Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: Christmas Cooking/Baking (not recipes) (10/16/08)
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TITLE: "Snow Buddy Loves Me" | Previous Challenge Entry
By Frank Salerni
10/16/08 -
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In the days gone by I was told a story of love that rests in my mind to bring me comfort through every Christmas Season. It was a crisp, clean, and bright snow clad winter morning. New fallen snow has settled on the ground. As I peered out the frosted window I thought to my self, “What a shame it would be to disturb one of God’s perfect winter blankets.” Funny, how our thoughts can be replaced within an instant.
“I’m gonna’ build me a snowman!” I said, as I hurried by my mother who was baking something that smelled delicious in the oven.
“Be sure to dress warm.” She replied.
When I picked out my clothes I gathered various items for my new friend. I also grabbed some coal, carrots and an old kitchen broom to complete the ensemble as I bolted out the back door.
As I worked hard on “project snow buddy,” I hadn’t noticed my mother keeping an eye on me from the kitchen window, but I was told latter she had prayed for my happiness to be everlasting. She said that I brought joy to her just seeing my enthusiasm in my winter playground.
My friend was handsome, as snowmen go, and looked very distinguished in his bolder hat and striped scarf. He had a broad smile that made me laugh out loud to look at him.
Whatever my mother was baking was now cooling off on the partially opened windowsill. The fragrance drew me away from my labor of love long enough to discover that it was a Pumpkin Caramel Coffee Cake with a chopped pecan encrusted glaze topping. That’s all it took to bring me into the heart of my mother’s kitchen to ask, “When do we eat?”
She laughed, as I warmed myself by the oven door that was still hot from baking.
Later that morning she called me to the kitchen table for a taste of her culinary creation, along with a glass of cold milk. From my vantage point I was watching my snow buddy with pride in a job well done, when I noticed his mouth was drooping from a smile into a mournful frown.
“What’s wrong with him, Mom?”
“I suppose it might be warmer that it seems. Maybe he’s melting?” she replied.
“Naw, that’s not it. It’s freezing out there. I’ll bet he smells your cake, and I know he would like some. I’ll give him a piece of my own!”
With that I broke off a corner from the coffee cake on my plate and ran out the door. I fixed his mouth and shoved the cake into the snow as far as my fingers would allow. This created a round hole that was quite an amusing addition to his face.
I came back into the house and exclaimed, “Look mom, he’s singing!”
“I suppose he is at that.” She said.
In later years, before my mother went home to be with the Lord, she told me how she would always remember that day, because God spoke to her. She proceeded to tell me that when she saw my joy playing in the snow that God had made, He was smiling down on both of us. I said, “Why?” and she said, “Because we were His children. He is pleased when we enjoy the simplicity of His creation.”
It was the same with her appreciation of my enjoying her cake. She made it with love and I received it with joy. Then, when I shared it with my “labor of love,” the snowman, it was like sharing the joy, and that made him sing.
We are to share the joy of God’s blessing, because the blessings bring joy back to Him, and we do want to bless God, don’t we?
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Yes, he is very pleased with us when we take the time to enjoy what He has so beautifully created for us.
That pumpkin caramel cake sounds delicious. It makes my mouth water just thinking about it. Thank you so much for sharing these delightful memories with us. This was a joy to read.