Savor the fruits of each season

The last Sunday in January was a gloomy one. The weather was cloudy all day and a gusty wind sent clusters of dry leaves tumbling through the air. Temperatures remained in the 40s most of the day, but it seemed cooler when we ventured outside.

To make matters worse, electric power went off around noon and stayed off about three hours, so our breakfast was quite late. Jim missed the end of the movie he was watching and I had to cut the coupons out of the Sunday paper with little light.

As we sat, listened to the wind blowing through the trees and watched the swaying branches from the window, it seemed a good day to sit by the fire and contemplate what we'd do on warmer days.

We've lost two dear friends to cancer in the last month and a half. Near the end of December, we went to visit a plucky little lady from the Kingdom Hall at the Highlands Rehab Center. We learned she'd just been taken to the hospital where she died that afternoon. The day of her memorial service, our friend Emily from Sulphur Springs was hospitalized. I got to visit Emily a few days later in Fayetteville. Only the next evening I received a call saying she was gone. Both were special people and will be greatly missed.

We are fortunate to have capable, caring doctors, nurses and medical professionals in our area. I took advantage of their services and had my six-month checkup and flu shot this month. Of course, we should always be concerned about the needs of others, but it's a good idea to take care of ourselves too. I got a good report and dropped by the home of a dear friend on the way home. I took her a bag of books, we had a good visit and she served me some good black coffee and a generous piece of her delicious applesauce cake.

The next day, I joined several friends at the Decatur community center for our annual missionary day. Each family was assigned a country and asked to bring a dish from that country. Many dressed in the native garb of their country.

My country was Belize. I prepared a bowl of rice, black beans and chicken. I dressed in a colorful tunic with wooden beads and a long flowing skirt. It was an enjoyable gathering as we shared in fellowship, eating, singing and playing a Bible quiz.

The buffet table was covered with a delightful array of dishes, all the way from a savory leek casserole from Albania to barbecue meatballs from the good old U.S.A. Side dishes included crunchy cabbage salad from Uganda and tangy ceviche from Belize. My two favorite main dishes were pork neckbones, sauerkraut and potatoes from Switzerland and wild goose, wild rice and mushrooms from the northern U.S. I went back for second helpings of both.

Desserts ranged from Swiss raspberry kuchen through cakes from Belize and Uganda to cookies and ice cream from the U.S. It was quite a feast!

Sister Nancy dropped by the first of last week. She's working at a cap company now and came bearing headgear for both of us. She brought Jim a camouflage cap with a Razorback on it. My gift was an orange and black stocking hat. It will be handy for warming my ears when cheering on the Lions at football games next fall.

Jim and I will likely be glued to the TV this weekend to watch the big Superbowl. I'll probably watch more for the commercials than the game.

January slips away and February is just around the corner. It's known as National Heart Month and Black History Month, among other things. Best of all, it brings the prospect of warmer weather. Until then we will do as beloved nature writer Henry David Thoreau advised, "Live in each season as it passes: breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influences of each."

Susan Holland is a reporter for the Westside Eagle Observer. She may be contacted by email at [email protected]. Opinions expressed are those of the author.

Editorial on 01/28/2015