It’s been a busy Sunday, full of family and good food.

Gratitude #1 – Dutch Oven Cooking

The weather today was perfect for our family Dutch oven dinner. With vegetable stew, cheesy potatoes, and pineapple upside-down cake for dessert, you couldn’t ask for much more. We got to see Mr. Hot Stuff’s parents, Rainbow and Mr. Stillwater, Mr. T and his Bird Lady also so that made it all the better. Part of the reason for this dinner was to pass along the deeper knowledge of how to control the oven temperature. Here’s a chart I found online:

Cast Iron Dutch Oven
Baking Temperature Chart                                                                                                                        

Dutch Oven Sizes

Gratitude #2 – BYU Women’s Conference

This conference is a great opportunity to learn more about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to get a stronger sense of our significance and potential impact for good in the world. I love this experience because I always come home thirsting to read and learn more, and study on my own. One of my favorite talks was by David Clare, who spoke about Attaining, Accessing, and Using Priesthood Power. Some of the presentations, including Brother Clare’s, will be rebroadcast on BYUtv. Click here to find the schedule.

Gratitude #3 – Migraine Medicine

This last week has been off and on migraines, but I’ve been able to manage and get through it fairly well thanks to wonderful over-the-counter migraine medicine. Whoever invented that stuff has my undying gratitude.

Gratitude #4 – E-Book Readers

I love reading paper books, but I have a growing appreciation for e-book readers that make it so I don’t have to carry a tome with me all the time if I want to have something to read.

Gratitude #5 – Cell Phones

An elderly man came up to us at church today and told Casi about how her cell phone was going to be the source of all the misery in her life. I quite a lot disagree, but it seemed impolite to argue with an elder, so we just smiled and tried to be polite. I just sat there silently thinking of how her cell phone made it so I didn’t worry when she went places with friends, because I knew she could call if she needed help or I could call her if I needed to; her cell phone made it easy for her to keep in touch with loved ones in Germany and feel their support throughout her experiences here in a foreign country; her phone made it easy for her to read books that helped her language skills continue to develop. Yeah, I’m pretty much not in the cell-phones-are-the-source-of-all-suffering-and-evil camp. If you think that, I think you haven’t traveled enough.

Gratitude #6 – Photos of Hermana Miss Sassy

Someone posted pictures of Hermana Miss Sassy on Facebook this week, as she, along with other missionaries and members in California, participated in a service project. I just love when people take the time to give me a little glimpse into this time of her life.

Gratitude #7 – Automatic Dryers

Mei Guo (I’m thinking I might have to change her name to Globe Trotter) is getting ready to do a culinary internship in Italy. She mentioned her plans to mostly just hand-wash her clothes while she’s there and let them hang dry (although there will be a laundromat down the street from where she will be living). She got used to living this way while studying in China, so it’s no big deal to her to do it again. However, I am very attached to the convenience of clothes washers and dryers.

Have you counted your blessings today?