For the Holiday Recipe Club‘s Memorial Day blog hop, the secret ingredients to choose from were watermelon, beer, and pork.  I think I’m on a salsa kick because my last recipe for the HRC on Cinco de Mayo was for Fresh Mild Salsa, and the first thing I thought of when I saw that watermelon was one of the ingredients for Memorial Day was the salsa recipe my hair dresser gave me back in February.  I have been craving it ever since I read the recipe, imagining how wonderful it must taste, and I was trying to wait until watermelon were truly in season here in Wichita to try it (that happens in August for us), but with the added incentive of the Holiday Recipe Club blog hop, I knew the time had come.

This stuff is the bomb, yo!  The only change I made was to add in some lime juice, which I feel was essential to achieve the salsa flavor and balance the sweetness of the watermelon.  The beans, which may seem strange, are somehow a perfect fit with the flavors & textures.  I could eat this as a meal, it is so good!  It is juicy, and seriously addictive.  It is, however, best if eaten within four hours of making it as the watermelon leaks more and more water and becomes mushy after a while.  To serve this at your Memorial day barbecue or another gathering,  just have the watermelon prepped in a separate container than the other ingredients, then stir them all together and refrigerate an hour before serving and you’ll have a bowl of salsa perfection ready to wow your guests.

Watermelon Black Bean Salsa

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2 cups diced seedless watermelon
3/4 cup finely diced sweet onion
3/4 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely diced
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
Juice from 1/2 a lime
2 teaspoons brown sugar, packed
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
Tortilla chips

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients but the chips. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Drain if necessary before serving. Serve with chips within 2-3 hours of making.

Yield: 3-1/2 cups.

Veronica’s Note: I advise wearing latex gloves when handling and dicing the jalapenos, as the oils can burn your skin.

Recipe source: Jennifer L.

A big thank you to Erin for creating this club!  I’m having a lot of fun with it.  If you’d like to join or find out more, check out the Holiday Recipe Club website.  And don’t forget to check out the other Memorial Day recipes by clicking the linky frog below.

If you’ve never heard this song, you can hear the tune to it here.  It’s the state song of Kansas, one I’ve been singing all my life.  And while the skies get plenty cloudy here, and I’ve heard my fair share of discouraging words, I am happy and proud, and thankful that Kansas is my home.

As Dennis and I were driving through Abilene, shopping and sight-seeing, we saw signs like this everywhere:

PFCG?? What does that mean??  Then we started seeing signs that explained a little more…

We finally got the full explanation from a checker at West’s Country Mart.  PFCG means “Pray for Carly Gassman.”  When news spread in Abilene that this high school senior had a brain tumor, people in Abilene came together to support her and stores throughout the city, both individually owned businesses and chains, posted signs to “pray for Carly.”  Abilene business owners and those in surrounding cities pulled together to do a fundraiser for her.  The checker also reported that she’d had surgery to remove 90% of the tumor and she was recovering well.  This story gives me the feel-good sunshiney shivers!  God bless Kansas!  What a wonderful community!

Besides this inspiring example of the small communities and how they draw together to help each other out, I’m also thankful for Kansas in a purely superficial way.  While I’m often envious of more beautiful areas overseas and even within the United States, it doesn’t really take much searching to discover the unique beauty of the plains God created here.  Sometimes you just have to drive a little to get past all the manmade buildings…

Dennis says the mulberry tree should be our state tree because we have so many of them.  This one was in Abilene but we have them right in our own backyard, literally.  We always have to stop and have a taste.

I had Dennis pull over so I could take a photo of this man driving his tractor.  I gave the man a friendly wave as he got closer, and though he was working, he pulled his tractor as far over to the side as he could to see if I needed help or was lost.  See what I mean about our folks here?  So thoughtful!  Though I did feel bad about interrupting his work!

Can you tell what crop this is?

Green (unripe) wheat!  You see a lot of wheat fields in Kansas, as it is our main crop.  We are known as the “wheat state.”

We’re also known as the sunflower state.

Cutest water tower ever?

Sunsets in the country are so beautiful.

Atop the castle at Coronado Heights near Lindsborg.

When you slow down and take it all in, you notice the little things.  It’s times like these, watching a lady bug and ants going about their business, being out in nature, that I really feel close to God.  This makes me want to sing, “He’s Got The Whole World In His Hands.”

