Curiosity Journal: February 29, 2012

February 29, 2012 by 11 Comments

Each Wednesday I’ve been recording a Curiosity Journal to recap the previous week using these tag words: reading, playing, learning, reacting and writing.

:::

Reading

Still reading The Thinking Life: How to Thrive in the Age of Distraction. It’s a short book. Seriously, it’s so short I should already be finished, but I only have time to nibble a few pages at a time. It’s okay to go slow, though, and ponder his ideas. That is, in fact, one of his points: take time to reflect.I was pleased to read at the end of Chapter 2 a few words about the benefits of writing about our lives:

By the way, science has determined beyond a doubt that writing about your life—present and past—can be good for both your body and your psyche. Among other things, it strengthens your immune system and reduces the damages of stress. (Forni 28)

I knew writing about life was good, but I didn’t know it strengthened the immune system. All the more reason to blog, right?In a section about multitasking, Forni refers to a woman named Linda Stone (whom he described as “a distinguished expert on the impact of the new technology on our daily lives”) and borrowed her phrase “continuous partial attention” to describe how many of us spend our days (32). It’s a wordy way of saying “inattentive,” but the phrase sticks with me, reminding me of the importance of devoting my full attention to people and tasks. I don’t want to give my family, friends, and work “continuous partial attention.” I want to be fully here.He does, thankfully, assure readers that a person’s power of attention can be strengthened with training and practice. Among other things, he advocates taking time to reflect and write down the activities of the day. Preserving them in this way honors each moment we’ve been given. Engage with life, Forni advises, so that it doesn’t slip away:

What remains of all our yesterdays if we spent them without attention and conviction? It is as though we never lived them…We did not value life enough to pay attention to it as it was happening…The more you value life, the more you engage with it. (37, 38)

Oh, let me cherish the moments.

Playing

I personally hate surprises, but I love surprising others who love to be surprised.See “Learning” (below) for details.

Learning

This weekend I arrived at a local elementary school to celebrate a friend’s 75th birthday. Her family concocted various excuses that led her to the school cafeteria where we were waiting, trying hard not to whisper too loud in the dim, echo-y space. As the school nurse, she has keys to the building and could let herself in. She walked down the hallway toward the room, and when she stepped through the doorway, someone flipped the light switch and we all shouted “Surprise!” and her face, oh, her face, her whole self, seemed overcome by a wave of love.One of the highlights of the afternoon was the open mic. Friends and family took turns at the mic telling stories, praising the birthday girl, rising up and calling her blessed. She has never been rich from the world’s perspective, and she’s never taken to a hobby, but “she collects people,” one of her daughters said.There we were: her collection, perched on metal folding chairs, sipping orange punch, eating slices of chocolate cake, delighting in her.Under the fluorescent lights of the elementary school cafeteria, I realized this is how I want to celebrate my own birthday in 30 years: Laughing with friends, telling stories, scanning the room and marveling at God’s treasures placed in my life for a year…or a lifetime…to love well.

Reacting

This morning my son and I started down the front hallway in opposite directions. As he turned sideways slightly to pass, I reached out to hug him. He turned to me and wrapped his long, thin arms around me: first one, then the other, then a squeeze, then a tighter squeeze. He leaned into me and I had to reach out and press my hand against the wall to keep from falling over. Finally, he pulled away first one arm, then the other. He looked up and smiled sweetly.”You know what?” he asked.”What?”"I think God chose the perfect mom for me,” he said, eyes intent on mine.”Really?”He nodded.”How interesting,” I said, “because I think He chose the perfect son for me.”He stared at me, his chapped lips stretched taut across his face in a smile that wouldn’t stop. I held his loving gaze until he finally nodded slowly and skipped into the living room.

Writing

I’m enjoying my work editing the “I Do” series at The High Calling. Today’s post by Seth Haines—the final in the series—is a call to preserve the truth about our marriages.

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Note: Affiliate links included.Works Cited: All images by Ann Kroeker. All rights reserved. Forni, P. M. The Thinking Life: How to Thrive in the Age of Distraction. St. Martin’s Press: New York, 2011. Print.

