Do A Good Turn Daily . . .

"And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi,

Let me now go to the field,

and glean ears of corn after him

In whose sight I shall find grace.

And she said unto her, Go, my daughter."

Ruth 2:2  KJV

"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me."

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink: When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

“He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of those, you did not do for me.’

“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”                  Matthew 25:35-46

December 6th I went downtown Indianapolis, Indiana with six Cub Scouts, a younger sister, five parents/leaders, one grandmother and 70 pairs of new socks (OK, they were ‘slightly used’ socks . . . the Cubs had a ‘snowball fight’ with them on Monday night in the Bay at the Fire Station – but they had been washed); to ‘Do A Good Turn,’ aka some ‘community service.’ We went to help serve a hot lunch to the homeless. This sounded like a rather simple task as all we had to do was to show-up – all the food and such would be provided by others . . . but I soon found out this was a HUGE production.

As we pull up, there are already several homeless waiting . . . they knew we were coming. Some are standing on the sidewalk, others sitting on the ground or at picnic tables in the park . . . all knowing that soon there would be a feast set out before them. Some of their names known by the ‘regulars’ that come and serve them meals, to them they are familiar faces. Some come over and begin conversations; they also came over to see who the new faces were.

We met up with a group of Christians from around the Indianapolis area who come together every other Saturday (I think that's what I heard someone say) on Pennsylvania Street just south of Virginia Street. We helped set up ten or twelve long banquet tables on the sidewalk, filled them with hot food. There’s soup, fried chicken, sliced ham, turkey & noodles, macaroni & cheese, mashed potatoes, cheesy potatoes, cole slaw, potato salad, rolls & bread, some fresh fruit, deviled eggs, lunchmeat/cold cut sandwiches, cornbread muffins, yogurt and drinks.

The tables are up, the food and drinks are ready to be served, the workers all have their assignments, the homeless have come and lined up in an orderly fashion . . . all is ready. One of the organizers finds a spot towards the beginning of the line and welcomes all and then offers a prayer.

The homeless make their way down the line with their Styrofoam ‘take-out’ containers in their hands, and as they come to us we ask if they’d like what we were serving. They're welcome to have some of everything we're serving. Their small containers filled up way too quickly.

They’re grateful for the food and they thank us for being there. They’re blessed to see the children there helping to serve their lunch. Some say “Bless you,” and others wish us a “Merry Christmas.” They have smiles on their faces. A few come back for a second helping. Some bring plastic containers with them and put their food in them and several bring bags to put extra food in for later.

There are large garbage bags full of plastic containers and after all seem to have their fill, we fill small containers with what’s left in our pans . . . macaroni & cheese and cole slaw are ready for those that would like a bit more for later. There are a few sandwiches left and some yogurt as well.

Snowball fight

At the end of the food line, there was bread, heads of lettuce, stalks of celery, and boxes of romaine lettuce that they were welcome to help themselves to. There were bags filled with warm clothes, blankets and the socks that the Cub Scouts donated . . . they were free to take what they could use.
While we were serving one of the ladies came up from behind me and thanked me for coming and helping out, one of the organizers I think . . . then she gave me a big warm hug. Several of the other ‘regulars’ came by and thanked us for coming and helping out. I think our being there allowed some of them to spend time out in conversation with the homeless that they come and serve so often.

Lunch had been served, the food was gone . . . we began the clean-up process. We help gather trash, clean off the tables and help load up the vans and SUVs.

I had come with one of the leaders and her two sons and as I waited for them, one of the homeless men came up and we had the most delightful conversation . . . I found out that he had been in Scouting when he was a youth. He was touched to find out that the young boys helping to serve lunch today were Cub Scouts and they had come with several of their leaders.

‘Do a good turn daily’ it’s the Scout Motto . . . each Scout is to do a ‘good turn’ or give some sort of service each day, give unselfishly to others. One of the mom’s/leaders that was with us commented on the Pack’s Facebook page “. . . It was a very valuable lesson for the boys! Helping others.”

