The View From Mrs. Sundberg's Window

I was born optimistic

November 5, 2010

Listened to the show Saturday and it was not bad. Nice to spend a quiet evening at home with a pot of stew and the show. Not that we go out much, but Mr. Sundberg is so often away on weekends with motivational speaking engagements and the kids need to be driven here and there so much that a Saturday with everyone home is rare thing. So we took advantage of it by not doing much of anything at all.

The calendar is filling up fast for the next stretch of weeks. Seems there are always gatherings to attend, but they've moved inside now and feel a bit more intimate. Few things are more relaxing when the cold hits than sitting near a warm fire with good friends and a table full of dips and cheeses and wines. Makes for good conversation on all manner of subjects from politics to deer hunting to dairy prices to the best flour for making croissants. Which I've not yet made but plan to before long.

At the last gathering I attended, a week or so back, I got into a conversation that got me thinking hard. Someone said that optimism and hope are basically the same thing, and after a moment or two, I politely disagreed. I've had some degree of experience both optimism and hope, and I must say I have a preference. I was born optimistic, you see, and optimism, for me, is gritty and grounded and fuel for getting things done, where hope is more about having little or no control and fate and a solid wish for things to go right. Optimism has a "To Do" list, where hope is waiting for instructions.

Don't get me wrong. We each need a bit of hope here and there, but if I had to choose, give me optimism any day. Feels good inside, and makes me smile and think, something good's gonna happen today. Somewhere. You just wait and see.

There's a song with the words "pour a little sugar on it, Baby." Well. Pour a little of this dessert on it, and you just never know. A perfect finish to an autumn buffet.

Fruit Dessert for the Crockpot

1 can light peaches
1 can light pears
1 can pineapple tidbits
1 can light cherry pie filling
1/4 stick butter
2 T ground cinnamon
1/4 cup brown sugar

Open and drain peaches and pears; pour into crockpot. (If you don't have peaches or pears, use fruit cocktail.)

Open the can pineapple tidbits; pour undrained in crockpot.

Open can of light cherry pie filling; pour in crockpot.

Add 1/4 stick butter, 2 T ground cinnamon and 1/4 cup brown sugar.

Stir, cover with lid, turn crockpot to high and cook for 2-3 hours.

This is great served over a scoop of vanilla ice cream, creamy yogurt, or cooked oatmeal. Sprinkle crushed pecans over top for variety. This dessert freezes well, and can be reheated in the crock pot.

Enjoy!

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