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. ~Psalm 19: 1-4

Wheee!  We’re back and boy did we have a blast in good old Abilene.  I think my blues have been cured by some good old Kansas sunshine and fun times.  We did so many things I don’t know if I can even blog about it because it would either be one long blog, or a million short ones, but I’ll see what I can do later on.

While we were there, we had a cookout with the whole family and I surprised my father-in-law, Al, with an early birthday cake since we were leaving the day before his actual birthday.  Since I was making it in a kitchen that wasn’t my own, and it was hot, I wanted it to be super easy, and cool and refreshing.  This one fit the bill since it’s made with convenience products and is refrigerated and served cold.  Plus, there’s no butter in the frosting so maybe it’s even a little lighter than my usual decadent cakes.  Perfect for summer.  Except for that whole turning on the oven thing, but I baked it at night so that made the hot kitchen not quite as unbearable.

Jessie’s trying to do a sneak attack on the grill!

Everyone loved the cake, but I have to be honest and tell you it’s not even close to my favorite cake.  The frosting is very tart, like lemonade, and I tend to like my cake super duper sweet.  If I made it again, I’d use less of the lemonade mix.  But I did like it, and judging by the reviews I got, it’s totally worth sharing.  It does have a nice strawberry lemonade flavor going on.  Like I said, it’s a great cake for summer because it’s served cold.  The frosting doesn’t get hard when cold like all the butter-laden ones I usually make, so that is nice.  And don’t forget my water bottle trick to make sure your cake is super moist! I taught it to my Mother-in-law while I was there, using her tap water, and she was so excited about it that she didn’t notice I was using her undrinkable tap water until I was done.  So yeah, I tried to poison everyone with not quite crystal-clean well water, but we all survived. lol

(Oh no, I hope Janice isn’t reading this!  She’s a reader in Abilene that I got to meet and I brought her a piece of this cake when I stopped by her office.  It was so cool to meet her, except for the trying to poison her part.  If you’re reading, Janice, I was just joking about the poisonous well water.  *ahem*  But you might want to get checked for fingernail cancer during your next doctor visit.)

OK, enough madness.  Here’s the recipe.

Strawberry Lemonade Layer Cake

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1 (18.25 oz) box strawberry cake mix (plus oil, water and eggs as directed on box)
1 (8oz) package cream cheese, room temperature
1 (0.23 oz) packet of Kool-Aid lemonade
Yellow food coloring gel (as desired for color)
1 (7 oz) container marshmallow creme or fluff
1 (8 oz) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
Fresh strawberries to garnish

Make cake according to box instructions and bake in 2- 8 inch round cake pans as directed. Turn finished cakes out onto cake racks and allow to cool completely.

Once cake is cool, cream together cream cheese, lemonade and yellow food coloring until smooth. Mix in marshmallow creme and then mix in whipped topping until completely smooth. Level the cakes, and place one layer on a platter, cut side up. Spread about a third of the frosting over the top, then place the second cake layer cut side down on top. Spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides. Slice strawberries and place on the top and sides of the cake for decoration. Refrigerate until ready to serve and serve cold, straight from the fridge.

Recipe source: Easy Baked

Disclaimer: No humans or animals were harmed during the eating of this cake.  I believe the reason they don’t drink their water is because it’s hard water, which isn’t really poisonous.

More photos from our evening…

My plate: burger, dilly cucumber salad, 7 layer dip, and jalapeno chips.

A closer look at the 7 layer dip. I did it a little different this time, putting the tomato layer on top and mixing some goodies into it (I made the tomato layer from this recipe).  I also mixed in a packet of Fiesta Ranch dip mix into the sour cream instead of taco seasoning and it was even better than the original!  I’ve been looking for that dip mix ever since my girl Jaci made a dip with us while we were visiting last year because it is just wonderful and miracle of miracles, I finally found it in Abilene:

I loaded up, so if you’ve never tried this and would like to, just let me know in a comment below, and I’ll draw among the interested parties for a winner of a packet.  It’s so good mixed with sour cream!

Maybe you can tell he likes Coke?

Dennis and his nephew, Carson, played catch after dinner.

