Hello, Neighbor

remember how i told you about me making my version of the chocolate hostess cupcake? well, i forgot to take any pics, but they were AWESOME! the batter called for a cup of hershey's syrup!! yeah! well, peter and i didnt need all of the cupcakes, so our softball team enjoyed some and then i took a few to our neighbors in the cul-de-sac. we dont know our neighbors all that well, but we are all friendly with each other when we are out. right next door live john and pam. they always have little kids over...grandkids or nieces...and monday was no exception. two little girls came to the door and they looked so excited when i told them i had two cupcakes for them (meant for john and pam, but thats ok). i then walked to the house on the end of the street (2 down for us) where don and mrs. don live. all i knew about them is that they are super old and mrs. don loves to yell at her dog, taco, to come into the house. don came to the door and seemed really happy to see me, especially with treats. he told me he would hide the second cupcake from his wife! lol!! i noticed that our last neighbor, dave (who lives directly across the street from us) was not home yet from work, so i saved his to deliver later. just before we left for softball practice the little girls from next door came running over to return my tupperware, so i gave them two more to take back so that john and pam could have dessert too. judging by smiles, i am pretty sure i became the girls' best friend right there and then!! that is why i love to bake! for the smiles i got from them, and from don!

this afternoon, as i was just finishing frosting cupcakes for bible study...yes, more cupcakes...i heard don scuffling up my drive way. he didnt think i was home so we was leaving a package that was mis-delivered to his home and dropping off my tupperware. i opened the door and you could just tell that he was so excited to say hi. i, of course, had opened the door with a cupcake in hand for him. what i thought would be a quick hello turned into an almost two hour conversation on my front porch..yes, 2 hours! i was late for bible study tonight, but it was well worth it to spend time with this sweet man. don moore and his wife (gertie) have been married for 68 years! don will be 93 next month and gertie will be 90 in october, 2 days after my 29th birthday! i am just dumbfounded that don is not only still alive, but they both live with no assistance for the most part. they live in their own home and don still drives! they have two children (son, robbie, 67 and daughter, nancy, 65). i learned so much from our talk...all about his years here in ohio. i heard all about his friends (all but one are now gone), his barber (who only charges don $3.75 for a haircut), his children and grandchildren, his father's farm, and his wife's spunky self. it was amazing. in the two hours, only twice did he falter to remember what we were talking about. he told me about his life threatening leg injury which kept him from the war, even showed me his scars. at one point he was kinda shivering from the wind and i asked him if he was ok, he replied that it was ok if his teeth chattered a little, they werent real anyway :) i think he told me 4 times that he needed to go before diving right into another topic. i was happy to listen and he was happy to talk. he asked me twice to stop by sometime so that he can show me his house.  he also said that i can bring him a treat anytime, but that his wife really needed to cut back, so he will just keep her portion for himself...lol!!! i cant wait to stop over to see the moores soon. what a great surprise to my afternoon!

here is a pic of today's cupcakes on my new stand from lisa...thanks girl!

chocolate orange cake with fresh orange buttercream frosting...pretty good!

 please excuse my junk on the table behind...remnants of home hair! :)

Leviticus 19:17-18 "Do not hate your brother in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in his guilt. Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against on of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord."

Matthew 19: 17-19 "Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments; Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as yourself." 

Romans 13:9-10 "Whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: Love your neighbor as yourself. Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law."

LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR!!

blessings, ALo