I am joining Anne In Residence‘s “Currently” for the very first time. Each month Anne invites us to ponder our responses to an always-changing list of verbs. This month, we are writing about what we are currently feeling, wearing, buying, craving, and discussing.
I am writing about what I am craving first because it’s the easiest- ice cream.
I am on a no-added-sugar diet to lower my cholesterol. So far, it has worked. My overall cholesterol decreased by 50 points in the first year I followed the diet and I lost eight pounds. I still crave sugary treats once in a while and every so often, I cheat on my diet.
There is an ice cream parlor in our town that sells home-made ice cream. Rum raisin is my favorite. Last week, hubby and I checked the website to see the list of flavors offered. When rum raisin was on the list, it was almost as if we didn’t have any choice. We had to go.
We each got small cones. Mine was rum raisin/German chocolate. It was worth every bit of the guilt.
This month, I was buying flowers. Annuals, to be specific. Twice.
When I was growing up, the date given in the Farmer’s Almanac to plant annuals where I live (Southeastern Pennsylvania) was Mother’s Day. My mother adhered to that rule religiously, refusing to put flowers in the ground before the second Sunday in May.
Gradually, maybe due to climate change, that date has evolved. Now, the standard date for safely planting annuals is given as May 1.
During the last week in April, I looked at the 10-day weather forecast. No nights were even close to freezing well into May, so I went ahead and planted most of my annuals.
On May 9 (one day before Mother’s Day), we awoke to a dusting of snow on the ground. My calibrachoas, marigolds, and basil plants were goners. Only my petunias survived.
Once again, I should have listened to my mother’s words of wisdom. When will I learn?
Finally, finally, finally, it is warm enough to be wearing summer clothes.
I am not sad at all to put my dowdy winter clothes in storage for six months and wear my brightly-colored summer wardrobe.
Finally, I have to admit to feeling a little bit lost lately. When my husband and I discuss events happening in our country, I sometimes shake my head in disbelief.
Over 100,000 people have died as a result of the Coronavirus.
People are protesting the speed at which states are reopening.
People are protesting the death of George Floyd while in police custody.
Sadness, fear, hate, mistrust, anger, division, and hurt seem to be everywhere.
I don’t know about you, but I need some good news, some love.
It’s there. Sometimes it gets buried but you can find people doing and saying extraordinary things if you look hard enough.
Here is a touching article, written by a white mother about racism, telling us “Let’s just start here. Racism is unacceptable. Unacceptable.”
She goes on to say “friends of color, we love you. We love your history and diversity. We love your beauty and your culture and your heritage. We are so thankful God did not make us all the same. You are not alone. You do not need to be silent. You do not need to be afraid.”
When we allow racism or any other form of hate to control our actions, our words, and our lives, we cannot call ourselves “good people“.
“If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.” 1 John 4:20
You can find the places I link up here.
Please click on the following link to read more funny or inspirational one-liners. One-Liner Wednesday.
Indeed these are challenging times . . . the sentiment from the white mother you quote is lovely, except . . . when she says, “You do not need to be afraid . . .” It’s so sensitive and so tricky for those of us who are white to offer solace to people of color, and I appreciate that lady’s intent. But if my children were Black, you bet I’d be afraid for them.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You are so right, Jan. I didn’t pick up on that when I originally included the quote. If I had thought about it, I would have omitted that last line.
LikeLike
I’m in such need of some good news, too, Laurie, and I’m glad you treated yourself, after such a long time of deprivation, to ice cream. Hooray! And the sentiment you shared from this mother is what so many of us are feeling right now. Peaceful protest is a gift from our Constitution; violence and destruction is unacceptable, and must be stopped. That is definitely NOT how Jesus expects us to conduct ourselves. May God hear our prayers and heal our nation.
Blessings!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You are so right, Martha. Jesus teaches us nonviolence, love, grace, turning the other cheek. We, as Christians, must model these attributes now more than ever. Blessings to you!
LikeLiked by 1 person
John’s favorite ice cream is run raisin. I’ll leave that typo, as it seems appropriate for you.
Sending love and hugs, because we all need them.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Haha! Run raisin sounds even better than rum raisin! Thank you for the love and hugs! Right back atcha, Anne!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh some good lessons in this post, yes of course you had to go to get the ice cream! Yes we should listen to our Mums ❤️ and definitely so grateful for diversity, thanks for an uplifting post 👌
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Kellie. Yes, I had no choice but to get ice cream. And I did.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am so sorry to learn of what is happening in your corner of the world, Laurie.
Bigotry and xenophobia are two words that shouldn’t exist in the dictionary.
Praying for America.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am praying for America too, Veronica. We need all the prayers we can get. I don’t understand what is happening to our country.
LikeLike
Yes to summer running clothes! I love your happy running skirt. It suits you really well, too.
Sorry, but rum raisin is the LAST flavour I would choose, hahaha!