Look how studly my man is.  He’s not much for sports but I think the sporty look is good on him. :)

When I met this boy, he was a toddler.  And now he towers 6 inches over me.  Kids are great at making adults feel old! lol

Love country sunsets!  Such a pretty ending to the day.

I’m still on vacation but, SURPRISE!  I had another blog scheduled.  :)

This is one of the fabulous recipes I made on the first cycle of the 17 Day Diet, one that I would eat whether I was on a diet or not, and one I intend to eat again soon.  I doubt it is any sort of copycat PF Changs recipe, but it is good, nonetheless, and doesn’t use any pre-made, packaged sauces for flavoring, which is the main reason I chose this recipe over others.  I didn’t want the sugar you find in those sauces!  I did think it needed a hint of sweet to compliment the other flavors, so I added some stevia, but that’s totally optional.

This recipe makes a large family-sized batch, and I took it for lunch a couple days.  Eating lettuce wraps with a dipping sauce is a bit messier than I’d like for a work lunch, so I just put a bunch of lettuce in a bowl then heated the filling at work and dumped it on top, then drizzled the sauce over.  And voila!  Asian Lettuce Wrap salad.  The easier way to eat lettuce wraps!

Asian Lettuce Wraps

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2 teaspoons olive oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh shredded ginger
20 oz 97% lean ground turkey (or ground chicken breasts)
5 oz mushrooms, finely chopped
½ teaspoon kosher salt
4 cups bagged coleslaw mix or finely shredded cabbage
1 (8 oz) can water chestnuts, drained, and finely minced
1 cup thinly sliced green onions
¼ cup soy sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 packet NuNaturals stevia powder, or other sweetener to taste
1 lemon, zested and juiced
½ to 1 teaspoon sriracha (optional)
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1-2 heads iceberg lettuce

Dipping/Drizzling Sauce
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup rice vinegar
3 tablespoons water
1 packet NuNaturals stevia powder, or 2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoons fresh shredded ginger

Heat an extra-large skillet to medium-high heat on the stovetop. When hot, add oil and then garlic and ginger. Saute for about 30 seconds, or until fragrant, then add the turkey, mushrooms, and salt. Cook for about five minutes, breaking the turkey up and stirring often until it is cooked through. Drain off the broth, and add the cabbage, water chestnuts, and green onions. Cook until the cabbage is wilted, about 2 minutes, then add the soy sauce, sesame oil, stevia, lemon zest and juice, and sriracha if desired. Remove from heat and stir in the cilantro.

To prepare the dipping sauce, combine all the ingredients and whisk to combine.

To serve, carefully remove each individual leaf from the head(s) of lettuce, place chicken mixture on the leaves and serve with sauce.

Recipe source: adapted from Our Best Bites

I know, I know.  I’m supposed to be on vacation.  What am I doing blogging, right?  Thanks to the miracle of scheduled posting, I wrote this blog last week and scheduled it to publish today.  I’m so tech-savvy!  (And I’m a big liar because I can barely even text, but I’m glad I at least have this one thing figured out.  It helps me a lot!)

So last month our friend, Joe, came over with a tractor to help us level out our back yard so the water wouldn’t collect in the middle and run up against our house and under the back door, flooding the basement.  Yay for no more basement flooding!!!

Like my husband, Joe loves mint desserts, and as part of my thanks for his help, I made him a creamy chocolate-mint pie.  Actually, I made two, because my husband deserved a “thank you” too. :)  Also, you deserved the recipe, and how could I share it without cutting up a pie to show you the inside?  And how could I do that to Joe’s pie?  I could not.  So I made Dennis a pie and butchered his pie up for you.  And for me, because I ate this piece.

This pie is creamy, fudgy, smooth, and minty.  I don’t know why, but mint desserts just aren’t my number one choice, and I’d probably never make them if it weren’t for Dennis and Joe (Joe is also responsible for these peppermint patties I posted a while back), but I thoroughly enjoyed my half of this pie.  Yes, my husband let me have half the pie!  I will not overshare how fast I ate that half, however.  That would be my version of TMI. Hey, a girl has to have some secrets.

