Braving the Wilderness - Book Review & Notes

For the past couple of weeks, I've been reading Braving the Wilderness - The Quest for True Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone by Brene Brown.

I'm not sure who recommended this book or where I heard about it, but it was well worth my time in reading. I wish I would have read this book decades ago.

Some things that Brene Brown wrote about that resonated with me are below.

- I used whatever (addiction) I could find to not feel vulnerable - drinking, smoking, caretaking, and overeating.
- You bend and stretch and grow, but you commit to not moving from who you are.
- Belonging is the innate human desire to be part of something larger than us. Because this yearning is so primal, we often try to acquire it by fitting in and by seeking approval, which are not only hollow substitutions for belonging, but often barriers to it. Because true belonging only happens when we present our authentic, imperfect selves to the world, our sense of belonging can never be greater than our level of self-acceptance.
- We must sometimes stand alone in our decisions and beliefs despite our fear of criticism and rejection.
- BRAVING - Boundaries, Reliability, Accountability, Vault (don't share information or experiences that are not yours to share), Integrity, Nonjudgment, Generosity
- Use the words for assessing your level of self- trust:
B - Did I respect my own boundaries? Was I clear about what's okay and what's not okay?
R - Was I reliable? Did I do what I said I was going to do?
A - Did I hold myself accountable?
V - Did I respect the vault and share appropriately?
I  - Did I act from my integrity?
N - Didi I ask for what I needed? Was I nonjudgmental about needing help?
G - Was I generous toward myself?
- If you can see your path laid out in front of you step by step, you know it's not your path. Your own path you make with every step you take. That's why it's your path.
- True belonging doesn't require you to change who you are; it requires you to be who you are.
- Loneliness is the absence of meaningful social interaction - an intimate relationship, friendships, family gatherings, or even community or work group connections
- As an introvert, I deeply value alone time, and a I often feel the loneliest when I'm with other people.
- I don't think there's anything lonelier than being with people and feeling alone.
- Denying you feel lonely makes no more sense than denying you feel hunger. We feel shame even when our loneliness is caused by grief, loss, or heartbreak.
- When we feel isolated, disconnected, and lonely, we try to protect ourselves.
- It's not the quantity of friends but the quality of a few relationships that actually matters.
- Living with air pollution increases your odds of dying early by 5%. Living with obesity, 20%. Excessive drinking, 30%. And living with loneliness? It increases our odds of dying early by 45%.
- It's easier to be angry than it is to be hurt or scared.
- Pain is unrelenting. It will get our attention. Despite our attempts to drown it in addiction...pain will find a way to make itself known.
- Our families and culture believed that the vulnerability that it takes to acknowledge pain was weakness, so we were taught anger, rage, and denial instead. But what we know now is that when we deny our emotion, it owns us. When we own our emotion, we can rebuild and find our way through the pain.
- Sometimes anger can make a far more  difficult emotion like grief, regret, or shame, and we need to use it to dig into what we're really feeling. Either way, anger is a powerful catalyst but a life-sucking companion.
- Courage is forged in pain, but not in all pain. Pain that is denied or ignored becomes fear or hate. Anger that is never transformed becomes resentment and bitterness.
- For the first three-quarters of my life [I felt] like a square peg in a round hole.
- There's an unspoken message that the only stories worth telling are the stories that end up in history books. This is not true. Every story matters.
- Viola Davis lives by a few simple rules:
   1. I'm doing the best I can.
   2. I will allow myself to be seen.
   3. Got further. Don't  be afraid. Put it all out there.
   4. I will not be a mystery to my daughter. She will know me and I will share my stories with her - the stories of failure, shame, and accomplishment.
- I felt alone in the wilderness, but it was okay. I may not have been liked, and that didn't feel so great, but I was in my integrity.
- Neglecting to keep in close contact with people who are important to you is at least as dangerous to your health as a pack-a-day cigarette habit, hypertension, or obesity.
- Research shows that playing cards once a week or meeting friends every Wednesday night...adds as many years to our lives as taking beta blockers or quitting a pack-a-day smoking habit.
- In those vulnerable moments of individual or collective joy, we need to practice gratitude.
- Pain is also a vulnerable emotion. It takes real courage to allow ourselves to feel pain. When we're suffering, many of us are better at causing pain than  feeling it. We spread hurt rather than let it inside.
- We can spend our entire life betraying ourselves and choosing fitting in over standing alone. But once we've stood up for ourselves and our beliefs, the bar is higher.
- Vulnerability is the birthplace of love, joy, trust, intimacy, courage - everything that brings meaning to our life.
- When we let people take our vulnerability or fill us with their hate, we turn over our entire life to them.

