Recipe: Krusczyki

For Mother's Day, my step-mom put in a special request for an angel food cake. I was happy to oblige. Unfortunately, it left me with a lot of left-over egg yolks.

I scoured the Internet for a delicious way to use up the egg yolks. Most of the recipes I found were for sponge cake or something that would be baked in the same type of pan as the angel food cake. Now, that wouldn't work for me because, well, I had an angel food cake in that pan!

I was delighted for find this recipe for Krusczyki on Allrecipes.com (posted by SHARONA669). I'd never heard of it before, and there was no picture to go along with the recipe, but I thought I'd take a gamble.

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:
14 egg yolks
1 pint sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
8 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups shortening
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar for decoration

Directions:

1. In a large bowl mix together all ingredients except shortening and confectioners' sugar. Stir into a ball, then turn dough out onto a floured surface . Knead dough for 1/2 hour. If you have a mixer with a dough hook attachment, mix for about 15 minutes.
2. Let dough rest for 10 minutes.

3. On a floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4 to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into strips that are 3 inches long and 1 inch wide. In the center of each strip, cut a 1 inch slit, lengthwise.

   

   Pull one end of the strip through the slit to form a bow.

   

   (This is my interpretation of making a "bow". They kind of look like little bow ties, right?)

4. In a frying pan or an electric skillet, melt shortening and heat to about 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). in a frying pan this would be on medium high heat.

5. Place cookies in hot oil. Cook on both sides until lightly browned then remove to a paper towel.

6. Dust finished cookies with confectioners sugar.

I brought these over for Mother's Day brunch. Everyone loved them!! They are not a real sweet cookie but are more like a little doughnut. I was surprised at how well they were received.

Journal Topic: Describe a favorite childhood friend and some things you did with him or her.

Tara Wildman
She was probably my best friend in 7th grade. We had so much fun together. I remember when we got going, we would just laugh and laugh and laugh.

We were on the softball team together in junior high.

One time, we went on a field trip in 7th grade to the cities to see a concert and go to the Science Museum. We were on the same bus on the way home, and we were just silly.

A month or so after that, she spent the night one Friday night at my house. I remember how much fun we had together.

I also vaguely remember camping in her backyard.

There was singing, I definitely remember that. We would get a song in our head and just belt it out. Two songs that we would frequently sing were “Hold On” by Wilson Phillips and “It Must Have Been Love” by Roxette.

Journal Topic: Did you have a favorite subject in school? One you dreaded?

When I was in 7th grade, my favorite subject in school was Choir; however, my favorite teacher was Mr. Schmidt who taught Social Studies. I know this to be true because it was written in my journal. (Upon writing this post, I checked to see if he was still teaching in Alexandria; he is. I remember his wife had a baby the year he was my teacher; the baby came really early, I want to say 2 1/2 months?)

For the most part, I remember really enjoying school although I didn’t particularly have a favorite subject. Now that I really think back on it, I think I usually enjoy Math and Social Studies over other subject. I really did not like English class—especially if literature was involved. This might seem odd, since I loved to read (and still do!) growing up. I disliked having to be told what to read and when to read it. When I remember this, it seems almost laughable that I first thought I wanted to be an English teacher.

Seeing that one of my favorite teachers was my Social Studies makes me very pleased with my decision to switch over to a Social Studies licensure. I actually really do love learning about history and the world we live in (geography).

Since I mostly really enjoyed school, it was usually specific teachers that I disliked—not the subject. Recently, I’ve read over a few of my journals/papers I’d written in junior and senior high. It would seem like I enjoyed teachers who were more structured and tough; I didn’t like teachers who were too lenient.

Journla Topic: Did you have a favorite T.V. show as a child or youth? Or radio show?

Probably too many.

Here are a few that were can't miss shows for me. There were many more shows that I watched!

Journal Topic: Are there any family heirlooms in your possession? Tell about them and how you came to acquire them.