We spent about two-and-a-half hours out on Pennsylvania Street, setting-up, serving, cleaning and sharing conversation with the homeless that came by for something to eat. I was thankful that the rain had stopped earlier and that the wind wasn’t as strong as they had predicted on the news.

I went not knowing exactly what I was getting myself into.

I went to see what the Scouts were doing.

I went to serve . . .

When I left, I wasn’t the same as when I arrived . . . I had been richly blessed! What an amazing way to begin the Christmas holiday season!

I found several scriptures dealing with feeding the poor, I began this post with one that has been speaking loudly to me this last week, here are a couple more:

“Happy is the generous man, the one who feeds the poor.”   Proverbs 22:9

“For if you give, you will get! Your gift will return to you in full and overflowing measure, pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, and running over. Whatever measure you use to give--large or small--will be used to measure what is given back to you."   Luke 6:38

What ‘good turn’ or community service have you done lately? Whom do you serve? What drives you to serve others? Is your service well planned out? OR does it just seem to happen? What service are you giving this Christmas? How does giving to others make you feel?

I wish for each of you a very Merry Christmas – remembering the reason for the season and that our God blesses you richly in the coming year.

* I’d like to thank Nicole, one of the Pack leaders, for allowing me to share the pictures that she took serving the homeless in this blog post.

** I'm the one with the heavy red coat & navy blue hoodie (from Quaker Haven Camp) on!

 

"Y" is for Yearly Meeting . . .

"And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi,

Let me now go to the field,

and glean ears of corn after him

In whose sight I shall find grace.

And she said unto her, Go, my daughter."

Ruth 2:2  KJV

 

Western Yearly Meeting, USA

Since I have quite a few ‘non-Quakers’ who read my blog postings I’m going to begin this post with a short definition or description of what Yearly Meeting is:

 

Yearly Meeting is a term used by members of the Religious Society of Friends, Quakers, that refers to the annual gathering of members of the Monthly Meetings (the smaller/individual Meetings/Churches) within a geographical area. Friends gather together to conduct their annual business meeting during Yearly Meeting sessions. Members of a Yearly Meeting are members of the same branch (or flavor) of Friends.

 

The Yearly Meeting business sessions are conducted by the Yearly Meeting Clerk (chairperson). Friends don’t ‘vote’ they reach consensus. It’s the job of the Clerk to listen and discern the sense of the Meeting and ask for approval.

 

Meal time

Yearly Meeting sessions aren’t all business . . . and business sessions aren’t all business. That is to say that business is conducted during the Yearly Meeting sessions, but . . . at my Yearly Meeting (Western) the first three days begin with morning devotions followed by small group discussions and the business sessions are opened with a period of quite worship. Lunch and dinner are available in the Plainfield dinning room and are prepared by various groups as fundraisers.

 



Board reports
can be interesting!

Business sessions include reports from the Superintendent, Christian Education Director, treasurer, approval of the minutes from the previous Yearly Meeting session, Executive Committee, Sundesmos Task Force, Property Trustees, Nominating Committee, and the following Yearly Meeting Boards: Christian Ministries and Evangelism (which includes the State of Society report), Meeting Development and Nurture, Christian Outreach, Peace and Social Concerns, Finance and Christian Education. Other reports given include: Statistical, Financial Trustees, benevolence Treasurer, the next year’s budget and audit committee.



Displays

Reports are also given by members of several affiliated bodies: Friends United Meeting (FUM), Quaker Haven Camp, Earlham College, Earlham School of Religion, Friends Apartment Homes, United Society of Friends Women International (USFWI), Quaker Men and Friends Disaster Service.



A digest of Epistles or the greetings sent out from other Yearly Meetings, from around the world, that include a bit about their last Yearly Meeting session is read. Several Friends will work on writing an ‘Outgoing Epistle’ which will summarize our annual gathering and will be sent out to other Yearly Meetings.