Creamy Chocolate-Mint Pie

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1 1/4 cups milk
1 package (4-serving size) chocolate pudding and pie filling mix (not instant)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
1-2 drops green food color
2 cups frozen (thawed) whipped topping, divided
1 Oreo cookie crust
2-4 thin rectangular chocolate and green mints, unwrapped

In 2-quart saucepan, stir together milk and pudding mix; cook as directed on package. Continue cooking over low heat while adding chocolate chips, stirring until melted. Set aside.

In medium bowl, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, peppermint extract and green food color until smooth. Gently fold in 1 cup of the whipped topping.  Spread cream cheese mixture in the Oreo crust, then top with chocolate mixture, spreading it smooth. Spread remaining 1 cup whipped topping over the top, then either chop mints or use a vegetable peeler to shave off curls, and sprinkle over whipped topping. Cover and refrigerate at least two hours before serving.

Recipe source: tweaked from Pillsbury.com

• I’ve been in a funk and not my usual happy self.  I’m not going to start using you guys as my therapist and boo-hoo about anything, but it is what it is and I’m working through it.  I actually have a whole program I’ve worked out for myself to get out of the funk and am doing it, so I hope to let you know soon if it worked and how I did it!
• I have gained a lot of weight.  Hello, my name is Veronica…and I’m an emotional eater.  I feel a cleansing coming on because I pretty much can’t stand myself any more!
• Oh yeah, my hubby didn’t get that 911 call taker job!  I forgot I never updated you on that.  We thought he had it in the bag, but the old adage, “don’t put all your eggs in one basket,” comes to mind.  We are not worried, he got severance pay from his last job and if he can’t get another job right away, he can get up to 6 months unemployment if he needs it.  Though we’d really prefer an amazing job right away if you feel like praying for him! :)
• My hubby and I are going out of town on a sort of staycation an hour and a half from home, to stay with his ‘rents and check out the sights in good old Abilene, KS.  (Don’t scoff, it may only take 5 minutes to drive through Abilene (we timed it), but they pack quite a tourist punch!)  So this is likely the last blog from me for a week or so but try not to have too much fun in my absence. ;)  I will definitely return with lots of pictures to share.
• I’m so glad to have this creative outlet and I’m so glad that you’re here to share in it!  I so appreciate your comments and appreciate those who read silently as well–I’m not omniscient but my statistics let me know you’re there.  :)  I usually convince myself that I only keep this blog for my own benefit, but if there wasn’t anyone reading, I know I wouldn’t have enough motivation to continue, despite my amazing threshhold for selfish endeavors.  You guys make it fun, and you are why I do it if I’m completely honest with myself.  Thank you for all your recipe reviews, comments, and encouragement.  Thanks for reading and putting up with me, and hopefully enjoying some of my craziness.

See you again very soon!

Hugs,

V

P.S. So that you don’t feel recipe-deprived in my absence, how about checking out these oldies but goodies in the mean time:

This vegetable appetizer pizza is SO good, I bring it to at least one party a year.  I’m bringing it to one tomorrow, in fact!

I’m also bringing some 7 layer dip because I have some leftover refried beans from the last batch I made.  Love this stuff!

I’m bringing two plum pies to a Mother’s Day picnic.  This pie is so easy and so good! By the way, the plate in this picture belongs to my Mother-in-Law, whose own Mother-in-Law passed it on to her.  So I’m kinda hopin’ she’ll stick to the theme and I’ll inherit it some day. Isn’t is gorgeous?

And of course, I’m making a double batch of dilly cucumber salad because I need enough for both parties.  It’s the perfect summer side dish, so light and refreshing!

And while I’m not making this Italian cornmeal-crusted white fish over the weekend, it is a favorite, and elegant enough to serve Mom on Mother’s Day!

God bless you all, especially the mothers out there. What would we do without you?  Happy Mother’s Day!

*For the record, here are the beautiful names my mother came up with for us: Veronica Euvena (pronounced U-veena), Danielle Nicolette, and Franciska Larissa (pronounced Francheska-I don’t know why she wanted to spell it with an I instead of an E but it was probably the rabid spider monkey coming out).  Unfortunately our last name was rather plain by comparison: Davis.  I married a Miller, which I consider a step sideways, and Lacey married a Rickett, which I can’t decide if that’s better or worse.  It’s more interesting than Davis, but rickets is a disease poor people get from malnutrition! I think we are cursed in the last name department, but Mom really made up for it with our first and middle names, IMHO.