I wasn’t exactly sure what qualified as an heirloom, so I looked up the definition in the dictionary online.

heir⋅loom (air-loom)
–noun
1. a family possession handed down from generation to generation.

I have a cameo necklace/brooch from my Great-grandmother. I am her namesake, so I believe that is how I got it. She died when I was very little, so I don’t remember her at all. I don’t exactly remember how this necklace came into my possession. I know my mom gave it to me, but I can’t remember the occasion, how old I was, or how she came to have it. I doubt it’s standing as an heirloom because I don’t believe it was handed from my great-grandma to my grandma to my mom and then to me. I’m pretty sure it skipped some of those generations.

Perhaps I am being too literal…

When I went to take a picture of this necklace/brooch, I found a fan that I had also received from my great-grandma at the same time I received the cameo.

Building Zion, Home by Home

This is a talk I gave during Ward Conference on May 17, 2009.

Good afternoon.

For those who may not know, I am the YW president in our ward. I was asked to speak today on Building Zion, Home by Home.

So, what is Zion?

Elder Bruce R McConkie wrote that “Zion is people; Zion is the Saints of God; Zion is those who have been baptized; Zion is those who received the Holy Ghost; Zion is those who keep the commandments; Zion is the righteous.” [1]

We are Zion.

Again quoting Bruce R Mc Conkie, “The Lord has called us out of darkness into the marvelous light of Christ. He has commanded us to build up Zion anew. He has commanded us to overcome the world. He has commanded us to forsake every evil thing. He has made us his agents and representatives.” [2]

Each one of us here today has chosen to follow this commandment, to be a part of Zion, to build Zion.

So, how do we do that? How do we build Zion? The first thing we need to do is come to Zion, individually, in our own hearts.

In the Doctrine & Covenants 97:21, we read that Zion is the pure in heart. In the words of Bruce R McConkie, “Each one of us can build up Zion in our own lives by being pure in heart.” [3]

Elder D Todd Christofferson declared “we are to hunger and thirst after righteousness. To come to Zion, it is not enough for you or me to be somewhat less wicked than others. We are to become not only good but holy men and women.” [4]

In Moses 7:18, we read that the Lord calls his people Zion when they are of one heart and one mind and dwell in righteousness. Continuing from Elder D Todd Christofferson’s remarks, “We will become of one heart and one mind as we individually place the Savior at the center of our lives and follow those He has commissioned to lead us.” [5]

This means putting Christ first in all that we do. This reminds me of one of my favorite scripture verses.

2 Nephi 25:26
And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.

As we strive to make Christ a part of every aspect of our lives, our testimonies will overflow.

The theme of our conference today is Building Zion, home by home.

This is where it all starts…at home.

Joseph Smith taught, “Anyplace where the saints gather is Zion.” [6]

We gather as a worldwide church twice a year. We gather in our stakes at least twice a year. We gather in our ward buildings at least once a week. But we gather in our homes every single day. No matter what our home situation is like, we wake up in the morning and lie down at night in our homes. This is why it is essential to build Zion in our homes.

Wherever the saints gather, there is Zion. Our homes are our most frequent gathering place. We need to strengthen them from the inside. Our homes should be a refuge against the storms of life. Our homes should be filled, not with contention and strife, but with love.

When we enter our homes, we should feel of the spirit; we should feel safe and loved. If you do not think that this describes your home, change it. In Doctrine & Covenants 115:5-6, the Lord tells us, “verily I say unto you all: Arise and shine forth, that thy light may be a standard for the nations; And that the gathering together upon the land of Zion, and upon her stakes, may be for a defense, and for a refuge from the storm, and from wrath when it shall be poured out without mixture upon the whole earth.”

It is our responsibility to arise and shine forth. The mutual theme this year reminds the youth to be “an example of the believers.” In every action we take, in every word we speak, we can be examples of the believers.

Primary children, remind your families about family prayer and family home evening. Parents, listen to your child’s simple prayers and testimonies. Children and teenagers, obey your parents. We are all in this together, and life is so much more enjoyable when we work and serve together, when we make Christ a priority, when we love one another.