Spicy Smoked Sausage Alfredo Bake

Olivia's birthday was last month and one of things we did was let her pick what she wanted to eat at each of the meals that day.

For breakfast, she wanted biscuits with cheese and bacon in the center. Lunch was at Burger King because she wanted to taste one of their shakes. For dinner, she picked a recipe off Pinterest for Spicy Smoked Sausage Alfredo Bake. The pin led to Lets Dish Recipes.

Spicy Smoked Sausage Alfredo Bake

Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

The tubes of pasta and smoked sausage were covered in a creamy, cheesy sauce. Olivia liked the sausage in it, but the rest of us were mixed about whether we liked the sausage in it or would have preferred it on the side.

Either way, it is a delicious and easy-to-prepare dinner. Olivia really like her birthday dinner.

Ingredients

16 ounces dry pasta
3 tablespoons butter
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup chicken broth
2 cups half and half
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (I did not include the flakes because Olivia doesn't like spicy food)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese, divided
1-2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 (12 oz) fully cooked smoked sausage, any variety

Directions

Cook pasta according to package directions until just al dente; drain.

While pasta cooks, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Stir in flour.

Whisk in chicken broth until smooth, then stir in half and half.

Add salt, pepper, cayenne, and red pepper flakes and simmer until sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes.

Stir in Parmesan cheese and 1 cup of mozzarella until cheeses are melted and smooth.

Slice sausage into 1/4 inch pieces and add to the sauce, along with the chopped parsley and cooked pasta. Season with additional salt and pepper if needed.

Preheat broiler. Pour the pasta mixture into a lightly greased, 9x13 inch baking dish. Top with remaining mozzarella cheese. Broil for 2-3 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly and golden. (I didn't do this. It would have put a nice, crusty cheese cover on the pasta, though.)

My Favorite Photos - January 2020

During January, there were some special occasions we celebrated, the trail cam captured more images of wildlife, and we enjoyed ordinary days. Below are some photos from January.

We went out on January 1st to celebrate New Year's Day as we normally do. We went to the Chinese buffet that we have gone to in the past. 

We had mixed reactions. We like going here because of tradition. However, after going to some restaurants to celebrate the girls' adoption days in  November and tasting some very well-prepared Asian food (Chinese and Japanese), our meal felt a bit too "American buffet like" and less like authentically-prepared Chinese food. Regardless, we still enjoyed spending time together.

A few days later, one of Sophia's friends from college flew back to Minnesota from being in California. After picking her up at the airport, we went to a Hawaiian poke restaurant and had a delicious meal with bubble tea.

On Sunday, January 5th, we went to see a huge snow sculpture. This is in someone's front yard! They create a different sea-theme snow sculpture each year and raise money for clean water in Africa. This year they raised over $62,000! It doesn't cost anything to visit the snow sculpture. This is money they collect from people wanting to make a donation.

One afternoon, I saw a flock of wild turkeys in the cornfield near us.

I love how three of the dogs rest in the bathroom with me when I take a bath. The floor is heated (which may be a factor why they like to be in there). They each have their own rug or towel when they lay down.

I moved the trail cam to different parts of the property. One night, there were two deer that walked by the trail cam.

This is the second one. She must have heard something behind her. There wasn't another deer - so perhaps she heard the horses in the barn.

One day we were having a snowstorm. Who should be out, but Hoss (the miniature horse) who was having a run time galloping through the pasture. I think he knows where the camera is because there are an awful lot of photos of him.

We celebrated Olivia's 17th birthday. She had hoped to get her ears pierced, but - after driving 50 minutes to the tattoo parlor (which also does piercings) - we found out they needed a birth certificate since she was a minor. Since they are regulated by the state, we needed to prove she was who she was and that we were, in fact, her parents.

She wanted to eat at Burger King for lunch, so we did that. We wanted to do something special since there was a big snowstorm that day and it was limiting what we could do.

Olivia asked for a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting for her 17th birthday. Her birthday banner is hanging in the background by the woodstove.

She blew out all the candles.

We ate at college with Sophia with a couple of times in January. There's a stir-fry section in the dining center which you can never go wrong with.

The snow lingered on the trees because of the cold weather and no wind.

The crabapple tree still has some fruit on it for the birds who will be migrating back to Minnesota next month.

