Lemon Cake and Stress Relief

Hello Friend,

Oh I AM glad to see you today, on this first day of May. Thank you so much for coming.

I’m looking forward to our lemon cake. I hope you don’t mind that it’s not from scratch; I pulled a cake mix out of the pantry. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the three required eggs. I only had two, so I mixed in a little extra water and oil. Maybe that was a big miscalculation, because the cake came out all crumbly and falling-apart.

However, I managed to salvage two held-together portions for you and me, that look very much like a piece of cake. At first I was going to serve it with Mom’s old Vanilla Pudding Icing – delicious on top of any cake.

Pudding Icing

1 envelope Dream Whip (2 to 2-1/2 cup yield)

1 pkg. vanilla instant pudding

1-1/2 cups cold milk

1 tsp. vanilla (optional)

Whip topping, instant pudding powder, milk, and vanilla. 2 minutes. Let sit to thicken. (If using food colouring, omit vanilla)

But then I watched The Cowboy dump a bunch of cake chunks in a bowl, top it with whipped topping and strawberries, and pronounce it one of my best cakes, so I changed my mind.

Whipped topping and fresh strawberries. This will be very much like a five-star from-scratch lemon cake made by the world’s best baker. See what a little extra help can do?

And we’ll have tea too, of course.

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I have to admit, my cake mishap is a picture of how my week started out. Crumbly and falling apart. The Cowboy rarely sees me so stressed. My unrest got him uptight and, like many men, he had all kinds of solutions. And Babe came to the rescue with suggestions that work for her when she needs to calm her nerves.

Like I said, it’s rare for me to fret, and I’m not sure what set me off. Perhaps just giving in to that thick layer of gauze I mentioned in a past visit, fear of that virus cloud that hangs over us all in varying forms, and doesn’t seem to be leaving anytime soon.

I mentioned my anxiety to a friend, and immediately upon reading my text she video-called. Later, Peaches listened and encouraged me too, even to the point of checking in at bedtime. How wonderful to be so cared for.

The Cowboy, Babe, Peaches, and my friend were the whipped topping and strawberries to my crumbling lemon cake. They were there just when I needed them, to make things better. I thank God for them.

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A friend loves at all times, and is born, as is a brother, for adversity.

Proverbs 17:17 AMP

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What kinds of things help you to stay calm?

For me, as the week went on, I made a point to stop whatever I was doing. Then, create one intentional simple experience. No multitasking allowed in those moments.

I often have music playing in the background while I’m going about my day, but in these intentional moments I would close my eyes and just listen. Just listen. Take it in. My favourite this week was a playlist I found called Peaceful Guitar. No words, no accompaniment, just one guitar.

A few times in the week I went out to our patio and sat, eyes closed, face turned to the sun. Felt the warmth, soaked it in. Took deep breaths.

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In walking, just walk. In sitting, just sit. Above all, don’t wobble.

Yun Men

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I took moments to leaf through a home design magazine. I love looking at photos of beautiful homes. Bright kitchens with countertops that sparkle, spacious airy bedrooms, cozy bathrooms. And lovely landscapes too.

Other times, I made a point of stopping to listen to birdsong, opening the windows to let their sweet melodies in. One morning, I was awake at 4 a.m. when the birds were just beginning to sing. Instead of brooding about not being able to sleep, I just listened. It was heavenly lying there warm and cozy, soft pillow under my head, breathing and listening. In that attitude it didn’t take long to fall back to sleep.

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Of course, praying goes almost without saying. For me, praying is like breathing. It’s a continual conversation with God. I speak. He speaks. He listens. I listen. As His child, I feel comfortable telling Him things, and I can tell Him anything. Happy things, frustrating things, the littlest things, and the too-big-for-words things. Because He has proven His love and care for me in the past, I know I can trust Him with my happy or heated words. He gives …

beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness

Isaiah 61:3b NKJV

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I have enjoyed our visit today. I hope you will come again. And I hope, if you’re ever feeling anxious, that some of the intentional simple moments I created for myself this week might inspire you to create your own. Take care out there.

See you next time.

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Next time a sunrise steals your breath or a meadow of flowers leaves you speechless, remain that way.

Say nothing, and listen as heaven whispers,

‘Do you like it? I did it just for you.’

Max Lucado

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Featured image of woman pouring from lemon teapot by Jill Wellington from Pixabay