Building Zion is the most important thing we can do. We can build Zion by striving to become pure in heart by coming to know our Savior and following his example. We can build Zion in our homes by being an example to our families and helping the Spirit to dwell there.

If we build Zion, home by home, we must start by building Zion in our own hearts, and then making our homes a refuge. Zion will grow as we then invite friends and families into our homes to feel of the spirit, to share in the safety that the gospel affords.

I know that we can build Zion. I know that as we keep the commandments, Zion will become a very real part of our lives. I know the spirit will abide in our homes. I know my Savior lives and He loves me and He loves each of you.

In his sacred name, Jesus Christ. Amen.

_____________________________________

[1] Bruce R. McConkie, “Building Zion,” Tambuli, Sep 1977, 12
[2] Ibid.
[3] Ibid.
[4] D. Todd Christofferson, “Come to Zion,” Ensign, Nov 2008
[5] Ibid.
[6] Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, Ch 15

Journal Topic: Describe walking down the main street of your hometown.

Alexandria, MN 56308

Broadway was the main street. There were lots of fun shops on this street. It wasn’t that often that I would walk along the street, unless I was specifically shopping for something. Here are a couple of memories from a couple of the stores. I have no idea if any of these shops are even still around.

From the Heart—this was a cute little gift shop. They sold all kinds of little trinkets. One year for my birthday, I received a little pail of fudge from my brother Corey that he had purchased there. It was signed, “With fudge, Corey.” I thought that was pretty neat! This store was fun to walk around and just look at all the little gift items.

Braun’s Bakery—I could be wrong about the name of this bakery, but it was on the corner of 5th & Broadway (I’m pretty sure). I loved when we could stop in for doughnuts! My favorite was a custard-filled Bismarck. One funny story:

Clarinda (about to eat Long John doughnut): I wonder if this doughnut has feeling.
Mom: I think you mean filling. I doubt your doughnut has feelings.
Clarinda(biting into said doughnut): Ouch! See it does have feeling.

Old Broadway—this was one of the fanciest restaurants in town (or at least on Broadway). When I was in high school, my friends and I would sometimes go out to eat here. I remember we would order fun drinks, like virgin strawberry daiquiris. It made us feel special to have dinner at such a fancy place.

Taco John’s—nothing too special about this fast food chain, but it was one of my favorites. I remember many a stop by Taco John’s. I think it’s far superior to Taco Bell! I know for sure that this Taco John’s is not in the same location as I remember. It’s about twice the size as before and moved several blocks down the street.

That’s about it for specific places I remember. An overall description would be a fairly typical, small town main street with storefronts lining both sides of the street.

Oh, I almost forgot about Ben Franklin, a little 5&Dime store. Behind it (not on Broadway) was the library, and kitty corner to that was the junior high. I remember many, many a stop by Ben Franklin after school for some Now & Laters or Laffy Taffy or Jolly Ranchers or any number of other little candies that we could buy by the piece. There were also lots of craft supplies. It was a great store to get lost in.

Of course, I can’t leave out Big Ole! He stands at one end of Broadway.

Journal Topic: Did you and your mother share an interest in any special activity?

Let’s see…I’d have to say lots. I have such fond memories of my mom. I’ll just share a couple of examples.

We both loved the church! I remember when I was 10 (almost 11), I went visiting teaching with my mom. She was the Relief Society President at the time (I think), and I was her special helper. I took this very seriously and wouldn’t even go play with the other kids, because I was a visiting teacher that day! I think that we both had testimonies of the gospel and took our callings very seriously. Although I was quite young then, I believe that experience has helped shape me throughout my adult life and with the various callings I’ve held. It helps that it was recorded in my journal—keeps those memories fresh.

