I watched this twice over the weekend.

I love family stories. Family history research is not my favorite thing to do, but I can read or write family stories all day long. I love old family photos and display them in many rooms of the house. There are just so many ways to connect with our ancestors. I find strength in learning about them and visiting where they lived. So, this video of Elder Holland and his family gathering in southern Utah was fun for me.

I love how my aunt Kate compiled generations of family recipes as Christmas gifts to the family. Just last night, I made a cake using my Great-grandmother Violet’s recipe. After enjoying the cake, I asked the boys to find Grandma Violet’s picture on the wall. In her portrait she smiles as a young teenager with a great big flower in her hair. One son rolled his eyes at my request to find her, but I didn’t care. Someday he will be glad to know something about her.

So it goes

I get up early and sit on this couch and think, read, and rest. Today this view screams at me to get moving and enjoy the sunshine, to buy some produce, write that scary email, edit those stories, take down all that red stuff in exchange for pastels, replace those 7- and 8-year-old pants I keep wearing, and holy stinking heck, get ready for Richard’s birthday.

My most productive time has shifted away from mornings. Writing and deep study are now impossible for me before 10 am. I think it is okay to sit and watch the morning sunlight span my kitchen, and I love it. The pandemic has taught me to slow down and that it is okay to adjust expectations during times of stress. I don’t want to lose the lesson of taking things easier, even though I am beyond busy with church responsibilities right now.

The ministering of angels

Agony in the Garden by Frans Schwartz

I draw a lot of comfort from the doctrine of the ministering of angels. If you need some reminders that angels are all around us and helping us, here are just a few of my favorite scriptures on the topic:

2 Nephi 31:13-14

2 Nephi 32:2-3

Alma 32:23

3 Nephi 17:24

Moroni 7:29-30, 36-37

2 Kings 6:15-17

Luke 22:43

Angels serve as witnesses and guides to what is really important. “Look,” “Fear not,” and “Behold” are some of the simple words they use to redirect our attention to Christ. They are with us. They show themselves “to those of strong faith and a firm mind in every form of godliness” (Moroni 7:29-30). We may not see angels, they but I believe they play a part in leading us to every holy and pure thing we can experience in this life.

Loved

Here is a list of kind things people did for us or gave to us this month when they knew we were stuck at home.

  • Prayers
  • Texts showing concern
  • Offers to shop for us
  • 100 Chick-fil-A nuggets, a salad, and wraps
  • Blueberry muffins
  • Heart shaped sugar cookies
  • A Door Dash delivery of cookies from a local bakery
  • Ice cream
  • Ice cream and root beer
  • Several bags of apples
  • 2 dozen eggs
  • Macarons in rainbow colors
  • A trip to the grocery store for basics
  • Soup and pie
  • People changed their plans.
  • People showed empathy.
  • Some people stayed on the porch to talk to us when they delivered things.
  • Emails: from friends and teachers, all very supportive
  • Phone calls
  • Mail
  • Someone took a responsibility off my list for church.
  • Our neighbor plowed our walks and driveway several times, and one of those times was at 5:30 am.
  • We had Door Dash money left over from a generous neighbor when I had surgery, so we could use the remainder to get something Richard craved.

I feel that these things are just what our Savior would do. People are good.

White Chocolate Chip Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

I adapted this recipe from one I saw online.

3/4 c sugar

1/4 c packed brown sugar

1/2 c butter, softened

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 c flour

1 1/2 c quick oats

3/4 c dried cranberries

6 oz white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375°.

Cream butter and sugar. Add egg and vanilla, then the dry ingredients. Fold in the oatmeal, dried cranberries, and white chocolate chips.

Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place 3 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet and bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes, just until the edges are slightly golden.

Remove from oven and let cool 2-3 minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack.

I can’t remember how many cookies I made with this recipe, probably around 4 dozen. I have searched for a good cranberry white chocolate chip cookie recipe for a long time. Some were too sweet, and most called for almond extract, which isn’t really popular here. I think this recipe had me at “oatmeal,” and is the magic ingredient. Or is it the cinnamon?

I don’t want to have a negative association with these cookies, so I won’t call them COVID cookies, but I could, because I made them because we were all stuck at home and Richard loved them when he was sick.

This post is #1,900. Yes, there are one thousand, nine hundred posts on this blog. And two handfuls of people who read it. I am not a famous blogger, but I am a faithful one. That’s best, I think.

2020 photo album

Richard is on the 9th or 10th day of his bout with COVID-19. We don’t know where he was exposed. The illness has a new character each day, but his oxygen levels have been fine, so I am grateful for that. He has stayed isolated from us, and no one else at home has tested positive. The worry I have felt is a small thing compared to what others have gone through with this illness so I hesitate to even mention it. I will say that although Richard’s case can be termed as “mild” and he has not complained, this is a different kind of illness and unpleasant at best.

What is helping us get through quarantine? Entertainment. Empathy from an employee of the attendance office at the high school. Dedicated teachers who make education happen. Surprises left on our porch from friends. Sunsets. For me, it helps to have routines I can do without thinking and something to look forward to each day. On Tuesday, it was the arrival of our 2020 photo book. I wrote before that creating this album helped me see that 2020 was a great year for the Ross family. God gives us eyes to see sometimes.