Hard to believe, but in a few months the birds will be looking for birdhouses and places to nest.

 On January 25th, Olivia and I taught 4-Hers how to make suet bird feeders. The warm suet/birdseed mixture was poured into cupcake holders and had little yarn holders so they can be hung from trees.

Olivia and I taught an iris folding class after that to some of the 4-Hers at the winter workshop day. This is my example of iris folding. It's a simple pattern.

Olivia did a more complex one with more papers. I helped her cut out the design and the tiny part that marks the division between the body and tail broke off. Of course, I put the tape on the wrong side of the project. (You work from the backside of the paper to create the design.)

Olivia took a cupcake decorating class after that.

When we got home, an eagle was in one of the trees next to our driveway. The St. Croix River Association was having a Bald Eagle Count that day which we were participating in. We didn't see any other bald eagles - except this one right at our home!

It didn't stay too long. When we came back out of the house to get some photos, it flew off. It's hard to see, but its gold talons are right under its tail.

We went back to the tattoo shop a week later - in the afternoon of the 25th - to get the girls' ears pierced. Olivia had hers pierced when she was much younger. She went to Claire's where they use the ear-piercing gun. The back of her earrings ended up getting covered with skin and they had to be surgically removed. She debated if she ever wanted her ears pierced again after that. She did some research and found out that piercings are done differently at tattoo places and she wanted to get it done that way instead.

Ended up that the holes from the previous piercing was already there, so they just had to be re-opened. Much easier.

Sophia had a second piercing done in each of her ears. She actually had to have them pierced so it was interesting to watch the difference in procedure from using an ear-piercing gun.

Afterwards, we went to a new Chinese restaurant in the University of Minnesota area to celebrate Chinese New Year. We enjoyed the meal and had plenty of leftovers!

The next day, our friend the eagle came back. We were able to capture one photo of it before it flew off. It flew across the cornfield and towards the trees where at least a dozen crows started mobbing it. They did not want the eagle around their trees and territory.

The flowers from some of our flowering bushes stay on during the winter. They turn a tannish color (from being white with a hint of pink during the summer).

The suet feeders are on the tree. The birds - and squirrels - love them. The chickadees and smaller birds sit right on the feeder. The larger birds, like cardinals, sit on a branch and eat from there. The squirrels...well, they do everything possible to eat and take down the suet feeders.

All is not lost if the feeders end up on the ground.

The cardinals will quickly eat up the suet.

I placed the trail cam in some new locations. This time I placed it near the ground and got a lot of squirrel photos. This one makes me smile, with the squirrel looking like it is hopping over something. No...it's just the way they run.

Scooby celebrated his 13th birthday on the 13th. He picked out one special flavor of food for the dogs to share. Danny is practicing his pointing so he can pick out a flavor of food on his birthday.

The girls and I went to the salon on Friday, the 31st. They had their eyebrows waxed and I had a massage (a gift from Christmas). It was a special treat before we were coordinating a major service event the following day.

On the evening of the final day of January, Sophia was home and the pets were excited to see her. Here she is with five out of the seven indoor pets. All the dogs are in the photo. We're just missing two cats.

The Work of Mercy - Book Review

The Work of Mercy - Being the Hands and Heart of Christ by Mark Shea has been on my list of books to read for a while now.

Being raised Catholic, I watched my parents model the seven corporal and seven spiritual works of mercy in their lives. They, to my knowledge, didn't do them all, but they did do the majority of them.

It wasn't until I was well into adulthood that I learned that there was actually a name and purpose behind them. I thought they were just doing what "good Catholics" do.

The seven Corporal Works of Mercy are:
- Feed the hungry
- Give drink to the thirsty
- Clothe the naked
- Harbor the harborless
- Visit the sick
- Ransom the captive
- Bury the dead

The seven Spiritual Works of Mercy are:
- Instruct the ignorant
- Counsel the doubtful
- Admonish the sinner
- Bear wrongs patiently
- Forgive offenses willingly
- Comfort the afflicted
- Pray for the living and the dead

The first two Corporal Works of Mercy - about feeding those who are hungry and providing drinks to the thirsty (or access to clean, drinkable water) are self-explanatory.

The next one - clothing the naked - can literally mean providing clothing for those who don't have adequate clothing, whether in one's community or globally. Another interpretation is that the word "naked" does not mean "lacking clothes" but as "lacking modest clothes." I thought that was an interesting way to look it.