I admit I love plain vanilla. No lumps, chunks or crunchy stuff.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love the skirt too. In fact, I like it so much, I don’t run in it. I just wear it for bumming around. I like vanilla too. With rum raisin! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I hear you, Laurie, and who the heck knows where to start. But I think ANY place. Just START. I highly recommend Robin DiAngelo’s book _White Privilege_ as a place to start. Makes us rethink a lot of our assumptions of what we THINK is good and right to do…but really, it’s not so much.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think you are right – just start with SOMETHING! I actually think I have that book. My son gave it to me for Christmas. I will check. I belong to Be The Bridge organization too. It was some work to join but so worth it!
LikeLike
Laurie, thank you for this post. Love the scripture at the end as a reminder that loving others does not come with an “unless.” There is no justification for racial discrimination or hatred in the Bible, as there should not be in our hearts or actions.
Funny, I have been craving foods too and I think it’s also a lowering of sugar intake due to being at home. No donuts, cookies or otherwise at work to tempt me. While you crave ice cream, I crave pizza…and cookies. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Absolutely no justification for hate.
My hubby used to get sugary snacks at work all the time. He is now on the sugar wagon with me. And I crave pizza too!
LikeLike
I’d be in a world of hurt if I had to give up ice cream. I don’t eat a lot, but don’t take it away. When I see pistachio at the local family-owned soft serve place, I have to go.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ohhh…pistachio soft serve sounds delicious!
LikeLiked by 1 person
It is 🍦
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ll be wearing summer clothes for the first time today. I’m happy that I’ll be physically comfortable while my heart is sad watching the riots and the disease and the fool in the White House attempt to destroy our country. The John quote is a good one. Sums things up, accurately.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have now decided that all of my winter clothes are too drab, outdated, and dowdy. I need to buy almost all new stuff this fall. At least all new tops. I usually just wear black yoga pants most days in the winter. My heart is sad when watching the protests too. How did this happen in our country? Oh, right…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes to ice cream… so much tragedy in the us right now… my heart hurts for you all.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, so much tragedy. My heart hurts for us too!
LikeLike
The ice cream industry may be the only one booming these days. I have been considering cutting out sugar lately, and am encouraged that you’ve kept to it for a year. As far the current events are concerned, my bible study video this a.m. reminded us that there is no circumstances that can put us out of the reach of God. And that he will find us wherever and whenever. And it may be in these circumstances that he chooses to change our hearts, and call upon us to change.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It was difficult cutting sugar at first but it does get easier. I do have to cheat every once in a while, though. I love that your Bible study invited God to call upon you to change your hearts. We all need to look to God for guidance in the change.
LikeLike
“If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.” 1 John 4:20 – Truth!
And ice cream! I think that needs to be our plans soon.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ice cream is always an excellent plan! 🙂
LikeLike
Laurie, Rum raisin is my favorite too! That would be hard to resist since you don’t find it often!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Right!?!? Rum raisin is hard to find!
LikeLike
It’s nice to have a treat every now and then. 🙂 That’s sad about the annuals. I love the closet changeover from winter to summer clothes! So much lighter and brighter!
The last few weeks have really been something else. I’m afraid the vitriol will ramp up the closer we get to the election–politics on top of everything else going on. I’ve been taking in and listening and reading, and I’ve rejoiced to find sane, wise, compassionate voices among the clamor. I pray the last couple of weeks will be a wake-up call for many.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m afraid you are right, Barbara. I am trying to avoid politics but I believe as Christians we need to promote love for our fellow man (and woman) and trusting in God to see us through the crisis.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love it – “craving” was the easiest for me too. Ice cream, ALWAYS. And I’m having many of those feelings too – it is easy to feel lost and unmoored in all of the pain and death that is happening right now, but it is nice to have some concrete things to read to help us learn.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, the more I read online, the more I believe there are many who feel the same as we do about the protests. And about the ice cream!
LikeLike
I find that I can’t watch the news anymore (although still read it each day) and I dread picking up my phone each morning to see the breaking news coming out of the US. I’m choosing to watch “nice” things on telly – not so I can ignore what is happening because I don’t want to do that, but so that I can balance it a little in my own overly sensitised mind. Despite the amount of baking I do, I rarely eat anything with added sugar – ice cream is, however, my exception to that rule! And re your garden, always listen to your mother. As my mother says “I’, mother so I’m right.”
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am finding I have to choose reading and watching things with a positive message too. Too much bad, depressing news, especially in the US. I don’t understand what is happening to our country! I learned to always listen to my mother. I wish I had learned that lesson years ago!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Laurie – loved your little icecream splurge and your summery clothes – we’re heading into winter and my wardrobe is definitely less colourful atm. And yes, so sad about the state of the world atm – particularly all that’s happening in the US – it makes me glad I’m in Australia – but it still affects us as we watch it all unfold. Sad times indeed.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, so sad! We must change and we must do it soon! The world is crazy right now and getting crazier all the time.
LikeLike
Good scripture quote and well put!
