Messy Recipes

Last year I moved three times. Yes, it was a personal record, one I hope I never repeat or break. It was done with lot's of help, for which I am grateful. In the process and in retrospect, I discovered some regrets. I regret donating that bag of skinny clothes I never thought I'd wear again. Could have used them, however, there is an unlimited supply of clothing in the world. I'm not running around nekkid. I regret that life took me out of the country, but am happy it didn't take the country out of me. I regret thinking I would never need an appliance dolly or a wheel barrow again. Duh, what was I thinking? You don't need them often, but sometimes they come in dang handy. 

You know, when you move you are bound to lose something in the process. No exception here. It wasn't anything critical, like car keys. Or irritating like TV remote controls. Actually I could have dispensed with those for as often as I use them. What was lost, much to my regret, was my box of cookbooks. Yes, I'm from the era that used cookbooks. Losing that box bothered me. It was history that I cherished. It defined me as a young bride, a new Mom, a pot luck participant. It contained the only recipe for apple pie I could make with guaranteed success. Cookbooks can be a messy things. Sure there are pages of neatly typed and organized recipes. But there are also random pieces of paper, clippings from news papers, messy notes from a recipe shared in the office, cooking magazines. Recipes with my Mother's handwriting. Recipes I wanted to try but hadn't gotten to. There were church cookbooks, fund raiser cookbooks, and boozy recipe cookbooks. Life is not neat and tidy and neither are cookbooks. Sometimes you just have to touch them, feel them, share them and spill some ingredients on them. It adds to their value.

The missing books turned up when my daughter cleaned out her storage unit. We'd looked for them there. We looked twice, but they were hiding. We find what we need when the time is right. Not on our timeline, but when the universe and the good Lord wants light to shine upon them. Some of the best things in life will be lost, found, or are lying in wait. It's messy, it's frustrating, it's surprising and it's a delight when it comes into the light. Life is like that.