An End and a Beginning

For those who missed family prayer, Jason was released as bishop on Sunday. He was just six days shy of a full five years. (So, by my reckoning that's a total of 1820 days. Funny because of the significance of 1820!)

"Before"

"After"

His new calling is...as the stake clerk! He'll attend stake presidency meetings, which are held every other Sunday afternoon at the exact time our ward meets! So, on those Sundays he'll attend the other ward's sacrament meeting in the morning, come home, help the rest of us get to church (our building is the stake center), then attend his meetings while we're at ours. But we're used to sitting without him in sacrament meeting, so we'll be fine. 

He feels like he could have served a little longer, like he was just starting to feel effective. But there are some aspects of being bishop that he won't miss, such as having to leave work in the middle of the day to handle some welfare crisis! He served well, and we commend him for it.

Do the Grapevine

I made this from the grape vines in our yard. 

Once I cut the vines, it was three days until I could get back to them. They had dried in the meantime, and I learned my lesson. 

A recipe Blast-from-your-Past!

Does anyone else have as a fond childhood olfactory-memory the tomatoey goodness of Sister DeStasio's homemade spaghetti sauce and meatballs?  I do.  So several years ago I saw her and asked her for a copy of the spaghetti sauce recipe.  Many years after that she mailed it to me.  I have made it lots of times and it is very close to the memories my nose and tastebuds remember.  Now many, many more years later I am sharing this recipe for you all to enjoy.  I don't have pictures of the sauce, because, frankly, it just looks like sauce.  Make it and see if it brings back good memories of a Reading, PA childhood Sunday dinner.

Here it is typed out:

Spaghetti Sauce

by Sister DeStasio

1 T. oil

1-1/2 tsp. garlic salt

1 can tomato puree

1 can tomato paste

1 heaping T. celery leaves

1 heaping T. parsley

1/2 tsp. basil

1 tsp. or less of oregano

salt to taste

Put a small amount of oil in pot.  Put garlic salt in, let brown a little, but not too much.  Put puree in pot, then a can of water, then put paste in pot with 2 cans of water to get all the paste from can.  Then put all seasoning in sauce.  Stir and cover.  Let cook on high gas or electric till it comes to a rolling boil.  Then turn down to medium.  Let cook for about 1/2 hour.  After that turn down to simmer, let cook for 2 to 4 hours or more.