 

Indian Table 

Thursday through Saturday Friends have time to shop for handmade/homemade items at the Indian Table(s) proceeds support our Indian Missions as well as the Bookstore – which has books for all ages, many of these are on the USFWI reading list.

 

Saturday is full of workshops with the morning workshops being presented by several of the affiliate organizations and the afternoon workshops presented by or sponsored by Yearly Meeting Boards on a variety of topics.

 

Each evening has its own specific programing:



Singing

Thursday evening is time for the Quaker Lecture. This begins with a prelude of amazing music provided by Joe and Tom Roberts (father and son) on the organ and piano which is followed by all joining in signing several hymns. The Quaker Lecture is given; printed copies are always available afterwards for purchase. Following the lecture, Friends are invited to gather in the basement to meet the lecturer, refreshments and conversation.

 

Youth Cabinet

Friday evenings have become a time for a Multi-generational Service. This is presented by members of the Western Yearly Meeting Youth Cabinet. Each year they choose a theme around a topic that they feel the members of the Yearly Meeting need to hear. They then prepare a program around that theme, including personal testimonies, several songs and a crazy game. An offering is taken to help support the Young Friends and help with Youth Cabinet expenses.

 

The Youth Cabinet is made up of some very talented Young Friends who are in High School. During the year these Young Friends travel around to various Meetings, who invite them, within the Yearly Meeting and present their Road Show. I am proud to say that both of my daughters have been members of the Youth Cabinet and the Road Show.

 

Saturday evenings begin with various groups splitting up and going their separate ways for dinner – Pastors & spouses and Quaker Men head off Yearly Meeting grounds for their respective banquets at area restaurants, the Young Friends usually head out for dinner and an evening of fun and the members of the ladies stay and enjoy the USFW Tea (dinner).



After dinner, the ladies head upstairs to the Plainfield Meetingroom for a short USFW meeting and installation of officers for the coming year. Then the USFW and Quaker Men gather together in the Yearly Meetingroom for a joint Mission Service. This time begins with more amazing organ and piano music from Joe & Tom. The speaker is from one of the missions that we support. An offering is taken to support that mission.



Sunday morning includes Sunday School time for all ages followed by Meeting for Worship in the manor of Programmed Friends and includes the Young Friends report, Concluding Minute and the final reading of our Outgoing Epistle. Meeting for Worship is followed by lunch which is prepared and served by the Young Friends.



Along with conducting the business of the Yearly Meeting, Friends come together to share and support each other, for fellowship and to worship. Yearly Meeting is a time to catch-up with old Friends and an opportunity to meet new Friends.

 

My Yearly Meeting is very blessed with talented and gifted Friends of all ages. I especially enjoy our Young Friends taking such an active roll.



Tea Time
Cork Meetinghouse
Ireland Yearly Meeting

In July of 2013 I left at the conclusion of the Western Yearly Meeting sessions and flew to Dublin Ireland to take part in a Pilgrimage with and among Friends for two weeks. Most of our first week was spent in Cork, attending and participating in Ireland Yearly Meeting sessions. This was my first experience at a Yearly Meeting other than my own . . . and I can’t think of anything I didn’t do! Devotions, worship, epilogs by candlelight, business sessions, tea time (with biscuits and sweets), public Quaker Lecture, field trip (I felt led to go to Blarney Castle!), workshops, talent show, folk dancing, and the bat walk with Conner out in the cemetery behind Cork Meeting House. I donated several craft items I made to their Market Place, where one could find books to purchase and a variety of homemade/homegrown items for sale – a fund-raiser to support Irish Quaker Faith in Action ministry. This was an amazing experience for me. I have commented that I never felt like an outsider or visitor, I felt like I was at home . . . and I was, I was home among Friends.