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    • Filed Under: Curiosity Journal, family, TheHighCalling.org

    Food on Fridays: Celebrating Us

    February 23, 2012 by 7 Comments

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    For the Food on Fridays carnival, any post remotely related to food is welcome—though we love to try new dishes, your post doesn’t have to be a recipe. We’re pretty relaxed over here, and stories and photos are as welcome as menus and recipes. When your Food on Fridays contribution is ready, just grab the broccoli button to paste at the top of your post. It ties us together visually. Then fill in the boxes of this linky tool to join the fun!

    Food on Fridays with Ann

    Last week, the Belgian Wonder and I celebrated our anniversary. We started the day with brunch at a nice restaurant.The Belgian Wonder ordered a Croque Madame.I ordered an omelet (a spinach, mushroom, tomato, feta and avocado omelet, in case you’re curious). Forgot to get a good photo.But I do have a photo for the dessert we shared: a crepe filled with berries and chocolate ganache.A splurge.To celebrate…us.

    :::

    Photos by Ann Kroeker. All rights reserved.

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    • Filed Under: Food on Fridays

    Curiosity Journal: February 22, 2012

    February 22, 2012 by 2 Comments

    Each Wednesday I’ve been recording a Curiosity Journal to recap the previous week using these tag words: reading, playing, learning, reacting and writing.

    :::

    Reading

    I read more of The Thinking Life: How to Thrive in the Age of Distraction, continuing to find lots of lines about slowing down.But it’s not only about making time to think. For example, I thought this portion was particularly applicable given my curiosity theme:

    In this book on thinking, what I usually have in mind is critical thinking, the kind that is rational, informed, purposeful, and reflective, the kind that strives to remain bias-free and to arrive at logical conclusions. The critical thinker is an examiner of life, always alert, ready to pay attention, interested in everything, constantly asking, “Why?” and taking delight in the process of discovery. (Forni 7-8, emphasis mine)

    In case you haven’t noticed, I’m interested in lots of things. I frequently ask “Why?” and take delight in the process of discovery. Several of my friends, however, are active doers who feel most satisfied having worked through a hefty to-do list. These doers are essential to keeping the world in motion. Their work is essential and valued, and I’m blessed that they support my intangible pursuits with love, humoring me and showing interest, even when I have accomplished little in a day outside of what transpired in my head and perhaps flowed through my fingers onto the page or screen.

    Playing

    I’m happy to inform you that I have a Words with Friends buddy. With practice, I’m playing a little smarter than I used to. And I’m learning obscure words. My favorite so far: “poods.”

    Learning

    This week, I’m beginning to read student research papers on the following topics:

    • The Titanic (a focus on its rapid sinking)
    • Alcatraz (focus is on The Great Escape)
    • Sweat shops (focus on Bangladesh)
    • PTSD (focus on PTSD developing in people directly affected by World Trade Center attacks)
    • McDonald’s (how the company has had to adapt its American menu and restaurants to appeal to Indian culture)
    • Concussions in football

    I’m prepared to learn a lot.

    Reacting

    What about that Pinterest, eh? Just when I was getting in the swing of things, having a little fun pinning style, food and home ideas, I discover it’s at the center of copyright controversy.

    Writing

    I’m enjoying my work editing the “I Do” series at The High Calling. Today’s post by Ann Voskamp reflects on the doing of “I do.” She reminds us that daisies aren’t enough…and yet, the doing…those daily, thoughtful, sacrificial acts of love are essential to keeping love strong.

    * * * * *

    Credits: All images by Ann Kroeker. All rights reserved.Affiliate links included.Forni, P. M. The Thinking Life: How to Thrive in the Age of Distraction. St. Martin’s Press: New York, 2011. Print.

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    • Filed Under: books, creativity, Curiosity Journal, reading

    Departure

    February 18, 2012 by 7 Comments

    My friend L.L. Barkat has announced that she is leaving her position as Managing Editor at The High Calling. She’s got some great new ventures she’s developing, so I’m happy for her decision and the wonderful things to come. And we inhabit more or less the same virtual space, so we’ll still interact.It’s just that I’ll miss working with her, building something together, learning directly from her.Several years ago she brought me onto the team and mentored me as a writer and editor, nurturing me along the way, modeling creativity, compassion, sensitivity and strength.I thought I would share with you what I wrote to her at her goodbye post. I hope that everyone could be led at some point in their careers by someone as nurturing and gifted as L.L. Barkat:

    :::