Harboring the harborless can be as simple as being hospitable - whether it is at church, an organization, or even at home. It can mean inviting someone over for tea or a meal or helping them find the right group within an organization to join (e.g., a choir, social justice group, environmental group).

Another part of the book I found interesting was about instructing the ignorant. It said, "Knowledge in the service of love, not pride, is the goal of instructing the ignorant. This is a work that is demanded of all of us sooner or later."

The author continued, "Virtually every human activity is taught us by somebody, and we are therefore all raised as debtors to a civilization we shall never be able to repay. Each of us has had a thousand teachers, not merely at school but from myriad other backgrounds and vocations.

Continuing down the list, there is the Spiritual Works of Mercy focused on forgiveness. The author said, "Unforgiveness punishes us, not the enemy. When we refuse to forgive, we hand our happiness over - forever - to people who may not know we exist, much less care.

"Refusing to extend forgiveness is one of the most deadly manifestations of pride in the world....Refusal to forgive trains us for nothing but misery."

I was pleased that, at the end of the book, there were organizations that one could support and/or volunteer their time at if they wanted to do these Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy. Some of their ideas combined with ones that I have supported include:

Feed the Hungry: 

Feed the Children - Both groups and individuals can volunteer to build boxes filled with food and essentials that will be delivered to families in need across the United States. Volunteers make the food-distribution programs possible by sorting and screening products, and helping assemble boxes loaded with much needed food and essentials. This is good for people who live in Pennsylvania.

Feed My Starving Children - I have regularly volunteered at the warehouse to pack food for children throughout the world who don't know where their next meal is coming from.

Give Drink to the Thirsty:

Global Water - From the organization's website: "Water … more crucial for survival above all other resources on earth. And yet, right now over one billion men, women, and children on the planet drink unsafe water. We believe that the lack of access to safe drinking water is the primary cause of hunger, disease and poverty throughout the developing world."

Clothe the Naked:

Organizations that accept clothing were mentioned. I think any local organization that accepts clothing would be grateful to receive items in good condition.

Harbor the Harborless:

There were national organizations suggested that help those who are homeless (adults and teens) and shelters for battered women.

Visit the Sick:

The book suggested volunteering through a hospice or the Ronald McDonald House.

Ransom the Captive:

International Justice Mission - There are more than 40 million people today who are in slavery. I had no idea there were that many. It's quite sobering to read that this is still going on. The International Justice Mission has ways for people to help put an end to slavery.

Bury the Dead:

World Vision - in addition to helping the living, this organization buries people who have died in natural disasters.

The book also has suggestions for the Spiritual Works of Mercy. I'm not going to list the ideas here since many are specific to the Catholic faith. That being said, there are many valuable ideas in this section of the book that people can follow or could find an equivalent in their own belief system.

20 Random Facts About Me

On Swap-Bot, I'm participating in a 20 Random Facts About Me swap. Below are the answers to the questions:

Do you make your bed every day? No. I am still homeschooling Olivia and I do a lot of my computer work for volunteering laying down - especially after the car accident in November 2018. I have found a way to put minimal stress on my neck (I had whiplash and then spinal surgery in October 2019) which has been such a relief. So, I am in and out of bed throughout the day...even though I am teaching and volunteering. Combine that with having pets who like to be on the bed, and it seems like a lost cause.

The bed with Eenie, Cooper, Scooby, and Aspen on it.

What's your favorite number? 9. In China, the number nine is an auspicious number. When the number nine is pronounced, it sounds like the word for “long lasting.”

When we visited China in 2001 and 2003 to adopt Sophia and Olivia respectively, I could see nine and multiples of it represented in many places. For example, on doors, there might be nine decorative elements or 81 elements.

What's your regular job? At this point in time, it is being a stay-at-home mom who educates her daughters. I also volunteer quite a bit for the Lions and have multiple roles within the club. My favorite one is coordinating service events where the Lions, their families, and community come together to do hands-on service projects.

Sophia and Olivia measuring a tree in the front yard.

This was on our nature hike in the winter.

If you could, would you go back to school? Not in the traditional sense. I consider myself to be a life-long learner so I'm always learning new things. That part I enjoy. What I don't enjoy about school are the tests and pressure to have things done by a deadline. It takes the joy out of learning.

A SAORI weaving and some leather items I made in 2019.

Can you parallel park? I lived in San Francisco for a couple of years (1989-1991). It was there that I learned to parallel park in the tightest of spaces since I worked at a private school that didn't have a parking lot. Although there isn't the need to parallel park as often in Minnesota, I still can do it...just not with the skill I did back in San Francisco.

