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Do One Nice Thing with Friends and Family
It's been said that friends are the people who know all about us and like us anyway. True! But they are so much more. They get our jokes, they've got our backs, and they know what we're thinking even when we don't say a word.
Sometimes all we need from them is a hug, a squirt of laughter, or a reality check. At other times, industrial-strength caring is required-- like long phone calls into the night and special deliveries from the Casserole Brigade. And even if we don't hear from them for months or even years, when we need our friends, they come.
So, what do you give those who give so much to you?
This chapter is full of nice things to do with and for your friends-- from surprising them with a treat on their desk or doorstep to creating a group charity project or a priceless gift from the heart.
Contrary to what some think, friends are not "a dime a dozen." They are the family we choose--precious and irreplaceable. And if we're really blessed, our family members are also our friends, so this chapter is for them too.
What's Cooking?
Cook a meal for a friend who recently moved into a new home, is recuperating from an illness, or just needs some love.
Mmmmm. Nothing says love like chicken soup. Its steamy golden goodness always makes us feel better. So when one of my friends needs some TLC after a family-rocking event, I head straight for the kitchen, pull out my big soup pot, and get busy.
Here is my favorite chicken soup recipe, given to me by my dear friend Ziva, which I now give to you. It is so easy that even I can't spoil it. I'm not sure that it will cure what ails you, but it will definitely warm some hearts.
Ziva's Chicken Soup
You will need these ingredients:
6 chicken legs or thighs
2 peeled onions, whole
1 peeled parsnip, whole
6 celery stalks, chopped into 1-inch pieces
6 carrots, peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 bunch of flat-leaf parsley, whole
1 bunch of fresh dill, whole
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 chicken bouillon cube
Toss everything into a big pot. (I told you it was easy.) Cover with 10 quarts of cold water and heat. Bring to a boil; then simmer for an hour. Discard the onions, parsnip, parsley, and dill. Strain the carrots, celery, and chicken; store in a covered container in the refrigerator. Cool the broth and store it, covered, overnight in the refrigerator. Skim off the fat. When cool, cut up the chicken. Then return the carrots, celery, and cut-up chicken to the broth in a big pot. You may also add other vegetables, noodles, rice, or dumplings. Heat thoroughly and adjust the seasoning.
"We had just moved into our new house when I came down with the flu. My two toddlers had it too. When my husband arrived home from work he was greeted by our next-door neighbor, a widow in her seventies. He mentioned that we were sick. An hour later she knocked at the door carrying a pot of homemade potato soup, just like my mom used to make. What a healing effect that had--on the tummy and on the soul!"--Sharon
Hooked on Running
Run or walk with your friends in a charity marathon. Or if you'd prefer to exercise your administrative muscles, how about assisting the staff?
Sharlene Wills is a devout distance runner. She trains regularly, competes in marathons, and enjoys training off the beaten path in the hills. She also happens to be blind.
She said, "I couldn't pursue this wonderful sport without the unselfish and voluntary help of many very nice people." She often runs with a runners' organization called LA...
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