January 3, 2012

  • I will post pictures of Christmas soon ....hopefully.  But I just got back from Joy's farm where I picked up my weekly milk.  I love going over there and only wish I had more time to spend with Joy.  She is in her 80's and I've mentioned her here before, but she is always a bright spot in my day.  Today when I popped in I was greeted of course by her dog, Daisy, quickly followed by Joy.  The little cabin smelled wonderful so I asked her what she was baking and she said a cake  Pointing to her recipe collection of old 3x5 cards and handwritten recipes taken from "Grit, 1982", she had a recipe for Fruit Cocktail cake.    I told her my mother used to make that cake and all of a sudden I had a desire to run home and bake me an old-fashioned cake. 

    Seeing her collection of recipe cards I almost asked her if she would "will" them to me when she died.  But then I thought that didn't sound very nice, so I didn't!  One of my weaknesses is old recipe card boxes filled with handwritten recipes.  Anyone that knows me well, knows that I have several of these tin boxes in my kitchen filled with old recipes  (When I got back home I quickly added, "fruit cocktail" to  my grocery list).  I had a little extra time today so I stayed and talked to Joy for about 30 minutes and she told me of her niece who turned 73 yesterday and is going to the Amazon to count bugs (or some such thing!).. 

    When I arrived home and put the milk away, Doyle and I had lunch.  I told him about my visit to Joy's and wondered again why I love to go there so much, besides the fact that she is a very interesting older person.  Perhaps I wondered out loud, it is because she is one person who seems really content with her life.  She lives a simple life, milks her cows, bakes and reads. She is very interested in the world around her (probably knows more about politics then I do!),  but doesn't strive for "worldly goods or gain."   Do you know how refreshing and how rare that is these days? 

    I can see why God wants us to live contented.  People who are contented are so much nicer to be around!