After squealing with delight and giving Lacey hugs, I asked her what brought her to Danielle’s shop.  She showed me her boots and told me she was trying to learn to walk in heels, so she had walked from Dad’s house, which is only like 6 blocks away, to break them in.  We had quite a laugh imagining her strutting down Douglas in her boots, jokingly asking if she was considering a new profession.

Sexy boots Layst!

When we were done making soap, we tried to get a picture together but alas, it wasn’t meant to be.  Maybe there are other sisters out there that can all smile perfectly at the same time while focusing on the camera, but we aren’t them.

Well, Lacey’s a pro, but I wasn’t quite ready and Danielle is giving her ornery/innocent expression that suggests she might have peed in the soap.  “Who me?  Oh, no I would neeeever pee in the soap. *hehehe*”

Dennis suggested we all try to look sad so that we’ll at least all be wearing the same expression at the same time.  Danielle and I ignored him as usual, but Lacey took his suggestion to heart.  I’m also wondering, if Danielle and I are both looking at Dennis, why her eyes are going off in another direction?  It’s the RSMG (rabid spider monkey gene)!

I’m going to go ahead and tell you that this is as good as it gets.  I’m just wondering what are the odds that both Danielle and I decided to tuck our upper lips way under so they look nonexistent?

Unfortunately Danielle missed Lacey’s demonstration of an enthusiastic smile.  Later photographs taken into consideration, I’m not sure I really benefited either, despite witnessing its full glory.

This is my favorite one of Lacey because her smile is big, relaxed, and natural because she was laughing at herself.  The RSMG has fully kicked in for Danielle and she’s glazing over, laughing at something happening in her head.

I totally ruined this one! Arg!  Well, except Danielle is staring off in the corner again. Danielle, get a hold of yourself! lol

It’s not glorious, but we’re all smiling.  Danielle!  What are you looking at?

We tried to do the sad thing together, but Lacey was so funny while pretending to cry that we could only laugh at her!  Actually, Danielle looks kind of confused.  Maybe she’s still thinking about what’s going on in the corner.

Oh my goodness.  Danielle was trying to look sad a little belatedly, but she got it so. wrong.  Danielle, this is the look of a rabid spider monkey that’s been hit by a truck! Roadkill spider monkey! lol

Aaaaad I lost it.  Lacey looks pained, doesn’t she? “If only they would have paid attention to my enthusiastic smile early on!” she’s lamenting.  Danielle is still watching something in the corner of the room that no one else can see.

Danielle, you FAIL the sad look test!  I think she’s still thinking about that fresh soap that she may or may not have peed in.

Thank God for my sisters, who always make me laugh.  They can make me insane with anger (bossy older sisters always think they know best, and stubborn younger sisters never listen), but for the most part, we get along well and can turn even a simple photograph into cause for hilarity.  The bring me such joy in even the simple things.

And just wondering…what happened to these days when we aced every shot?

Perhaps the blame doesn’t lie with the photo subjects…but the photographer?

Hmmm, there could be something to that theory.

Onto the pudding.  I know it sounds weird, but you just have to try this to believe it how good it is.  Even my avocado-hating husband loves this pudding!  Basically it’s just avocado blended up with cocoa powder and agave nectar to create a sweet, silky, perfectly chocolate-y pudding.  No dairy, no refined sugar, no gluten, no cooking, just blending and eating of the most delicious & wholesome dessert ever…refrigeration totally optional.  We couldn’t wait and ate ours as soon as it was blended and it was fabulous.  But I bet it would be even better cold.

Chovocado Pudding

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1 ripe avocado
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup raw agave nectar
1/4 cup almond milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Peel and quarter the avocado. Put all the ingredients in a Magic Bullet or food processor and blend until smooth. Serve and enjoy!

Recipe source: Forgiving Martha

My inspiration for the recipe came from my sister, Danielle, who usually only makes recipes that turn out things like soap, lip balm, or bath fizzies.  But one edible thing she does make, and well, is fresh salsa.  Her secret ingredient is orange juice, and while I didn’t follow her original recipe to a T, I did make sure to use some fresh orange juice in it. I also replaced the jalapeño with poblano, which is a mild pepper, sort of like a bell pepper with just a bit of kick to it.  (I love spicy food but I was making this salsa for the “mild” category.  The salsa also had to use fresh ingredients, which is why I didn’t just make my favorite salsa.)  If you’d like a hotter salsa, dice up some seeded jalapeño instead!

