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Early December 2002 issue
This month's focus is enjoying yourself and your
family amid the chaos. I'm busy, and you likely are
too. That's why this issue is to the point.
The article below was written some time ago, but since
a lot of us are expecting holiday guests, I thought
now was an appropriate time to post. Enjoy your
holidays!
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It's the People, Not the Food
Once, a friend and I spent time out all morning with
the kids. I invited her to an impromptu lunch. My
kids, then very young, were hungry and grouchy. If I
didn't get something into their stomachs, they'd never
play quietly while I made a fitting lunch for company.
I ripped open a package of cinnamon-sprinkled graham
crackers and my friend began passing them out.
Moving from the table to the refrigerator, I glanced
back to see the kids contentedly crunching the treats.
My friend took her first bite, her eyes closed in what
looked like ecstasy. She looked up. "Don't you love it
when something as tiny as a cinnamon graham cracker
can make you ooh and ahh?" she asked.
"Yes," I agreed, realizing that no elaborate lunch
would compare to such hit-the-spot simplicity. "Let's
just have sandwiches," I suggested. And within a few
minutes we were eating, enjoying one another's company
around a tray of tuna fish on toast.
Ever since that day, I've tried to remind myself that
elaborate meals aren't what eating together is all
about. Nourishment can come in simple forms. Food
eaten with caring friends and family members who enjoy
one another's company, nourishes our spirits as well
as our bodies. A well-fed body can take you places,
but you'll get nowhere without an emaciated spirit.
Tips for the Feeding Trough:
**Stick to basics you can cook with minimal effort --
or order out. Ham and beef cooked at a local barbecue
restaurant means less to do. And if anyone complains
(we all have a complainer in the distant family, don't
we?), I can blame the chef.
**Ask for help. Even one guest bringing decorative
paper napkins is a help.
**List your priorities and stick to them. For me, it's
actual dinner plates -- no plastic or paper. But I
take the easy way out on cups and desert bowls. And .
. . shhh. . . I even make mashed potatoes from the
box!
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