 



Talent Show
Singing in English & Irish
Ireland Yearly Meeting

 

Do you attend your Yearly Meeting sessions? Or, do you just attend Meeting for Worship on Sunday? If you don’t attended, what prevents you from going? Have you ever attended/participated in another Yearly Meeting? Why did you go? Did you go because of a specific concern? Or to make a presentation?

 



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 And on to my choices for "Y" recipes! Yes, more family recipes for you - first Yorkshire Pudding - one of my all-time favorites! The second best part of this one is the seeing the big bubble as it's baking in the oven . . . and then seeing it flop after it's come out. I know that this is in my mom's recipe box, but I copied it from the recipe card I found in my Grandma Meller's recipe box, her mother, and added Grandma's notes. I’ve also included (Rich) Yellow Cake and Luxury Chocolate Frosting – I know this doesn’t begin with a ‘y’ but chocolate frosting on a yellow cake is awesome!

 

Yorkshire Pudding

Grandma Meller’s Recipe Box

Marked as “Pam’s – very good”

1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted

1 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

1 cup milk

½ cup meat drippings

 

Combine flour and salt in bowl. Beat eggs well and beat in milk. Add to flour and beat until smooth.

 

Pour ½ cup meat drippings into 9x9 inch baking pan (metal). Heat in oven till hot. Add batter and bake in hot (400 F) oven for 30 minutes.

 

Cut into squares and serve.

 

It rises very high in a bubble.

 

Pudding should puff and become crusty. Serve with gravy made from dripping left in pan.

 

Serve with Rolled Rib Roast: select a boned & rolled rib roast. Season with salt & pepper. Place fat side up on rack in open roasting pan. If roast does not have a generous amount of fat covering, place suet or salt port over top. Do not cover & do not add water. Roast @350 F allowing 28-30 minutes per pound for rare, 32-35 minutes for medium and 37-40 minutes for well-done roast.

 

(Rich) Yellow Cake

3 cups cake flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup Crisco shortening

2 cups white sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 large eggs

1 cup milk

 

Grease 9x13x2 inch baking dish and line bottom with waxed paper (you only need the waxed paper if you’re going to remove the cake from the pan before frosting). Sift flour and measure; ad baking powder and salt; sift again. Cream shortening, add sugar gradually and continue to cream until light and fluffy. Add vanilla, then eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Add flour in four portions alternating with milk. Beat only enough to make smooth after each addition. Pour into pan; spread evenly.

 

Bake at 350°F (glass or 375°F metal pan) for 45 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean. Cool in pan on cake rack 15 minutes. Remove cake from pan, peel off paper; cool on rack.

 

This recipe is easily halved. Bake in an 8 inch square metal pan at 350°F.

 

Luxury Chocolate Frosting

1 (12 ounce) package semi-sweet chocolate piece

½ cup butter or margarine

1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted

3 large eggs, unbeaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

 

Melt semi-sweet chocolate pieces over hot water; cool completely at room temperatures. Cream butter or margarine; gradually add sifted confectioners’ sugar. Add unbeaten eggs, one at a time, beating with rotary beater. Blend in vanilla and cooled chocolate; beat until smooth. Decorate cake with Brazil nut slivers.

 

 

 

 

"X" is for X-Stitch . . .

"And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi,

Let me now go to the field,

and glean ears of corn after him

In whose sight I shall find grace.

And she said unto her, Go, my daughter."

Ruth 2:2  KJV

 

"X" is for X-Stitch . . . so I got a bit creative with this one . . . haven't we all done that a time or two?



