall, it began to taunt me. Every time I passed it, I found myself craving a cool treat: a cup of homemade lemon sorbet, frozen strawberry yogurt on a stick, or Baskin Robbin’s daiquiri ice in a waffle cone. It got so distracting, I ended up taking the June quilt down and replacing it with July a week early. Now August is on the wall, it’s already whispering, “Some watermelon would really hit the spot!”