We both loved to make others feel special. My mom would often go out of her way to show her appreciation for others. I remember “chocolating” a sister’s home. Her husband would let us in when no one else was around, and we would leave little chocolate bars and candy all over her house. Several different years, we would do the 12 Days of Christmas to someone in the ward. We would drop off a little gift each day that represented that particular verse of the song. The trick, of course, would be to do this and not. get. caught. We had so much fun!

My mom was very good at sewing and doing other crafts. I enjoyed doing these things with her, too. She taught me some basics of sewing. She also attempted to teach me to crotchet, but I never really mastered that or develop a great interest in it.

We both also really enjoyed reading. We would often read the same books, usually mysteries. One of our favorite authors back then was Mary Higgins Clark. Not necessarily together, but I know that we had each been guilty of staying up all night (or to the wee hours of the morning) finishing a book that was just too good to put down!

Although definitely lacking in musical abilities, we both loved to sing! We especially enjoyed singing silly songs when we would go on road trips to visit family in Nauvoo or Missouri.

My mom really was a lot of fun, and I miss her dearly!

Journal Topic: Describe a childhood birthday.

I don’t remember any of my birthdays from my childhood clearly, so I took a brief dive into some old journals and picture albums to try and jog my memory.

I have a couple of pictures from my 2nd birthday. I do not remember this party at all, but it looks like I had a Big Bird cake and was surrounded by family. I have one picture with Grampy (my great-grandpa); another with my sister, Treva, and my cousins, Tara and Katie; and another picture with my cousins, Katie and Ryan.

The next birthday I have any record of was in 1986—my 9th birthday. I do remember this birthday vaguely. It was my first birthday in Alexandria. My cousin, Katie, came up from the Cities for my birthday party. I was so excited for her to come and visit. She probably stayed for at least a few days. We had been best friends for my entire life, but everything changed after this birthday. I don’t remember what happened exactly, but things were never the same between us after that. Two of the girls in the picture were neighbors of mine. We were marginal friends. I remember being very excited about the third friend in the picture to come to my party. Her name was Dawn Calloway, and she was a friend I’d met at school. Having a summer birthday always made it difficult to have friends come to a party, so I remember being so very excited to have a friend from school come celebrate.

In 1991, my dad took me to Valleyfair for my birthday. From what is written in my journal, it sounds like it was just him and me. Apparently, it was very busy that day, and we only got to go on 3 rides. All the same, from what I wrote, it seemed that I had great fun spending time with my dad. We had a little party later that evening with pizza from Godfather’s and I got some clothes for my gifts. I also got to go to a church dance later that night. I was probably pretty excited to go, but I wrote that it was pretty lame—I only danced with one boy, Adam Smith, who apparently was very nice.

I also found some pictures that are dated 1992, but I have a feeling that they are actually from 1991 when I celebrated my birthday in Alexandria with my mom. I was big into collecting porcelain dolls back then—especially if they had August somewhere on them. I still have some of the dolls I received that year. I think the year might be wrong because in my journal for 1992, I only mention going shopping with my mom for my birthday. It seems odd that I wouldn’t have mentioned the gifts, but I did mention a party, so perhaps the date is correct.
From reading through my journal and looking at old photos, I gather that I loved receiving clothes for my birthday—especially if I got to go shopping to pick them out, and that we usually celebrated with pizza. Today, I still love getting new clothes, but my tastes have gotten more expenseive, usually we go out for steak for dinner.

Journal Topic: Describe your mother's wedding dress. What do you know about her wedding?

My mom was married twice. I cannot describe her first wedding dress, and I don’t know much about her wedding. I know that it was a backyard wedding in Arizona. I believe her wedding colors might have been yellow and white. I’m pretty sure I remember seeing pictures of bridesmaids in yellow dresses anyway. The few pictures I’ve see are very 1970s (which is good, I suppose, since she was married in 1971).

The second time my mom got married was in 1986; I was 8 years old. Her dress was very lacey. I had contemplated wearing it for my wedding, but it was a little too much lace for me. I believe it had lace sleeves and a high lace collar. I haven’t seen it in over 4 years now, so my recollection of it is quite fuzzy.