Cross stitch
our of frame

More specifically this post is about one specific piece of cross-stitch. It’s a framed cross-stitch that I first saw back in early July 1984. It was, and still is, hanging on the wall in Great-Aunt Sylvia’s family room. Aunt Sylvia, my husbands’ Great-Aunt, who died in October 2010, just two months and three days short of being 102 years old. Aunt Sylvia was an absolutely amazing Quaker woman whom I feel so blessed to have known and known so well. Her home is now a place where our out-of-town family members can always find a bed and share meals and conversation when they come to town for visits.





corrugated backing

I'm sure at some point I asked Aunt Sylvia about this stitchery, but I don't recall what she told me. I’ve looked at it and whoever stitched it didn’t ‘sign it’ – that is she didn’t stitch her name or initial on it or date it. I did take the back off the frame (it just slid off) and found a piece of corrugated cardboard and when I removed that I found that the stitchery was just taped down to the piece of paper that had been in the frame when it was purchased!





Back of cross stitch

I’m nearly 100% sure that Aunt Sylvia stitched this piece. I won’t however try to guess when it was stitched . . . but a good guess would be before 1950. The fabric appears to be linen as it has a sheen to it.

 

I don't know what it is about it that strikes me the most:

 

Is it just that I've done so many cross-stitched/counted cross-stitched pieces myself, over the years?

 

Is it the story about it that I'm sure she shared with me?

 

Is it the saying? "Everyone is queer but Thee and Me and sometimes I wonder about Thee."

 

Is it the way that it makes me feel?



I just can't explain it . . .

Cross Stitch

As someone who learned how to embroider as a young child and became quite an addict of the counted cross stitch rave as a young adult I have always admired this piece of stitchery at Aunt Sylvia’s house.



What do you admire? Why do you admire it? Is it because of what it is? Who made it? What makes it or the person who made it so special to you?

 

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Alright, it’s recipe time, and recipes that begin with the letter “X” are nonexistent in my files, so since this post was about Aunt Sylvia’s x-stitch I’m going to share with you a few of Aunt Sylvia’s recipes. These are recipes that she shared in the Mooresville Friends USFW’s (United Society of Friends Women) 1998 cookbook, and I shared them in our 2014 cookbook that was just released this last weekend at the USFW Fall Bazaar – fundraiser to support missions.



The first of Aunt Sylvia’s recipes I’m going to share with you is Conversation Salad, much like the Applesauce Jello recipe I grew up with but with a few additions. Second is Simply Ham and Potatoes quick and simple and easily adjusted for any size family! And lastly something for dessert Grape-Apple Crumble, so you have a complete meal.

 

Conversation Salad

½ cup red hots (candies)

2 cups hot water
2 (3 ounces) packages raspberry Jello
1 cup ice water

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

2 cups applesauce
½ cup nuts
2-3 ounces cream cheese or cottage cheese



Dissolve red hots in hot water. Dissolve Jello in candy water. Add ice water. Add lemon juice and applesauce. Mix thoroughly and cool until slightly thickened. Add nuts. Mix cream cheese or cottage cheese and mayonnaise and swirl through Jello mix. Turn into mold and chill until firm.

 

Simply Ham and Potatoes

Slice of smoked ham, uncooked
White potatoes, quartered or eights, as preferred
Milk

Place potatoes in oven-proof skillet. Place ham slice over top. Pour milk over to cover completely. Bake in moderate oven until potatoes are done.

This recipe can be adjusted for any size family.

 

Grape-Apple Crumble

3 cups Concord grapes (less seeds)

1 ¼ cups white sugar

3 Tablespoons tapioca

3 Tablespoons margarine

1 ½ Tablespoons lemon juice

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 ½ cups apples, diced

Separate washed grapes from skins. Put pulp in pan and boil for 5 minutes, stirring. Press pulp through sieve to remove seeds. To the pulp add the skins, sugar, tapioca, butter, lemon juice and salt. Cook stirring until it thickens. Remove from heat. Add diced apples. Pour into buttered baking dish, about 9-inches. Cover with topping.

TOPPING:

7 Tablespoons cold margarine

7 Tablespoons sugar

¾ cup all-purpose flour

5 Tablespoons nuts, chopped if desired

 

Mix above as for pie crust. Mix in nuts. Sprinkle over grape mixture in baking dish.

 

Bake at 375˚F for approximately 20 minutes.