A job you had which would surprise people? I was a house cleaner for families when I was in high school and college. My last job as a house cleaner was for a family who was Jewish. It was interesting learning about their religion as it pertained to cleaning - especially in the kitchen.

There were two separate sinks - one for dishes that were used for dairy products and one for dishes that were used to prepare and/or serve meat. I didn't know this initially and put a dish in the wrong sink. Thereafter, they said they would handle the dishes.

In the early 2000s, I was a massage therapist for a while. I thought it would be a good way to use my office at home and earn money while my daughters were young. It didn't work out. Without an actual stand-alone building, the atmosphere wasn't as relaxing and "spa like" as you would get if you went to an actual spa. So much for that financial investment in learning a new skill.

Do you think aliens are real? No. I haven't seen consistent and provable evidence to prove there are aliens.

Can you drive a manual car? Yes, I learned to drive on a manual car - a little white Honda Civic. I haven't driven one for years (since college in the late-1980s). In my mind, I still know how to drive one. It would be interesting to see if that is still the case.

A Honda Civic similar to the one I drove. 

This is a 1978 model - about the year 

that my dad got a car like this one. 

Ours only had an AM radio and heat.

Nothing frivolous. 

What’s your guilty pleasure? Sweets - ice cream and hot chocolate are two of my favorite sweet things.

Homemade ice cream that Sophia made one summer.

Have any Tattoos? No. I have no interest in having tattoos on my body. I can't imagine that they would look nice as my skin ages and changes.

Favorite color? Purple is my favorite color. However, green is the one that I like the most in terms of decorating.

A bee on a purple chive blossom in our garden.

Things people do that drive you crazy? People who use their phones while you are having a meal together. People who chew with their mouths open. People who put their blinker on when they are driving way before they need to turn - especially if they do it as they pass multiple places to turn. People who talk on their phones in loud voices in waiting areas or in stores. People who lie right to your face.

Phobias? None are diagnosed. However, I'd say I have a general aversion and anxiety in very crowded places or around a significant number of people (e.g., large fairs, conferences). As much as I like them and will go to them, I am anxious for much of the time at them. This is called Agoraphobia or Demophobia.

Another one that has been on my mind is the fear of getting Alzheimer's Disease. I saw my dad, grandpa, and uncle all have it. I found out there is actually a phobia - Nosophobia (or Pathophobia) - that describes this. Nosophobia is the fear of contracting a specific disease.

Last, is a mild - yet persistent - fear of someone breaking into the home. It started in San Francisco where many of the homes in the neighborhood we lived in had decorative iron bars on their doors and windows to prevent break-ins. Ever since there - plus combined with the increasing violent crime in the United States in recent years - there's that underlying fear and anxiety. Found out that Scelerophobia is the fear of crime in general and more specifically the fear of bad men and burglars.

Favorite childhood sport? I enjoyed biking and gymnastics. Biking was done on my own around the neighborhood and gymnastics was done in phy ed class in school. I never took lessons in either like kids do nowadays.

Do you talk to yourself? Sometimes, especially if I'm trying to figure out something or am frustrated with myself for losing or misplacing something. I talk a lot to the dogs and cats. Obviously, they don't respond in words...so perhaps I am talking to myself more than I think I am.

Baby Aspen on her adoption day - May 12, 2014.

What movie do you adore? I'm not sure "adore" is the right word. However, one of my favorite movies of all time is Defending Your Life. Excellent movie. I could watch it repeatedly and find new things about it that I enjoy or learn from it. Meryl Streep and Albert Brooks played the main characters in it.

Do you like doing puzzles? Sometimes. I don't have a puzzle out that I'm working on because of the pets. However, our family has done puzzle competitions a couple times which has been fun.

Olivia, Sophia, Mary, and I participating in 

a puzzle competition on March 31, 2019.

Favorite kind of music? When I think of the stations in the car that I listen to, it is contemporary/pop music, music from the 1980s and 1990s, and relaxing music.

Tea or coffee? Neither. I would prefer to drink hot chocolate, water (room temperature/ambient), or pop (sometimes...not often).

The first thing you remember you wanted to be when you grew up? A beautician. I liked going to Jackie Ann's (a hair salon) with my mom. By sixth grade, I had changed my mind: I wanted to become an archeologist. I didn't pursue either of those careers, but I still enjoy thinking of them and how diverse they were in terms of interests and skills.

