Lecturing ones’ daughter is such a waste of effort, even if she is a daughter like mine.  Mine is absolutely perfect.  On and on I go, “Precious Girl, in this life, it is not What one knows, it is Who one knows”.   It’s the truth, if ever a truth was spoken. 

For this ‘Truth’ there is proof, and this installment of Community Blog is about just such “who I know”.   In this particular case, it is about two lovely ladies I think about all the time.  Both are so wonderful, so warm and pretty too.  Both make me happy.  Both are busy, fun people who are about ‘giving’ to others. They are not kin to me, not blood, just wonderful friends.

We get thrown together by virtue of extended family. It’s one of those adopted, 3^rd cousin’s brother-in-law, once removed, ex-2^nd wife’s Step Mother and her back door, neighbor best friend. It’s not really, but how much fun can figuring out that mess be instead of reading on ahead where the pictures are.

It’s usually on a holiday that I see them, a luncheon where all the family gets together to eat and eat and eat.  Each guest having cooked something they were asked to bring, or just slipping a recipe in, made especially for someone because it’s their very favorite. Here is the last example of what I brought last time.    Down South, this is a traditional family lunch on Easter day.   Sliced ham baked with pineapple, a glaze of brown sugar, clove, and a fresh fruit juices is the primary dish

Right here is where the 1^st  special ‘who I know’, comes in.  She is Virginia.  She is a princess.  No one denies it, no one disputes it. Her smile stops traffic, right?     Virginia knows I love homemade jelly made from local berries in season.  My favorite is native plum jelly; but having none, Virginia made some Mayhaw jelly for the dinner rolls on the menu that day.  On its side was some orange marmalade.  Pass the Jelly please.  The color was so bright and clear. She had extra for me to take home.

The plate should look like Easter, fresh and light.   A stuffed egg, or two, is always riding the plate edge nearby.  Potato salad with sweet pickles and celery is always piled high. Here there is some slaw made from shredded cabbage and onion, over which is something green, crisp asparagus.  Someone from our family’s past, gone now but never forgotten, is there too. It is she who put the paprika there.  Others long gone are close at heart too on days like this. They are around the table eating potato salad with their fork working more pickle juice into the spread.  Surely you have some of those same ones at your table on these days.

With the last one pushing back from the table and with a deep breath rushes “whew”, comes the signal to bring on the dessert.  That’s when the 2^nd special ‘who I know’ steps up.  This day she had made for ME some apple dumplings.  They rested in a sauce so light and sparklingly flavorful.   Tex is a small little lady, but big in heart, mind, and purpose.  Any job on her ‘to do’ list gets done, even if she is littlest one still standing.  Here she is poised over the dumplings.   Minutes later, there I was at the table with a plate decorated with some. 

Like I said, it is not what one knows.  I am thankful that I have these two Precious Friends. 

Remember to give thanks for being fortunate enough to know people like Tex and Virginia.  They brighten up more than a room, they bring the lights up on your life’s joys.