This wedding was on March 8, 1986 and was held at the Anoka Stake center in MN, back when the stake center was still in Anoka. It was a very large wedding party—all of us kids were in the wedding. There were 10 kids in total. For some reason, I think that my aunt Judy was my mom’s matron of honor. I want to say the colors were purple; I’m pretty sure I remember wearing a purple dress. I think I also remember all of us girls wearing big hats, too. The wedding was in the chapel, and then there was a reception in the cultural hall. I must have been a little opposed to the wedding, because in all of the wedding pictures, I don’t think that I smiled even once. It is something that we would joke about years after the wedding, but I know that it broke my mom’s heart a little that none of the pictures reflected my smiling face.

Journal Topic: Describe a typical day during your high school years.

Was there a typical day during high school? Get up. Eat breakfast. Catch school bus. Attend school. Come home. Do homework. Some days after school, I went to my after school job—first Hardees, then Holiday Foods. Pretty boring, I guess.

I did have fun at school, though. That’s where my friends were. I actually really enjoyed high school and have some great memories. I certainly wasn’t popular in high school or a social butterfly, but I did have a great group of friends that I loved socializing with. I remember walking to class with my friends and talking a mile-a-minute. I guess when you have short (3 min) passing periods, you feel like you must get as much conversation in as possible!

Journal Topic: Describe your yard as a child - did you help with the yard work? What are your memories?

There are two backyards that I remember from my childhood—one in Brooklyn Park (until I was 9) and one in Alexandria (from age 9-17).

The one in Brooklyn Park was on a farm. It was very expansive. The yard butted right up against the fields—corn, soybean, strawberry. There were lots of trees. I don’t ever remember helping with yard work here. Perhaps I was too little...? My cousins lived just down the street; they were our closest neighbors. In fact, we had a little dirt road, running through the cornfield, which connected our two houses. Anyway, my favorite memory of this backyard was when we would play baseball. We never had enough people to play, so when we would get a hit and run to a base, which were the trees, we would have to leave an imaginary runner on, say 2nd base (if that’s how far we’d gotten), and go back and hit again. Sometimes, it would just be my cousin and I playing; sometimes my brothers and another cousin would join us.

The backyard in Alexandria was also quite expansive and also on a farm. This farm only had cows—no crops. While there were other neighbors around, this backyard did have a small trail, from constant walking, connecting our house to grandma’s house. The yard wasn’t exactly flat, and yard work was definitely a chore. I do remember having family yard work days when the whole family would spend the day outside, picking up sticks, mowing, gardening, etc. I think that I generally saw yard work as boy’s work, so I tended to try to stay inside—not that I was necessarily doing housework while inside!

Virtue: For Such a Time as This (Esther 4:14)

I first saw this video at the General YW broadcast in March. I remember how much it touched me then, and I was so glad to see it posted to the MormonMessages channel on YouTube.

I know that as we choose virtue, we will be blessed enormously!

Journal Topic #5: Did you and your father share any interests together - what and why?

I’m sure there are more, but one thing I remember quite fondly was going grocery shopping with my dad Saturday mornings. He was a very organized shopper. He would make his list and organize it by aisle in the store. It was our time together when we could enjoy each other’s company. I can’t remember any specifics about the things we would talk about; I just remember having fun hanging out with my dad.

From this memory, I’d say we both share an interest in grocery shopping. Even today, I enjoy grocery shopping. On occasion, Jeff and I have discussed shopping for groceries online and having them delivered. We’ve always decided against it, and after going to the grocery store, I remember why. I don’t know what it is about walking up and down aisles of food, but it is the one type of shopping that I actually do enjoy.

Another interest I’d say we have is organization. We both like to make lists (especially in the case of grocery shopping) and we like to have order in our homes. There is a place for everything, and everything should be in its place.

Journal Topic #4: Did you ever stick up for someone?

