Saturday 25 April 2009

Saturday thoughts . . .



"It is better to suffer wrong than to do it, and
happier to sometimes be cheated than not to trust."
~Apples Of Gold

You probably have noticed that I added a new song to my play list earlier this week. And I love her, by the Beatles. I have always loved the Beatles. I was only eight years old when we first discovered them in North America, and I can remember seeing them for the first time on the night-time news early one November evening in 1963. Grainy black and white images of the fab four arriving by airplane in New York City, standing on the airplane stairs just outside it's door and waving to the crowds of people that had shown up to see them land. My parents allowed me to stay up and watch their appearance on the Ed Sullivan show that Sunday night, and I can remember being very excited about it. This was one of my life's defining moments.

Of course they were all the talk at school that next Monday. Everyone was so very enthused about them and had seen their performance on Ed Sullivan the night before, not that we could really hear very much over the screaming of the girls in the audience. Looking back on it now, I realize that in being able to watch them that night, I was a little part of history. Music was never to be the same again. They were only the first of what became known as the "British Invasion" into the pop industry of North America.



This was also a time when I learnt a very important lesson about people and about faith. The Beatles were my first brush with dishonesty and my faith was surely tested. There was a girl at school who insisted that she knew the Beatles very well. In fact, she knew them so well, that every single weekend that they were in the country, they came and spent the weekend at her house. Of course, there were lots of kids that hoo hawed at her words in disbelief, but I was very gullible and trusting, and I took her at her word. It seems quite silly now, but I truly believed every word she was telling in the great fairy tale story that she wove around us. So much so that, when she told me that they would be visiting her this very next weekend, and that she would send them over to my house to meet me, I believed her and accepted those words as fact.

I hung around my house all weekend, except for the hours that I had to go to Sunday school and church on Sunday. My mother couldn't get me to go anywhere. There was no way that I was leaving the immediate vicinity of my home. I had to be there for when they arrived, I just had to . . .

At first, I was filled with excitement and anticipation . . . just imagine, the fab four would soon be sitting on my mother's brown brocade upholstery in the living room. I could imagine them being very handsome, witty and totally charming. I pictured their cute British accents resounding within the walls of my home and I relished the thought of just how very proud I was going to feel in front of my family, knowing that I was the instrument of their arrival, and that they would be there because of me and my friendship with one of their best and dearest friends . . .

As the hours ticked away, and excitement began to wane in the growing feelings of disappointment and betrayal, I began to suspect that I had been duped . . . but even after those first niggling feelings of doubt began to creep in, I still tried hard to believe in the lie . . . as if by simply believing in it, I could somehow make it come true . . .

By the time Sunday evening rolled around, and my mother was tucking me into bed, I knew that I had been lied to, and my cheeks were hot with the sting of the tears of betrayal and misguided faith. I felt cheated and angry . . . and more than a little stupid . That was the harshest sting of all . . . feeling stupid. I had learned a very important lesson. Not everyone was as good as their word, and that sometimes people embellish things to make themselves feel and look more important . . . that sometimes people did indeed lie.



I am thankful to say though, that although I had been lied to, and was very, very disappointed, it did not destroy my faith, nor did it destroy my trust. It did however, change who I trusted and who I had faith in, and from that point on, if something or someone sounded too good to be true, I kinda thought that it was. People will break your heart, and let you down . . . sometimes they will cheat you and lie to you . . . they are only human after all, and there is not a one of us that is perfect. This I accept.

There is One though, that will never let us down and One, that we can have perfect faith and trust in. He will never cheat us or lie to us. His words and promises are true. He will not only show up and sit on your mother's brown brocade sofa, but He'll reside with you as long as you will have Him there, and He'll walk by your side every step of your life should you choose to let Him do so. I am so very thankful for my trusting and faithful heart and for my Savior who holds it in His tender care.

I had a lovely day off work yesterday and got a bit of art done and a bit of baking. If you want to see the art, you can go here. This one is called "Make a Joyful Noise." If you want to see what I baked, then look no further . . .



*Luscious Lemon Snacking Cake*
Serves 8

Click for Printable Recipe

This is one of those tasty and moist cakes that you make, bake and serve all from one pan. No fuss, no mess and plenty of taste! If you like lemon, this cake's for you.

For the Cake:
1 1/4 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
2 tsp freshly grated lemon zest
1/2 tsp lemon extract
1/4 cup melted butter
3/4 cup milk

For the Glaze:
3/4 cup icing sugar
1 TBS melted butter
2 to 3 tsp fresh lemon juice

Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F. Lightly grease an 8 inch square baking pan.

Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into the pan. Level it off and then make two deep indentations in it. Beat the egg and lemon zest together in a small bowl. Pour this mixture into one indentation. Pour the melted butter into the other indentation. Pour the milk over all and then mix well with a fork. (There will be some lumps that remain, just do your best and make sure you get into the corners)

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean or until it springs back when lightly touched in the middle. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely in the pan.

For the the glaze combine the icing sugar, melted butter and enough lemon juice in a small bowl, using only as much lemon juice as is desired to make a glazing consistency. Spread over the cooled cake.


16 comments:

  1. Mmmm I love the flavor of lemon. I love to have lemon cakes & bars with my coffee.

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  2. Oh, be still my heart...The Beatles! I've loved the Fab Four since I was a teenager and heart still beats strong for them! So sad there are only two left...but so glad they're singing along. I've always had a thing for Paul ;o) And be still my heart again...your lemon cake is super. I love lemon...mmm...I must make this next weekend! Sooo looking forward to catching up with you tomorrow and chatting, Marie. LOVE YOU HEAPS :o) ((BIG HUGS))

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  3. That's so sad that girl lied to you! How terrible! I hope you're able to relax and paint this weekend!

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  4. Beautiful post. My heart ached at your betrayal as a child, but rejoiced about the lesson you learned. You write so beautifully. What a gifted person you are.

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  5. I think most of us have been the subject of someones cruel deception, and it does stay with you. Its good if you learn from it, it took me a long time to learn that not everyone is honest.

    Love the cake Marie I may have to make that one this weekend, next to chocolate lemon is my favourite flavour. Yum!!!

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  6. Hi Marie, love the sound of this snacking cake. And when I saw the pictures of the sweet peas~I think I could smell them. Have a blessed weekend. Linda in Washington

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  7. Printable options! Yesssss!

    I love anything lemon. I am saving and making this one for sure.

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  8. Hi Marie, Your story reminds me of the time that I also learned my lesson. I guess it must something that we must all go through. The way we go thru it and how we handle it, will be the way we handle things down the line. Your lemon cake looks Fab!!! Have a great day.
    Lisa (lisita15)
    http://beachmom15.blogspot.com/

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  9. Just look ad that lemon glaze dripping down the sides of that moist cake! I could go for a slice of that right now!

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  10. I really love this Marie, I love lemon so, nice post and nice recipe!! hugss and kisses to you and Todd. Gloria

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  11. tell me that girls name and i will go and smack her! gosh! how mean. little turd.

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  12. I remember well the night the Beatles appeared on Ed's show. Even my mom loved the Beatles.
    Sorry that your friend lied to you and hurt you....in the long run don't you feel sorry that she felt she had to tell lies to be accepted by her classmates?

    I adore your new painting. My Mindy has redish hair(longer than your little gal) and plays the flute beautifully. I love to hear her play.I wish that you could have met my Mindy while you were in the USA. You would like her.

    That cake looks so good. I think that our lemons are just calling out for me to make them into that dessert.

    Have a nice Sunday. Love, Lura

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  13. What a hard lesson to learn. That is hard to go through. I think it's even harder to watch your kids go through it though, don't you? I think sometimes it is hard to be a mom and live all of those experiences over again.

    So nice that you had a day off! You deserve it after having to stay up all night last week.

    And your lemon cake looks so good! I wish I could come over for a slice!

    XOXO
    jen

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  14. How that naughty girl at school must have loved you; she never had such an audience!!!! The Beatles were a defining moment in my life too. In everyone's I think, even our parents, whose job it was to hate them (until the Rolling Stones emerged)remember them because of us so yes, I suppose we were a little bit of history. I never thought of that.

    We all wove our fantastic stories around them too and were totally devastated when they started getting married because that meant they would have to be divorced in order to marry US.

    My least favourite was Ringo as I thought they only let him sing on 'stupid' songs.

    All the same, us women of a 'certain age' have quite a lot of historical firsts to look back on.

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  15. Marie, I too remember that night and the Beatles~I was 16 at the time and in love with them all.

    Being deceived is quite the test, isn't it? The bigger challenge is to find trust again once something devastating has happened.

    Things like this from our childhoods do stay with us, don't they? We are born with such tender hearts~the trick is to keep them that way in the face of adversity. The Lord helps us with that on a daily basis if we avail ourselves of His gifts.

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  16. Woohoo! I made the Luscious Lemon Snacking Cake and it's great! A nice little summer treat!

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