    When the kids were little, we would fly to Europe to visit my husband’s family. The children loved living for a couple of weeks at their grandparents’ house eating Grandma’s homemade jam spread on slices of baguette, walking to the park holding Grandpa’s hand, playing with cousins without understanding a word of the French that poured out of their mouths and realizing this was all part of who they are, and these people they were growing to love so dearly were their people.And then, we had to leave. We had to say goodbye and fly away from it all, not knowing when we’d see them again.The kids, especially two of them, would weep so hard, torn from these relationships, that I’d have trouble maintaining composure as we walked down the corridor to go through security. They sobbed and sobbed, and I felt their pain as well as my own, double the heartache, or triple, or more.Getting close, building trust, and loving more deeply makes the inevitable goodbye so much harder. One could almost live at a distance to avoid some of the pain.But I learned that you can’t live like that. You go ahead and allow yourself to get close, to trust, to love more deeply even though you know that the pain will be bigger, later, at departure.I’m willing to deal with the pain, for the joy of having loved and trusted you as my friend and mentor. Thank you.

    :::

    Image of my and L.L.’s shoes taken at Calvin College on the day we first met in 2008. Taken by Ann Kroeker.

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    • Filed Under: life Tagged With: ,

    Food on Fridays: Oatmeal Cottage Cheese Pancakes

    February 17, 2012 by 8 Comments

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    For the Food on Fridays carnival, any post remotely related to food is welcome—though we love to try new dishes, your post doesn’t have to be a recipe. We’re pretty relaxed over here, and stories and photos are as welcome as menus and recipes. When your Food on Fridays contribution is ready, just grab the broccoli button to paste at the top of your post. It ties us together visually. Then fill in the boxes of this linky tool to join the fun!

    Food on Fridays with Ann

    I found instructions for making Oatmeal Cottage Cheese Pancakes here. It sounded simple and healthy, requiring only four ingredients:

    • ½ cup oatmeal
    • ½ cup cottage cheese
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla
    • 4 egg whites

    Intrigued by the simplicity, I decided to give them a whirl. Literally. I whirled them together in the blender and poured the mixture onto the griddle.They turned out a little flatter than our usual pancakes, but what an outstanding option for people seeking a gluten-free, high-protein breakfast alternative!They were quick to make, tasty, and filling.Here’s the recipe in one place, but it really is that simple:Oatmeal Cottage Cheese Pancakes

    • ½ cup oatmeal
    • ½ cup cottage cheese
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla
    • 4 egg whites

    Whir together the ingredients in a blender and pour onto a hot griddle coated with cooking spray. Top with your favorite pancake toppings and enjoy!

    :::

    Photo credit: Photos by Ann Kroeker. All rights reserved.

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    Curiosity Journal: February 15, 2012

    February 15, 2012 by 4 Comments

    Each Wednesday I’ve been recording a Curiosity Journal to recap the previous week using these tag words: reading, playing, learning, reacting and writing.

    :::

    Reading

    I started a book called The Thinking Life: How to Thrive in the Age of Distraction. Lots of lines about slowing down. It’s a secular book, but makes me very happy, seeing how much ties in with Not So Fast.

    Aren’t a society’s competitiveness and its prospects for a better future rooted in more than sheer technology…When we’re all hyperconnected, will our families and communities be stronger? Will we build better organizations and lead more prosperous lives? Most important, can we accomplish any of these lofty goals if we continue devoting all our energy to eliminating the very thing we need most to achieve them in the first place–some space between tasks, respites, stopping places for the mind? (from pp. 1-2 of P.M. Forni’s The Thinking Life, quoting William Powers)

    Now, I think technology can be a tool used for good and for offering respites (take, for example, Everyday Poems, delivering a poem a day into your inbox to read and reflect). But I agree that it can also be a distraction, and it requires tremendous self-control to maintain “some space between tasks” and “stopping places for the mind.”I appreciated the interaction overheard between Mr. Obama and David Cameron during Obama’s campaign, when he was caught on a boom mic saying to Cameron, “…the most important thing you need to do is to have big chunks of time during the day when all you’re doing is thinking” (Forni 2).  Forni reflects, “Letting oneself be swept along by the tidal wave of busyness was one of the worst things a president could do. ‘You start making mistakes, or you lose the big picture,’ Mr. Obama observed…Good thinking, however, doesn’t just happen; it is the result of a personal commitment” (Forni 3).