Mrs. Lee's Rose Garden - Book Review

In preparation for a trip to Washington D.C. with 4-H's Citizenship Washington Focus, I read Mrs. Lee's Rose Garden - The True Story of the Founding of Arlington by Carlo DeVito.

I did not know much about Arlington National Cemetery before reading this book - just basic facts that were taught in school. This book gave a much more in-depth background through the eyes of three people during the outbreak of the Civil War: Mary Anna Randolph Custis Lee, Robert E. Lee, and Montgomery C. Meigs.

The large Arlington estate overlooked Washington before the Civil War. Mary Custis Lee was a young, charming woman who loved to work in her garden, especially in the flowerbeds. She would spend countless hours tending the flowers along with her mother and her three daughters.

There was a rose mentioned that the women were fond of: Rosa laevigata or the Cherokee Rose that was first introduced in the United States in the early part of the 1800s. It originally came from southern China and Taiwan.

Source

The historians at Arlington House said, "The flower garden was as important to the Lee family as any room in the main house. It was here they came to entertain, study, seek solitude, pray, play, and even bury their pets. The garden was well known among their friends and relatives, and plants from Arlington's garden and the conservatory found their way into many other Virginia gardens."

Robert E. Lee was a promising soldier who was successful in the Army Corps of Engineers. Montgomery Meigs was Lee's friend and was the engineer responsible for helping complete the capital.

When the time for war arose, Lee refused the opportunity to head the Union Army. The book details how he accepted a commission in the Confederate Army instead, and fought against his old comrades.

Ultimately, the estate is overtaken and Mary Custis Lee is forced to leave her home. The land begins to be used for burial plots for soldiers - first, in the furthest corner from the home.

Something I found interesting was that General Meigs asked that a large shipment of bodies of unknown soldiers be sent to Arlington for reburial. He had laborers working to excavate a huge pit just to the southwest of Mrs. Lee's gardens. Twenty feet deep and twenty around, it was a mass grave. There were 2,111 soldiers buried in the mass grave. The vault was sealed and a giant white marble sarcophagus was placed on top, designed by Meigs.

When Mary Custis Lee was in her 60s, she returned to what was her home at one point. Seeing the changes in it and the state of disrepair of the flower gardens made her final departure from the estate one in which she never looked back upon. She wrote to a friend a week later, "My visit produced one good effect...The change is so entire I have not the yearning to go back there an shall be more content to resign all my right in it."

A little more than four months later, she died. She never saw Arlington again.

Montgomery Meigs and his son, John Rodgers Meigs, are buried at Arlington. These graves are, apparently, very popular to see. The latter Meigs' grave has a bronze sculpture of him in a soldier's uniform. The image looks like he may have looked when he fell on the battlefield.

This was an interesting book that provided a lot of detail and insight into Arlington National Cemetery, and some of the people buried there. It provides a great foundation for better understanding what I will be seeing in Washington D.C. this summer.

Groundhog Day Pancakes and Pudding Cups

For years, I've had pins on my Pinterest board about Groundhog Day, but have not tried any of them. This year, I decided to do a couple of new recipe - one is for pancakes and the other a pudding dessert.

The first one I made were Groundhog Day Pancakes using the pin that led to The Joys of Boys. I used my dad's recipe for sourdough starter/sourdough pancakes to make the pancakes. Usually I make small pancakes, so it challenging to make a pancake larger than two pancake turners.

The eyes are mini-marshmallows with chocolate chips. The chocolate chips didn't want to sit on the marshmallows, so the eyes look a bit crazy compared to the pin on Pinterest.

Nonetheless, the pancakes made Sophia and Olivia smile, so that made me feel good.

It was something fun that they could still enjoy...even as teenagers.

The second thing I made for the girls was Groundhog Day Pudding Cups. Again, this is a pin that I saw when the girls were much younger, but I've still wanted to make it each year.

The pin doesn't lead to anything. So, I guessed what was needed.

Groundhog Day Pudding Cups

For each serving:

Ingredients

- 1 chocolate pudding cup
- 2 Oreo cookies (crushed)
- 1 vanilla wafer
- 2 slivered almonds
- black gel frosting

Directions

Open the pudding cup and put the crushed Oreos on top. (Note: I had leftover crushed cookies, so I didn't use the entire 2 cookies for a pudding cup.) Using the black gel frosting, draw on two eyes and a nose on a vanilla wafer. On the back of the vanilla wafer, put two blobs of black frosting. Attach the two slivered almonds to make the ears. Place the cookie in one corner of the pudding cup.