Sunday, August 16, 2009

52 Blessings--Ice Cream Cones

There is magic in an ice cream cone:

I used to get one after every OB checkup. Besides wearing a paper-towel dress and carrying your urine sample through the hall and having to step on the scales before a slender little nurse that quietly clucks her tongue and you know next week it will only be worse in this world where less-is-more as far as weight is concerned, you feel a bit exposed. An ice cream cone is a nice little tonic for the overexposed (and run-on sentences).

After dropping the boys off at the Missionary Training Center we headed straight to the BYU Creamery where they had almond joy ice cream (and the scoop is generous). Dropping off your kids at the MTC is a thrilling experience, but thrilling or no, saying good-bye for two years is emotionally draining. An ice cream cone soothes the sorrows.

If Calvin has to drive somewhere that is long and hot and dusty and maybe a tad bit boring, he'll invite me along and I'm more than happy to jump in and go with him, because I know somewhere he'll find me an ice cream cone (Drumsticks at the gas station count). An ice cream cones is a great monotony buster.

Saturday evening after Laurie's funeral . . . (which was incredible. Michelle, Laurie's sister, gave a wonderful life-sketch [I had forgotten all about Laurie being young mother of the year when they lived in Hawaii] and didn't know about the time when the twins were a week old that Laurie lost track of who was who. She had taken them in for their one-week checkup and the doctor had her undress them and then he temporarily left. Laurie was busy trying to keep the undressed twins soothed and two-year old Nathaniel happy while waiting for the doctor to return. In the process, the boys got mixed up and she couldn't figure out which one was which; they really are identical. Finally she thought she could tell so she grabbed the fingernail polish out of her purse and quickly painted one boy's toenails. To this day they're not positive Ben is Ben or that Zach is really Zach. After Michelle's life sketch, each of Gary and Laurie's boys spoke, even Abe, their son who is in the MTC. Abe sent his talk in a letter and their bishop read it to us. It was a wonderful, uplifting service. Gary and the boys have good things ahead of them and it was nice to be with them and bask in the peace and strength they've been given during this time) . . . we went out for ice cream at Husky's. Something about being surrounded by Cali, Ray, Grace and Calvin while licking an ice cream cone just made a good end to the day. Although it's frozen and warm milk is warm, an ice cream cone has the same effect and is much more palatable.

I'm grateful for the little things like ice cream cones that make life taste good while you go through it.

What little thing tastes good to you while you go through life?

8 comments:

Kathy’s Korner said...

I like ice cream cones as a social thing. I don't dip into ice cream at home, like I do the cookie jar. I can remember that when I was a kid mom always ordered an ice cream cone with chocolate on top and vanilla on bottom and if the poor scooper got it wrong, it had to be fixed! Don't ask me why...I don't even want to know. It is one of life's mysteries. I love it when Glenn and I are together and he asks if I want an Ice Cream cone. I really am easy to please!

Neighbor Jane Payne said...

Kathy, I'm the same way. Ice cream does not allure me in a bowl at home like it does on a cone in a shop. It must be the idea of unwinding and celebrating that I made it through something difficult that makes me like them.

Jill said...

You are so right about this. I love ice cream anytime, anywhere and am definitely tempted at home (have you tried Drumstick ice cream?) but there's something special and very "treat" like to getting an ice cream cone somewhere else.

I'm glad the funeral was so nice.

Unknown said...

Jane - I do love ice cream. I'm not sure though, what exactly tastes good when I'm down - but believe me, I've been through everything in the cupboards this week trying to figure it out!!

michelle said...

I love this! And now I want to go to the Creamery and see if they still have almond joy ice cream, yum. (never mind I was there last Thursday, I didn't order anything because we had 10 orders to try to get straight already!)

I am dying over the story of Laurie's twins! How funny to think that to this day they are not positive if she got them right...

Lyle and Mary: said...

Almond Joy icecream sounds so good right now! Probably because it also contains the food that helps me through the bad times as well as the good...CHOCOLATE. Hot,cold,lukewarm or frozen, it never fails me.

Mindy said...

Ice Cream! I like going out too but there is something about picking out your own "Ben and Jerry's" with a good friend or your hubby or both and watching a video.

Lucy said...

I've always preferred ice cream in a bowl. Does that count? Licking repeatedly makes my tongue numb, but I love me some ice cream, so I'm going to join your group regardless:)

The twins story really is funny. And a little bit disconcerting.