After discussing with my husband, my first thought was how I often stick up for Sallie. Now, she may just be a dog, but she often needs defending against my family. Each Sunday, most of my immediate family gathers at my parent’s home. They have two big dogs (compared to Sallie) that love to play with Sallie, and Sallie loves to play with them. At times the playing gets a little rough, so we need to separate them. Sallie is always accused of instigating all the rough play, so Jeff and I are always defending her.

I guess Sallie isn’t really a someone, so when I was writing about her, I realized that I have stuck up for my sister-in-law on occasion. I recall one instance I even convinced my whole family to pitch in to send her some flowers to help brighten her day. I don’t recall the exact circumstances, but I believe something had happened on the previous Sunday that had upset her. It may have simply been a comment that was made. My family, unfortunately, is not always the most supportive and accepting. Anyway, I know that she had left that night feeling very upset and unloved, so I stuck up for her by having the family send her flowers.

Journal Topic #3: Describe a place from your past.

310 Hart St, Brooklyn, NY (2005-2006)

Jeff and I were so blessed to find a fantastic apartment when we moved to NYC. Before describing the actual apartment, I must briefly describe how we came to find it. We had decided that we wanted to move to NYC. We had both dreamed of living there one day, and we decided that since we didn’t have kids yet, the time to move was now. When I told my employer at the time that we were moving out there and we had no jobs, didn’t know anyone, and didn’t have a place to live, they offered me a position managing a bookstore on the Upper Westside. We were so blessed that I was able to move out there with a job, which helped greatly with the moving costs!

We began looking for apartments right away. We really wanted to stay in Manhattan, preferably close to where I would be working. We could find NOTHING! Nearly every lead Jeff pursued was shot down when the landlord found out we were married. No one would rent a studio or 1-bedroom apartment (the only sizes in our budget) to a married couple. We were shocked. We had been staying in a hotel, but our time was quickly come to an end there, so we needed to find something…fast! Much to our dismay, we decided we needed to look outside of Manhattan.

At 6am one morning, we began looking in the other boroughs. Jeff started with Brooklyn. He found something on Craig’slist that seemed perfect. He called on it. The landlord, again, seemed hesitant—thinking it would be much too small for a married couple. Jeff went out to look at it. It was perfect! I went back with him the next day. I loved it, too! We got it because we were the first ones to respond to the ad, come see the prop, fill out an application, and pay a deposit. Renting an apartment in NYC is unique—competition is fierce, you must come cash-in-hand.

Turns out the Lord really wanted us there, in that neighborhood (or at least in that branch’s boundaries), because shortly after we moved, Jeff was called to be the branch Clerk, and I was called to be the branch Relief Society president. What blessings we received from those callings.

But I digress…now to the description of the apartment. It was a brand new brownstone in the Bedford- Stuyvesant neighborhood, I think. It was on the border of several neighborhoods. Anyway, some would say it was scary neighborhood, but we always felt very comfortable there—even when we had to occasionally walk at night. Around the corner was a deli/bodega whose owner/manager really took care of us. Once we went in late at night for some sandwiches. He walked us out and then stood at the door, watching us until we went around the corner. That may seem creepy to some, but it was actually very comforting to know that someone was watching our backs.

Our new brownstone was in the midst of a long line of brand new developments. On the other side of the street were older, somewhat run-down brownstones, but these new ones really cleaned up the neighborhood.

Our apartment was a second floor walk-up. The door into our apartment opened into a hallway. If you went to the left, the bathroom was at the end of the hall. If you went to the right, there was a small entryway that led into the kitchen. The kitchen wasn’t exactly big, but it was open. No one had ever lived in this apartment before us, so everything was shiny and new. There was actually a good deal of cupboard space. The countertops were marble (or looked marble anyway).

The kitchen opened up into the living room. At the other end, there were pop-out bay windows overlooking the street. The living room had hardwood floors and was nearly as big as our tiny 1-bedroom apartment in Minneapolis! We filled this room with a small dining room table set, computer desk, and 2 click-clack sofas. It was the perfect size!