    Playing

    Yesterday morning, my husband went around waking up all the kids. He greeting our middle daughter, and she responded, “No, why would I do that?“He had said, “Happy Valentine’s Day,” but she thought he asked, “Have you been outside today?”I know it’s one of those “you had to be there” moments, but at 6:30 in the morning, the misunderstanding seemed hilarious. We kept laughing about it, and when she came down for breakfast, we all looked up and asked in unison if she had been outside.So now you know the inside joke that I’m sure will return year after year. We’ll be calling her the morning of February 14th when she’s in college just to ask if she’s been outside today.

    Learning

    Tuesday evening, our local news reported that the FDA released a report indicating the presence of lead in hundreds of lipsticks. Even though I use natural products like Burt’s Bees, I thought I’d scan the list anyway…after all, my daughters are starting to wear makeup.Scrolling through, I noted lots of familiar companies like Revlon, Maybelline, L’Oréal, M.A.C., Avon, and Cover Girl.Then…Burt’s Bees. My beloved Burt’s Bees lip shimmers that slide on so smoothly while providing a subtle hint of color are guilty. They made the list.Several colors showed up with varying degrees of lead content, and while the numbers are small, there is no known safe level of lead intake.Under a column labeled “Lead (Pb) (ppm),” I saw these Burt’s Bees lip shimmers: toffee (2.81), guava (2.24), raisin (0.43), Merlot (0.33), and champagne (0.76). They have lead in them. Lead that I smeared on my lips and likely ingested while eating oatmeal and sipping tea. Lead, in a brand that is positions itself as natural. Maybe they figure if it’s on the Periodic Table of Elements, it’s natural. Of course, so is uranium, but I don’t want to smear even a smidgen of that on my lips, thank you very much.This list also revealed parent companies. Guess who owns Burt’s Bees? Clorox.I don’t like getting snookered.Forget Burt’s Bees.I’ll just stir a little beet juice into some beeswax to make my own lip shimmer.

    Reacting

    Next to my mom’s laptop sits a framed photo of her parents. My grandma—old, but younger than I remember her—smiles sweetly at the camera; Grandpa leans toward his bride, head turned slightly toward the lens, a relaxed grin to match the twinkle in his eye. The portrait only shows their heads and shoulders, so I can’t be sure, but it looks like he’s slipped his right arm around her waist and reached to touch her hand with his left.Grandpa died before I had a chance to lock in solid memories of the two of them together, but my mom says he teased Grandma in a tone that was undeniably filled with affection. Years later, when I inherited Grandma’s engagement ring, I hoped some of that would rub off. I hoped I would always smile as sweetly as the first girl who wore it, cherished by my own husband, who lovingly leans toward me to slip one arm around my waist and touch my hand with the other.

    Writing

    I’m enjoying my work editing the “I Do” series at The High Calling. Today’s post by Emily Wierenga is hard, but beautiful. And almost 60 people participated in our Community Writing Project hosted by Jennifer Dukes Lee at Getting Down With Jesus. It was a privilege to work with Jennifer to select some to highlight for a post that will go live today at noon ET.

    * * * * *

    Credits: All images by Ann Kroeker. All rights reserved.Affiliate links included.Forni, P. M. The Thinking Life: How to Thrive in the Age of Distraction. St. Martin’s Press: New York, 2011. Print.

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    • Filed Under: Curiosity Journal

    All I Needed to Do

    February 12, 2012 by 14 Comments

    I drove last week to a meeting with someone I hadn’t seen in a while—someone known for reacting unpredictably. There were reasons the meeting could be tense, even volatile; or, it could go smoothly. I had no way of knowing how the interaction would unfold, nor could I control it.The night before the meeting, I lay awake in bed and stared into the deep midnight-silence imagining worst-case scenarios and concocting a mental flow-chart of potential responses to those scenarios. By the time I awoke from what shallow rest I’d managed to secure in-between these restless planning sessions, I looked ragged and worn, like someone who stood outside a bar nervously dragging on a cigarette all night.In the shower that morning, I remembered a verse I’d read a few days before, a verse that tries to adhere to my mind like press-on letters every time I encounter it. The morning I read it, I repeated it throughout the day, mentally tracing its words—its truths. I needed to cling to the words as they tried to cling to me.But by the time I was gearing up for that dreaded meeting, I’d let the verse slip away. As it slipped away, so did its message, and I ended up wide awake on that troubled night when I welcomed worry instead of rest.So after my shower, after breakfast, after loading the car, I drove to the meeting retracing the truth in my head and my heart, silently repeating it, owning it.As it turned out, the meeting went about as well as it could have possibly gone.Interactions were calm, uneventful.Most of the time, I sat silent while the other talked. I listened, nodding, smiling serenely.I needed only to be still.When the meeting was over, I drove home, humbled.

    Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” (Exodus 14:13-14, just before the parting of the Red Sea, as the Egyptians were bearing down on them)

    * * * * *

    Photo by Ann Kroeker, edited using Picnik.com. (Update 2/17/12: this photo image is replacing artwork that accompanied the post when it was first published; I couldn’t locate the original or the artist to credit, so I pulled it down.)Writing in community at the following:

    Filed Under: life

    Food on Fridays: Romano’s Macaroni Grill’s Butternut Asiago Tortellaci

    February 9, 2012 by 14 Comments

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    (smaller button below)

    For the Food on Fridays carnival, any post remotely related to food is welcome—though we love to try new dishes, your post doesn’t have to be a recipe. We’re pretty relaxed over here, and stories and photos are as welcome as menus and recipes. When your Food on Fridays contribution is ready, just grab the broccoli button to paste at the top of your post. It ties us together visually. Then fill in the boxes of this linky tool to join the fun!

    Food on Fridays with Ann

    Romano’s Macaroni Grill sent me an e-mail alert that my favorite item, Butternut Asiago Tortellaci—considered a winter dish—was about to be plucked from the menu in favor of more springtime dishes. Butternut Asiago Tortellaci: four-cheese stuffed pasta, roasted butternut squash, crispy prosciutto, truffle cream, and pumpkin seeds.I’d only had it once, but after one bite realized I loved it more than life itself. And now they were telling me I only had until mid-February, and then, no more.[insert primal scream]So I pleaded with the Belgian Wonder to get me there before it disappears. He sensed desperation, so one evening this past week, we headed to the restaurant for a splurge, a treat, a final taste of winter: soft cheeses wrapped in thin, delicate pasta…sweet cubes of butternut squash…salty strips of prosciutto fried crisp…the unexpected nutty crunch of the pumpkin seeds.[insert satisfied sigh]Already I can’t find it on their website.I only wish I’d recommended it earlier, so everyone could have had a bite, before it’s gone.

    :::

    Photo credit: Photos by Ann Kroeker. All rights reserved.

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    • Filed Under: Food on Fridays

    Curiosity Journal: February 8, 2012

    February 8, 2012 by 7 Comments

    Each Wednesday I’ve been recording a Curiosity Journal to recap the previous week using these tag words: reading, playing, learning, reacting and writing.

    :::

    Reading

    As you may recall, last week I announced that I didn’t have time to read Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy, so I returned my borrowed copy to the library.On Sunday, the pastor announced that the missions team recommends that in preparation for our annual missions conference, which is focused on Europe, we read one specific book. One very thick book. One familiar book.He held it up for all to see:Bonhoeffer.D’oh!

    Playing

    When I was a little girl, I pestered my big brother, four years older, nonstop as he was heading off doing stuff with his friends.”Play a game with me, please? Please? Pretty please? Please play a game with me, just one game, just this once…”From time to time I’d wear him down (or Mom would tire of hearing my pleas and order him to play a game just to shut me up). He’d relent and play a round of Hands Down or Operation with me. When we were older, the game might be Stratego or Scrabble. He beat me at everything, and still I’d come back for more.The other day my teenage daughter asked if I wanted to play Words with Friends, which is basically Scrabble, on her phone.She asked me to play a game with her! What joy to find a way to enter into my daughter’s world in which a private soundtrack pipes into her head through ever-present earbuds. Of course I said yes!So she set it up to pass back and forth and we played a game. And then another. And another.And then, after the third game, she got kind of bored, you know, playing word games with her mom.Next thing you know, I started to pester her, “Play a game with me, please? Please? Pretty please?”I downloaded the Words with Friends app and sent her my username. “Would you play Words with Friends?” I pleaded, playfully and childlike, to keep it light. “Just one game…please?”She relented. We launched a game and played a couple of rounds, but then she had to take off for youth group. Next day was a school day, so homework kept her too busy to play games with Mom. She made a move, but let a day pass before making another.I started a game against myself, and let me tell you, playing Words with Friends by yourself is pretty pathetic (though I do win every time).I don’t mind too much, as I’m an introvert by nature, but I do kind of wish my daughter would make another move.

