In a few days we will celebrate Presidents’ Day in recognition of great Presidents like Abraham Lincoln. As much as I feel compelled to write about Lincoln, I also feel almost “wordless.”
However, I do know two truths that stand out in my mind when I think of great men and women, and especially Abraham Lincoln. I believe that people who do great things have two virtues above all others; the capacity to dream and the aptitude to live a selfless life.
People who live their lives selflessly understand their purpose. They understand that standing up for all that is good and just, loving all living beings equally, and living their life doing good for others is the secret to life. They believe that loving all people above themselves is the answer.
People who live their lives dreaming understand that there is hope in all of life. They understand that through their selfless contributions to make a difference in our world and believing in their hearts that the dream can and will come true, it will. They never stop believing in the dream. No matter what, they believe. No matter what the costs, no matter how it affects them personally, they never think of themselves and religiously believe in the dream.
Abraham Lincoln started off no different then you and me. He was an ordinary person who did extraordinary things because he was selfless. He made a difference in our world because he realized his cause was bigger than himself and dreamed that he could make it better.
Let us all decide today to be more like Abraham Lincoln and make our world a more lovely place for everyone
Eat Pie and Make a Difference – Linda xoxo
While growing up, I absolutely loved watching Martha Dixon's Copper Kettle Show with my sister and mother in Lansing, Michigan. She was our area's local, Julia Child, and her show was a must-see each week for every homemaker and future homemaker in the area.
My mommy owned Martha’s cookbook, and I remember as a child, staring at it wanting to eat all the beautiful food pictured on the cover, especially the desserts. My mommy was honored to be on Martha’s show as she demonstrated cookie baking, and still talks about the experience with proud fondness. Martha Dixon's sweet disposition, easy expertise in the kitchen, and her lovely smile made her a dear mentor to me and many others. In retrospect, I think given her cooking and media talents, I am sure she would have been a contender for a national show today; a well deserved feat for such an admirable woman.
I have been eager to honor Martha at the shop for some time, and am elated to do so this Tuesday, February 7, 2012. The response we have received has been so sweetly positive, as people have shared their memories and how much her recipe traditions have meant to them and their families. Their testimonies; again, confirm how indeed, the heritage of good food makes our lives richer and so much sweeter!
I would have loved to have Martha join us on her day, but she is no longer with us on this earth. However, her love for flair and food remains in our minds, and remains in her cherished cookbook for everyone to enjoy. I am delighted and honored to celebrate the passionate and flavorful life of Martha Dixon and I invite everyone to come share memories of her and her legacy with us on this most special day!
Eat pie, live a flavorful life!
1. It is a time of love renewal! You have an excuse to tell people that you love them all day long!
2. It is a time for sweet treat indulgence!
3. It reminds us the beauty of a handwritten love note – a valentine on real paper with real heart-felt thoughts penned and signed with love.
4. That the day’s sole purpose is to celebrate love.
5. That everyone deserves to be loved on this special day.
My Top Five Favorite Romantic Movies
1. Pillow Talk
2. Gone With the Wind
3. Something’s Got To Give
4. When Harry Met Sally
5. Overboard
My Top Five Favorite Love Songs
1. Nature Boy – Nat King Cole
2. When You Say Nothing At All – Allison Krauss
3. You Don’t Know Me – Ray Charles
4. I Will Always Love You – Dolly Parton
5. Nobody Loves Me Like You Do – Keith Urban
My Daddy is a man of simple passions and pleasures. He loves dogs, farms, newspapers, visiting with people, hardware stores, pigs, education, fixing cars, collecting old radios, WWII memorabilia, feeding birds and squirrels, doctor appointments, collecting boxes, garage sales, laughter, story-telling, butter pecan ice cream, marigolds, flannel shirts, Tiger baseball, history, peanuts, his family and PIE!
One of my fondest memories while growing up was listening to Detroit Tiger baseball games on the radio together on warm summer nights. I often helped him hold a flashlight to the car engine as he tinkered on one of our warn-out, old cars. We loved listening to Ernie Harwell’s tranquil voice announce the play by play into the night. He and I would talk about the line-up, the players’ averages, and why Al Kaline was in a slump.
My daddy’s love for his family was paramount and where he got his greatest joy. He loved telling stories of his one-room schoolhouse days and of their farm growing up to all of us kids. He spoke of hard work with honor and respect and love for his neighbors and relatives with pride.
My daddy loves people, loves talking to all people that cross his path. His bank teller, waitresses, or hardware store assistant would soon become fast friends as he loved to meet and enjoy people.
He also had a huge sweet tooth, as I do. Sometimes he would stop for candy bars or ice cream cones on road trips, which thrilled me beyond compare. But he loved pie most of all, and always, always appreciated my mommy’s delicious homemade pies, and later in life, my own homemade pies!
My daddy’s smile and laugh have always been my favorite. He absolutely loves to laugh, as his eyes squint up with an ear to ear grin covering his face, when he finds something pleasing, which he does often.
My daddy was a wonderful father. He is sadly crippled now, nearly bed ridden and his mind does numbers on him at times. It is evident we are losing my great father to age, but not his purpose, for we all are destined to create a legacy with the amount of time God gives us here on earth. My daddy certainly has done that for me, and I am sure I can speak for my three brothers and sister as well. Thank you, daddy for leaving me with your spirit of unconditional love and respect of people, laughter, appreciating and honoring our past, the importance of story-telling, great passions and most importantly, the love for family!
With gratitude and deep love, my sweet, sweet daddy!
Addendum - Daddy passed on to heaven on January 6, 2012