Friends . . .

Nothing among human things
has such power to keep our gaze
fixed ever more intensely upon God
than friendship.
~Simone Weil

I could not settle for most of yesterday. I kept wanting to pick up my phone and send my Angie a message and wait for her reply. We did that every day you know . . . most days . . . quick messages fired off to each other, cloaked in love and friendship. I shall miss that so very much. I always knew that she was only a message away. She was one of my bestest friends and I know she was my biggest fan. That's supposed to be your mom, but I'm afraid that mom and Angie always jostled for first position . . .

I went to her blog and I read the whole thing from back to front . . . it was a way to feel close to her, and to breathe her in one last time, and all the way through it I could hear her voice, with that lovely accent of hers . . . and I remembered the fun we had that last time I saw her, when she and Keith were here just before Christmas . . . and I laughed . . . and I cried . . . and I felt that big old hole in my heart . . .

And then I dug out my Conference dvd's and listened to a prophet's voice and his thoughts on death . . . and the talk he gave last April in which he answered the question of Job . . . “If a man die, shall he live again?”

I found comfort and peace amidst my tears, in the prophet's voice and words and when he spoke the words that the Angel spoke to Mary at the Saviour's tomb . . . "Why seek ye the living amongst the dead. He is not here but risen." . . . I was reminded that we all shall live again, and I felt peace at his words.

Angie is not here, but risen, and the lives she touched with her special ways and words are her legacy to each of us. My heart goes out to Keith, who has lost his best friend, his life's companion, his joy, his love . . . to her family who have lost such a precious daughter, sister, Aunt . . . I wish I could do more.

I have been blessed to have deep friends in my time here on earth. They have been an oasis to me when my life has turned into a desert. Angie was one such friend. She blessed my life in countless ways. It is no mistake that the German root of the word friendship means "place of high safety." My heart was always very safe in Angie's hands, and today I give thanks for the privilege I had of knowing her, and of loving her in this very special way, and especially for the blessing of knowing she loved me back. For that is a special gift.



"We are here to live out loud."
~Balzac

Angie lived out loud, in a most beautiful way, and I am so grateful that I was within the sound of her voice.




*Not Your Mama's Spag Bol*
Serves 6
Printable Recipe

This is a different sort of a twist that I put on good old Spaghetti Bolognaise. In truth, I love this even more than regular Spag Bol! I just can't get enough of it!

1 TBS olive oil
16 ounces extra lean beef mince
1 small onion, peeled and grated
1 fat clove of garlic, peened and crushed
2 green chilies, seeded and finely chopped
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1 envelope of Taco seasoning mix
(I use Discovery)
1 (420g) tin of chopped tomatoes
14 ounces of beef stock
6 ounces tomato puree
1 (420g) tin of black beans, drained and rinsed
12 ounces of uncooked spaghetti
Toppings:
Sour cream, Shredded cheddar cheese, chopped or finely sliced red onion

Place the olive oil into a large saucepan and heat. Once it is hot add the beef mince. Cook and stir until it is completely browned. Add the onion, garlic, chilies, salt, cumin and taco seasoning mix and continue to cook and stir until the onion, garlic and peppers are soft. Add the chopped tomatoes, beef stock, and tomato puree. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Gently stir in the beans and cook for a further 5 minutes.

In the meantime bring a pot of lightly salted water to the boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain well and divide amongst hot serving plates. Top each with a portion of the sauce and pass the toppings!!



Over in The English Kitchen today, a delicious Cinnamon Swirl Tea Bread.