Burnt Ends, please. Extra sauce, on the side.

The Activity Director of our Senior Living Community plans wonderful events. During this recent pandemic lock down, she has been arranging for special restaurant fare to be brought in to our residents.

These "carry in" dinners are occurring with regularity now, and many of residents participate.

So far, the food has come from a local Italian Restaurant (everyone had the specialty of the house, lasagna) a Hawaiian Restaurant and a Pizzeria. Last night, she took orders for dinners from a local barbecue restaurant.

Oh my! Did you know that barbecue is the National Dish of Kansas City? Our metropolitan area contains over a million people, and in that same area, there must be close to 10 thousand barbecue joints. Believe me when I tell you that everyone, in this area, has their favorite barbecue restaurant, and each one of them is the BEST IN TOWN!

To their credit, our residents were full of compliments to our Activity Director. To a person, they have all been very thankful for the opportunity to eat local fare. Everyone said the meal was nice, BUT, most said it wasn't their favorite.

In case you are in Kansas City, soon, here's a quick and concise Kansas City Barbecue Review.

• Gate's...................they are rude there, but the meat is the best in town.
• Bryant's..............the original, the best sauce in town.
• Smokehouse........the best beans and cheesy corn in town.
• Jack Stack...........by far the best burnt ends (another Kansas City original) in town.
• Joe's (formerly Oklahoma Joe's)........the best burnt ends in town.
• Zarda's.................the best beans in town, but only if you go to the restaurant. 
• Hawg Jaw........spicy, but very good. 
• anyone of a dozen more places......all the best in town.

Dear God. Thank You for making us different. Help us to appreciate both our similarities and our differences. Remind us that even You can't please everyone.

The One Pan Demic

In one of my recent posts, I mentioned my feeble attempts at becoming a bread baker. Bought the flour, bought the yeast, and quit before I started. Way too much work on my part!
Feeling like a baking failure, I then began to start observing a new trend in recipes, appearing on Social Media, Newsletters, Blogs and those old-fashioned Newspapers (that no one reads, anymore). The newest fad, in recipes, is simplicity.
I noticed all kinds of 3 Ingredient Recipes. Cookies and cakes, especially.  Where have these recipes been, all my life? Peanut butter cookies (1 cup peanut butter, 1 egg, 1 cup of sugar). Oatmeal cookies using bananas, oatmeal and and chocolate chips. Voila. Great Cookies. Who knew you didn't have to add salt, baking soda and flour, and find the measuring spoons?
Cake. I found one that uses two cake mixes, water, and a coffee mug. And, it's cooked in the microwave. Holy Cow! I can do this.
My favorite recipe is the Wacky Cake, circa 1940 something. No eggs and no milk (both were rationed during WW II), which were again in short supply, recently. This one is mixed and baked, in the same pan!
Look out Betty Crocker and Ann Pillsbury!

Dear Lord. You are counting on us to stay the course. You never promised us that our lives would be easy. We can do this, no matter what happens, because we know that You are always with us. Your steadfast love endures forever.

Be Happy. Don't Worry.

We are in the middle of the biggest pandemic of our lifetimes, and I often find myself referring to the passage, in the Bible, about worry. It's the one telling us to "consider the lilies of the field".  It's a good one and if you haven't read it lately, I suggest a quick re-read. (Luke 22)

Unfortunately, we are all worriers. It's June, and the hot humid days of Summer are upon us. And, the heat has caused my peeps to worry and fret. For a couple of weeks, now, I have heard statements like, "It's too hot, too early. Things are going burn up." Well, today it was unusually cool, and I heard (from the very same folks), "Do you think we'll have a freeze. Should we bring in our plants tonight?"

OMGoodness. None of these folks are farming!!!!! They are in their eighties and nineties, and they should know that worrying, about the weather, is pointless. On the other hand, at that age, it's pointless to tell them to stop worrying!

But, think again. We are never to old to learn something new. If you are spending your days and nights worrying, stop it right now. We all know that worry isn't worth our time, and it only keeps us awake at night. 

What are you worried about?

Dear Lord. We are trying not to worry. It's hard. We think we are in charge and that we can somehow "fix" everything. You know we can't. You are in charge. Help us relax and let you do Your thing. We need to let go and let God.

A guy walked into a bar........

I have launched a brand new career. At 73, I have broken into the realm of Stand Up Comedy! Except, I sit down, and tell my jokes over the phone.
The size of my audience is pretty much guaranteed. I play to about 100 souls, five mornings a week. Of course, I cannot lock the doors on the venue, because they are in their homes and I am in mine (a result of the quarantine lock-down). But, short of hanging up on me (which only a few have), they are captive. They can't get away!
Monday through Friday, I make calls to all of our residents. I inquire about their health and their general well being. We chat and then I tell them a joke. They love the jokes. Some folks even ask for them.
Over the past few months, I have worked on my delivery. My jokes have to be short and sweet. Some of my audience members are hard of hearing, so I have to be careful to watch my sssstttts and diphthongs. My speech must be crisp and very precise. Jokes cease to be funny, if they can't be heard.
And, brevity is important. We oldsters have short attention spans. It's hard to laugh, when you have lost interest in the punch line, because the story was too long.
Experience has taught me to put emphasis on certain key words, in order to make the jokes easier to "get". Although a few members of my audience have dementia, and won't remember the jokes for more than a few minutes, they are thrilled, when they understand the punch line.
My new gig is a barrel of laughs. It's challenging, because I would like my audience to get a chuckle or two from my calls. Maybe Saturday Night Live or Comedy Central isn't going to call me right away, but then again, who knows?

Dear Lord. Help us remember to laugh. Life isn't always serious.