The judges loved my salsa, but said it had a bit too much garlic, so I’ve adjusted the recipe to up it to blue ribbon status by cutting the garlic from four cloves (hey, what can I say, I love garlic!) to two (the amount in Dani’s original recipe–I should have listened to the expert!).  But as with all recipes, just add amounts to suit your own tastes!

Fresh Mild Salsa

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6 medium fresh tomatoes on the vine
1 poblano pepper, seeded and finely diced
½ large red onion, finely diced
½ a bunch of fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1-2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
Juice from ½ a lime, ½ a lemon, and ½ an orange
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly grated pepper

Finely dice the tomatoes, removing the seeded pulp as you go, and place them in a wire mesh sieve set over a bowl to drain for five minutes. Discard juice, then stir the tomatoes and all other ingredients together in a large bowl. Store in the refrigerator.

Makes 2 pints.

Recipe source: adapted from Danielle Davis

Check out the other Cinco de Mayo recipes in the blog hop by clicking below!

I didn’t know Ed personally, but we worked together.  Maybe for years, but I only became aware of his existence last July when we started together as FTF’s (full-time-flexibles) at the REC.

The first time I saw him, he had a bandage around his knee and he raised a question about getting time off for surgery during our orientation, during which it was made very clear that we had to report to work when we were scheduled, no exceptions.  An exception was made for him.

Weeks and months passed, and tall, skinny Ed got even thinner.  He started walking slower.  Then one day, I noticed he was toting around an oxygen tank.  And he walked even slower.  But he never missed work.

One day we happened to be in the same part of the same break room at the same time, and he wasn’t looking too hot.

“You look like you’re fighting a hard fight,” I said.

“I’m fighting cancer,” he confided.

I found out he was going through chemotherapy, and his legs swelled each time he had a treatment, and those were the days he wore his big green pants and sandals.  He was smiling, despite his weakness, and was upbeat and positive.  I told him I would pray for him and he thanked me with a grateful smile.

Then came the hard weeks and months.  He became so weak that he started using one of our rolling chairs as a walker, propping himself up on the back as he pushed it in front of him, and would pile up his stuff on the seat to cart around because he could no longer carry it.  The oxygen, which he used to only wear while sitting down and coming to and from work, now accompanied him on his breaks.  I got choked up every time I saw him, saddened by his diminished state, and inspired by his fortitude. 

“How much longer will you have to do the chemo treatments?” I asked him in passing one day.  I was still hopelessly optimistic for him.

“A long time,” he said, so weak he could barely smile, but he smiled anyway.  He always smiled when he saw me.  “My body is being stubborn.”

That was my first inkling that he really might not make it.  I didn’t know him except to give him a friendly smile in passing, but my heart ached to know that after fighting so hard, he might not win his battle with cancer.  I cried that day as I worked, and many days after, praying to God to strengthen Ed and help him through this struggle, whichever way it may go.  That if it wasn’t His will to heal Ed, then to keep him from suffering too much.

And then the news came.  He didn’t show up one day, and I heard through the grapevine that he had taken a turn for the worse and was in the hospital.

A week later, last Saturday, he passed away.  He worked all the way up until a week before he died.

God forbid his fight and his strength and dedication go unnoticed.  I didn’t know Ed.  But he taught me by example that we are stronger than our circumstances.  That we can overcome practically anything to carry on with life until it ends.  He inspired me in his last months, and witnessing his strength and commitment to his job made me a better person.  I can tell you that there have been days I really felt like I couldn’t work, whether for health or emotional reasons, but I didn’t call in because I knew Ed would have showed up no matter what.  And if he could do it, dying, I could do it, my life ahead of me.

Thank you, Ed.  Your legacy lives on in my heart, and perhaps in the hearts of many of your co-workers.  You were a shining example to us.  Every time I feel weak, I know I will remember your strength.  When I’m weak, He will make me strong, and I will be thinking of you for the rest of my life, leaning ever harder on my Lord for the strength and courage that you displayed.

With God, I can do anything.  I’m stronger than my disease and any circumstance that befalls me.  Today, I’m thankful to Ed for teaching me that.