    Learning

    After working with my friend and The High Calling colleague Tina on an article called “The Grocery Drop,” I poked around on the NAMI link she provided, to learn about various disorders and diseases. It provides easy-to-understand explanations of different kinds of mental illness. I appreciate their dedication to “building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness” and “raising awareness and building a community of hope for all of those in need.”I’m learning more in order to better understand—to better love—those who are struggling.

    Reacting

    I saw this and clicked “share” on Facebook, but added that writing is also a profession for introverts who are continually interrupted: “writing is a profession for those who are interrupted a lot…writers get a chance to finish their stories.”If I may briefly elaborate…I can’t tell you how gratifying it feels, when writing anything from a blog post to an e-mail, to actually finish a thought. I can even build up to a punchline, knowing the reader is either with me or has clicked away (and I’ll never know).I suspect that people who experience a lifetime being interrupted learn to clam up and live in their own little world; talk really fast; or revert to the classic inverted pyramid journalism training when conveying information verbally so that the most important facts have a chance to be heard.Or, they write.

    Writing

    Seems like I’ve been making a lot of lists lately. And recording more personal thoughts in less public venues.

    * * * * *

    Credits: All images by Ann Kroeker. All rights reserved.

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    • Filed Under: Curiosity Journal

    The Best Superbowl Party Ever

    February 6, 2012 by 11 Comments

    “This may be the ugliest cake I have ever made,” my mom exclaimed while spreading icing over the big chocolate sheet cake she baked on Sunday afternoon.My brother, who had stopped by for a few minutes, asked, “You’re baking a cake?”"Yes! I was invited to my very first Superbowl party, and I’m taking Grandma’s sheet cake,” Mom replied.Growing up, our family followed a few college teams, especially my parents’ alma mater, but we didn’t pay attention to professional sports at all. We would only take note of headlines so that we could converse with the outside world. So when Mom made that comment about her first-ever invitation, I thought back and realized we never attended a Superbowl party as a family. In fact, I don’t remember attending or hosting parties of any kind.I walked over to examine the cake. “It looks terrific, Mom!”"Oh, it’s okay, I guess. I just wanted it to look smoother.”"It looks delicious,” I assured her. “Besides, no matter how fancy you make something, it gets admired for no more than a second or two, and then it’s sliced and eaten pretty fast.”We covered it with foil to protect it during transport, loaded up some cheese and crackers and hummus, 2-liter bottles of pop, and drove to our friends’ house.After introductions were made, as some of the party-goers had not yet met my mom, we unveiled the cake and set out the snacks.As it turned out, my mom brought the only sweet treat.We didn’t watch much of the game. The diehard football fans headed to the basement where it was projected onto a huge screen and piped through speakers in stereo. Upstairs, a few of us gathered on easy chairs to follow the game on a smaller screen. A few little pods of people sat at the kitchen table, away from the game and close to the snacks, where we chatted and messed around with Bananagram tiles.After the half-time show, people came upstairs craving sweets and at first only saw the spread of savory dips and chips and crackers. But then we directed them to Mom’s cake. Soon, people were digging in, literally, with whatever utensil was handy—a knife, spatula, fork, or even fingers—to snag a piece. They snarfed it down. They raved about it. They thanked her profusely for bringing it.After the game, we helped straighten up, thanked our friends for their hospitality, said good-bye to the other guests, and gathered our things. About two servings of cake remained, so we covered it with the huge piece of foil that had originally protected the entire pan. As we headed out the door, Mom turned to the host and remarked, “This was the best Superbowl party I have ever been to!”We all laughed and walked out under the clear sky to our cars.On the way home, Mom said, “As you know, I was disappointed with how the cake turned out. But I’m so glad I decided to make it.”I smiled. “Can you believe it was the only sweet? Where would we have been without you?”We wove through the neighborhood, and I thought about the evening, about my mom’s first-ever Superbowl party (which was possibly my 18th or 19th), and the cake, and my friends, and the Bananagrams tiles, and I thought, I think this was the best Superbowl party I’ve ever been to, as well.

    Filed Under: family, life