A Gift to Last

One of the most special gifts I ever received was a cookbook from a very close friend.  Its pages were very colorful and all the recipes were tried and true favorites.  There were recipes for delicious soups, some very nice things you could create with chicken, and of course, some very tempting desserts.  It seems that everything that was contained in that cookbook has a health consciousness to it.  Perhaps the most special thing about this book was that it was all hand written.  Every page was a different color of card stock and each sheet was hole punched with a very lovely ribbon holding all the pages together.  On the front was a very fascinating sheet of paper that seemed to magically draw all the colors together.  There was a message on the inside cover that wished me well on my healthy journey.  I received that gift about five years ago and I admit that I didn't recognize the value of that gift at the time.  For sure, I understood the intention and the love that went into her offering, but at the time, my food consumption was less than impressive.  At the time, my meal typically consisted of something with a heavy dose of fat, sugar, and salt.  This recipe book contains none of that.  It contains all the good recipes that she has gathered over the years and she has passed them onto me.  Now, I find myself curious about what I can make from that cookbook.  In some way, that cookbook has the same meaning of my coming here to write on a daily basis.  The entries that I share are much like the recipes of my own life.  These are things that are working for me.  They may work for someone else as well.  All you have to do is keep turning the page.  If you find something you like, tear it out and keep it for yourself.  I'm still learning and I'm still sharing.  Thank you, again, Miriam, for that very special gift.  Your friendship means so much to me.