Also, I can’t resist good ice cream either 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you! I am bugging my hubby to go get more ice cream tonight! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
The ice cream looks good!! I hope we can change the world!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh, Tamar…I hope we can change the world too!
LikeLike
Good news is definitely out there – you may have to hunt deep for it – but its a reason why we need to share it – we ALL need more of it right now.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I do hunt for it. I can’t read any more negative stuff right now.
LikeLike
Ice cream is definitely worth making an exception!
And I have started trying to wear shorts when I’m outside, even if I”m not quite warm enough, because I want to get some sun on these winter white legs. Spring does seem to be taking its time.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Haha! My legs are currently winter white too! Running in shorts will take care of that soon.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I had to give up dairy some years back and I still miss ice cream. My favorite was Haagan Dazs maple walnut. My sister loves rum raisin like you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love maple walnut too. In fact, our ice cream parlor has maple walnut tonight… 🙂
LikeLike
Hello, I love our local homemade ice cream parlor. We had still had some morning with temps lower than 50°, we refuse to even buy our annuals until the temperature is higher. Love and respect for each other is what we need. It seems like we are going back in time instead of forward. Thanks for visiting my blog. Have a great day and happy weekend ahead.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I still have some gift cards for ice cream given to me by students from when I used to teach. Free ice cream tastes even sweeter! 🙂 Yes. love and respect are needed now for sure. Thank you for your comment and you have a great weekend too!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Difficult times, for sure. I am all for peaceful protest, but I hate to see the looting. I fear all of this will continue and more Covid in the fall. My school system is having parent surveys to see if they are going to send children to school, if we have a regular opening this fall. Nothing wrong with a treat 🙂 We have to be good to ourselves. Thanks for linking up.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I agree, Michelle. I think looting dilutes the message the protestors are trying to get out. I fear more Covid this fall too. Thanks for hosting!
LikeLike
I’ve never had rum raisin ice-cream, but it sounds very good. We have two popular places for frozen treats not far from me. One is Calder’s Dairy and they made their own ice cream on site and even a single scoop could put you in diet dire straits. Most people have it served in the sugar cone upside down in a cup as it is top heavy. The other place is Bob-Jo’s Frozen Custard Stand, in business for over a half century and it is a big event when they open every Spring. People line up around the block at both of these places all Summer long. After high school, I had good friends who worked at each place. In those days a little extra scoop piled on did not damage – now, not a good idea. 🙂
I grew up in Canada and I played with Negro kids in the neighborhood and knew nothing about racism until moving to Michigan at age 10, the year before the race riots in Detroit in 1967. We had a protest this afternoon that stretched from my city to the next city – it was calm and orderly and they marched across a busy street. My friend Ann Marie planned on participating as she participated in the Women’s March in Washington in January 2017 but worried there might be looting as the gathering spot for the biggest portion was in an abandoned shopping mall. I sent her the agenda this morning from the Facebook neighborhood site and she wrote she had changed her mind, leery of getting involved in case things went bad. She is full of spunk at age 77.
I listened to part of a TED talk that the Black doctor overseeing all the local decisions for moving forward for our State had posted on Twitter. She says she cautions her young boys about the same things as the Black speaker in the TED talk has grown up knowing to do/not do – always keep your hands where people can see them, drop your hoodie after it turns dark and walk, never run, when alone at night in a dark neighborhood or for that matter, anytime. Just walk and always do what you are asked if confronted/stopped by a police officer. This should not be a fact of life for anyone.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I would like to participate in the protests too but I am like your friend – a little bit leery it could go the wrong direction very quickly. It is so sad that black mothers feel the need to caution their boys to take these extra precautions. Breaks my heart!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, things could erupt quickly, especially in this oppressive heat which always stirs people up a little more than usual. Yes, it breaks my heart too Laurie. People are too quick to hurt one another and ask questions later.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, the story about the elderly man who got knocked over in Buffalo was heartbreaking!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, they should be ashamed of themselves!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I hope they are!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Glad you joined the link-up….hope you enjoyed. I enjoyed your post! I know how it feels when you have no other choice but to go and get the ice cream! About snow on Mothers’ Day…all I can say is “I’m sorry.”!! Hope you have a great weekend ahead!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I did enjoy the link-up. Thanks for hosting! Hope your weekend is great too.
LikeLike
Not sure about the rum raisin but yes to German chocolate all day long. And let’s face it, I have never turned down any flavor of ice cream EVER.
Love that outfit you have on! The colors in the skort/skirt are so vibrant and energizing. You look great.
So sorry you lost many of the plants due to that unseasonable snow. You’d think by May it would be safe to plant no matter the day. We are struggling because our temps have been so hot. It is always hot here in the summer, but summer came about a month early. My car showed 110* yesterday. And you can see it in the sad little leaves on all of my plants.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I definitely thought it was safe to plant my flowers. The good thing is that many of the plants I thought were killed by the frost actually came back. Now my flower beds are extra full. Wow! 110!!! That is HOT!
LikeLike