Hope this brings a smile . . .

It is being a long wait until spring...

Beyond the unofficial start, when the geese return...
Past the official start, when the calendar decrees...
Gray skies, gray landscape,
Gray thoughts...

With no color in sight or in the forecast.
Instead, a city's Christmas decorations still hang
And the winter's detritus reveals itself as snowpiles slowly melt;
Those same piles now fuzzy with dried grass, leftover sand and shredded garbage
All pushed together and aside in the name of safe travel.

Sometimes, we can joke about it.
Sometimes, the gray swirls too close and a smile is painful.
And sometimes a kind, kind soul with nothing to gain
Brings a gift with the salad dressing to the table at lunch.
Just a simple sugar cookie, perfectly round and soft,
Not ordered, not requested. Just pure gift.
And one woman says to another, "Hope this brings a smile."
And both women do, and the gray retreats behind the edges of hope again.

No camera along to capture that precious cookie (I must learn to carry it always)
But I had these cookies back at the office (my latest attempts at the quest).
Hope this brings a smile.

The quest, continued . . .

The quest continues, with batch number two....

As a former biology major and science teacher, I am familiar with the scientific method, and I shamefully disregarded it as I experimented with three variables, instead of one.



Variable #1 -- Dark brown sugar, and even less white sugar.
Deemed successfull!!



Variable #2 -- Flour -- used two types,
but I'm not ready to reveal the new formula yet--
still working on this!

Variable #3 -- Refrigeration -- a suggestion
that came from even more research.
Who knew the New York Times could be so helpful??

Photo experiment --
did not actually impact the cookie taste, color or shape.
I'm just trying for a different look here.
Which cookie says, "Pick me, pick me!!!" most loudly to YOU?



These were actually baked earlier in the week, and already consumed--shared with two of the stalwart volunteers at the Class B District 12 and Region 6 boys and girls basketball tournaments (more about that to come later).

By the way, I'm staying with REAL BUTTER at this point.  Fortunately, this recipe only makes about two dozen small cookies or 18 big ones--easy disposal!!  (Notice the chocolate chip font color? Nice touch, eh?)

Round three of the cookie quest was completed this evening, with one variable.  Most of those cookies also have a designated recipient.

Your turn will come.

Still have work to do, but I'm getting closer. 

Much closer.  In fact, I bought two specialty bakery cookies earlier this week on a trip to the big city in NW North Dakota and for the first time ever, wished I had one of mine instead.

More to come...keep following your own quests, by the way.  Success may be closer than you realize.

And don't be afraid to mix up your variables!