Off the side of the living room was the bedroom. The bedroom was carpeted and bigger than a standard room. It could have easily fit a queen-size bed (possibly king-size), dresser, oversized chair, small desk. We didn’t really do much with this room when we lived there—just an air mattress where the bed would’ve gone. J I don’t really remember, but I think the closet must have been a walk-in. I can’t visualize where else we would have unpacked our clothes.

I wanted to post some fun pictures of the apartment to complement this post, but they were lost when our hard drive crashed a year or so ago. We lost practically everything from our time in NYC. I just remembered that I had some pictures of our apartment in Brooklyn on another blog. Click here for a quick glimpse.

Journal Topic #2: Describe the perfect day. Put in as many details as you can. Make it a possible day, not a "dream" day.

The perfect day would include the sun shining and birds singing for sure! It would begin after a restful night of sleep—waking up, not to an alarm, but to my internal clock. It would definitely begin with some time communing with my Father in Heaven, through prayer and scripture study. Without the Lord, my day would fall very short from perfect. Perhaps after breakfast, my day would take me on a walk outside with my wonderful girl, Sallie (our dog), and my camera. I would take pictures of the glories of God—the flowers, the trees, the birds and the squirrels.

Wait scratch that…

Instead I would pack a picnic lunch and my husband, Sallie, and I would take a drive up north to a state park where we could romp and play. We could hike and take in the beauty of nature. We would find whatever waterfalls might be in the park, because we love waterfalls…at least I do! The rush of the water is so powerful. After waterfalls, my favorite thing is flowers. We, of course, would have the camera, so we would take some great shots of our day. We would walk hand in hand together around the park, soaking in the warm sunshine. We would make plans about our future—where we will live, how we will raise our children. We would share our testimonies and discuss the gospel and how it has blessed our lives.

We would eat our simple picnic lunch—turkey sandwiches with Muenster cheese. Carrot and celery sticks, perhaps some radishes, on the side with water to drink. After lunch, we would return home, drop Sallie off in her crate and grab our temple bags. We would attend a session of the temple together and reflect on our day as we pondered the mysteries of God.

Our day would be capped off with dinner at our favorite restaurant, where we would enjoy a juicy, perfectly cooked steak, a steaming baked potato, and glorious green beans. Ooh, and some cheesecake for dessert. We would look into each other eyes and be filled with love for each other and for our Father in Heaven who made it all possible.

Journal Topic #1: Have you ever tried to find out something that was none of your business?

Definitely! I tend to be a bit nosy, and unfortunately, a bit of a gossip. I know that we are warned against gossiping because it can be very hurtful, but it is so tempting. I think mostly I just like the conversation. Don’t get me wrong, I'm not as bad of a gossip as some people, but I do think it is something that I could/should work on. To specifically answer this question, I cannot think of any particular instances when I tried to find out something that was none of my business, but usually I just ask around—usually someone that I trust. It may or may not be regarding that person. I know that I do not like to be left out, and that is partly why I like to nose my way in. I’m trying to keep this journal entry going for five minutes, but I’m having some difficulty with this prompt. Hopefully tomorrow’s prompt will be more interesting and fruitful. Two more minutes to go and nothing to say. Hmmm…I wonder if I should do this as a blog… I like blogging, but often have nothing to blog about. I’d like to do it more frequently. Perhaps these journal prompts will work. Yes! I think I’ll give that a try…starting with this one. It could be fun, right?! We’re down to seconds now…Whew! I made it.

Tune in tomorrow for, hopefully, something a little more exciting.

I've decided to attempt to be a better journal keeper. In doing so, I thought it would be fun to find a list of journal questions and randomly answer them. As I was doing this first one (as you read above), I thought it would be fun to do these entries on my blog. If you're looking for ideas to add to your blog, go ahead and join me. It would be fun to read your answers as well. If you join, please post a comment, so I can visit your blog and read what you have to say.