Friday, November 14, 2014

Use Your Words: Speak Softly and Carry What?

Today’s post is a monthly writing challenge. If you’re new here, this is how it works: participating bloggers picked 4 – 6 words or short phrases for someone else to craft into a post. All words must be used at least once and all of the posts will be unique as each writer has received their own set of words. That’s the challenge, here’s a fun twist; no one who’s participating knows who got their words and in what direction the writer will take them. Until now.


Use Your Words | graphic designed by and property of www.BakingInATornado.com | #MyGraphics


At the end of this post you’ll find links to the other blogs featuring this challenge. Check them all out, see what words they got and how they used them. I’m using:  thanked ~ quills ~ acorn ~ sure as sugar  cranberry ~ dominoes
They were submitted by:  The Bergham's Life Chronicles.

This is the story of Teddy Roosevelt’s style of diplomacy and how a man named Jeremiah (accidentally) found it to still hold true.

Jeremiah was an avid animal lover, always taking in strays and any animal in need of care. In fact, he was known in his city as a man to whom people, even Veterinarians, could bring animals in need; wild or tame. Once healthy, he’d release those able to survive on their own and keep the others safe.

Jeremiah was a happy man, but he knew that he and his entourage of unique pets needed open space. He also knew that he couldn’t leave his aging mother, so he stayed put.

Many months and much thought after the death of his mom, Jeremiah made a critical decision. He used part of his inheritance to purchase a home and acreage far away in the Northwest. He moved his charges to a place where he knew they would thrive and he could continue his passion for nursing wildlife.

Jeremiah wanted not only to have a new home conducive to his needs, but he wanted to fit in too. This would not be easy in a small rural town of long-time residents.

Each Friday evening there was a Pot Luck dinner at the local town hall. On his first Friday in town, Jeremiah took his best acorn squash recipe and attended the meal. Never without one of his patients, he took a rabbit with a broken leg along with him.

He placed his offering on the table, filled a plate and sat with some of the women. Conversation stopped. Jeremiah introduced himself and explained why he had moved there. Everyone was polite, but when the conversations started up again at his table, it revolved around people and places he knew nothing about. It was like they were talking around him.

Across the room were a group of men playing dominoes. Jeremiah observed them carefully. He knew, sure as sugar, that the key to acceptance was to join in those games. He approached the men and asked if he could play. They looked at him and his rabbit and made it clear that they had no room for another player. Jeremiah softly thanked them anyway and walked away.

Through the week Jeremiah could be seen walking around town, always with a different animal. He’d smile and wave but was consistently met with polite but reserved responses.

The following Friday he made his favorite Orange Liqueur Holiday Cookies with dried cranberry, walnuts and white chocolate chips. He grabbed another animal he was nursing back to health and headed to town hall. Jeremiah placed his cookies on the table and approached the men. Once again he was turned away. Jeremiah thanked them anyway, ate with some of the women, made polite conversation as best he could and headed home.

Orange Liqueur Holiday Cookies | www.BakingInATornado.com | #recipe #cookies

Orange Liqueur Holiday Cookies | www.BakingInATornado.com | #recipe #cookies

Orange Liqueur Holiday Cookies


On the third Friday, Jeremiah went through the same routine. This time when he approached the men, they all froze. They looked at Jeremiah, then looked at his porcupine. They looked at Jeremiah again and then very slowly, very quietly and very calmly made room for him at their table.

Moral of the story:
In the famed words of Theodore Roosevelt: “speak softly and carry a big-quilled pet.”
{{OK, I might be paraphrasing just a skosh}}.


Links to the other “Use Your Words” posts:

Baking In A Tornado signature | www.BakingInATornado.com | #MyGraphics




Orange Liqueur Holiday Cookies
                                                                               ©www.BakingInATornado.com
 
Printable Recipe
 
Ingredients:
1 tsp orange juice
3/4 cup (minus 1 tsp) milk
1 stick butter, softened
1 stick margarine, softened
½ cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 cup orange Liqueur
4 cups flour
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
¾ cup dried cranberries
½ cup finely chopped walnuts
¾ cup white chocolate chips
 
Directions:
*Place 1 tsp orange juice in a 3/4 cup measuring cup. Fill the cup the rest of the way with milk. Allow to sit.
*Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cover baking sheets with parchment paper.
*Cream the butter, margarine and sugars. Beat in the eggs and orange/milk mixture. Mix in the orange juice and orange liqueur, then the flour, salt, cinnamon, baking powder and baking soda. Add the cranberries, walnuts and white chocolate chips last.
*Drop by tablespoons onto the parchment paper. Leave space, they spread. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes.
*Remove from oven and slide the parchment paper carefully off of the baking sheets. Allow cookies to cool completely.


32 comments:

  1. Awesome ending, Karen. I often feel like Jeremiah. Maybe I need a porcupine? Those cookies sound wonderful. I think I'll make a place for them at the Thanksgiving table.
    BTW, I say, "Sure as Sugar." Love that someone else does too.

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  2. That was a fun prompt -- that resulted in a silly story and a yummy recipe.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Karen. I have to admit this one really challenged me.

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  3. Bwahahahaha! I wondered where this was going! Great ending! Great story!

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    1. Quite a compliment coming from you, Diane! As always, thanks for reading.

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  4. LOL....what an ending...you did a great job with such a variety of words.

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  5. Your creativity is SO inspiring, Karen! Of course, now I wish I could have your boozy cookies :)

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  6. Cute ending. It made me think of a song I had to play on the piano the first couple years I was learning. I think the words were, "Porcupines have prickly quills ... don't go near their favorite something... if you do you'll have bad luck because you surely will get stuck." I can remember the tune better.

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  7. Thanks for a hearty morning laugh--I needed that!

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  8. Hahaha, the porcupine was the ice breaker… and I was so sure he would win those people over with the yummy cookies!
    Great story!

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    Replies
    1. Well, I guess there's something to be said for passive aggressive intimidation. Even if it is by mistake!

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  9. Those were tough words but you did a great job. I'm thinking now that I need a porcupine instead of a chinchilla.

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    Replies
    1. Well, it's worth a try. After all, it did work for Jeremiah!

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  10. Poor misunderstand man and his gang of wild beast.
    I need some of these cookies! Wanna ship some over?

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    Replies
    1. I've tried to ship before. I'm not very good at it, I ship cookies and they get crumbs. Guess you'll just have to bake a batch yourself!

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  11. Ha! You have a way with words. All these damn good cookies at holiday time! I need to start dieting again! You're no help!

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    Replies
    1. Oh, the hell with it, plenty of time after the holidays to start dieting!

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  12. I loved this especially the ending! Great
    use of your words....now I'm going to
    have to make those cookies they
    sound delish.

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    Replies
    1. I hope you do try the cookies, they really were perfect for holiday time.

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  13. I loved this story! The cookie recipe sounds amazing - and I want a pretty plate like the one they were photographed on!

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    Replies
    1. So glad you liked the story. It was a bit unusual, wasn't sure how well it would go over.

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  14. Oh my gosh. Your story made me think of poor Rudolph. Those darn reindeer and their reindeer games!

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    Replies
    1. LOL, maybe Jeremiah will make a repeat appearance next month with some reindeer?

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  15. As you can see I am just catching up. Loved this post and the cookies look amazing!

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  16. OMG - I love this! It made me smile! Thank you!!!! And I'm trying your recipe this weekend!

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    Replies
    1. So glad you smiled!
      Let me know how you like the cookies!

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