MARIE'S MUSES

I want my life to count for something. I know that one day it will end. I don’t know when that will be, but when that time comes I want to know that it was a life well spent.

When I land at those pearly gates I don’t want to be standing there perfectly coiffed in beautiful clothes and shiny shoes, with each nail beautifully manicured and every hair in place. I don’t want to arrive in a car that cost a bomb and looks as if it has never been used. I want to look as if I lived and as if I lived well.

I want to arrive in a car that looks like it has taken many a trip and done many a journey. A car that looks as if it has been well used for things like taking that neighbour who needed a lift to someplace they really needed to go, full of crumbs from a group of girls who needed a lift to camp, or dog hairs from having taken the dog to a country park for a nice long walk every week. I want to arrive in a car with heart.

I want to stand there in shoes that are scuffed and worn from having walked many miles in aid of my fellow man. May there be grass stains on them and mud from a journey made in love and caring for my fellow beings.

I want my apron to be smudged with the milk of human kindness and stained with the batter of many cakes baked in the pursuit of serving those around me, my nose dusty with the flour of selfless caring.

I hope that there is dirt under my fingernails because I stopped along the way to help someone weed their garden or to hoe the tough row they had to hoe.

I hope my glasses are smudged with the sticky fingerprints of children that I loved and who loved me back, and that their sticky kisses trail all over my face and make it glow with the peace and comfort of knowing that I made them laugh and that they knew they were loved and that somebody cared.

I hope that my shoulders are damp with the tears of friends who needed a shoulder to lean on and that my knees are dusty from kneeling in the dirt in prayer, for family, or a friend or the world.

I want to look as if I really lived and as if I cared and as if I made this sojourn here count . . . that my life was not in vain or wasted.  As if I spent my life on the things that really matter instead of wasting it on the things that, at the end of the day, don't really count.

I want to hear those words . . . “Well done my true and faithful servant.” and know that I earned them every step of the way, and that I deserve to hear them. . .

I made Todd suffer through pasta again the other night. I’m not sure why he doesn’t like it very much. I think sometimes it’s just too much work for him, or maybe it’s the consistency. He ate it anyways without much complaint. He did really enjoy the chicken dish that I made to serve on top of it though. I perhaps should have baked him a potato to have with it instead of the noodles. Next time I will!

Serves 4

Now, I have never been to the Olive Garden restaurant, but I hear it’s really, really good. This is a copycat version of one of their most popular dishes that I found. I cannot say if it is true to the original or not, but I can say with authority that it is scrumdiddlyicious!!

2 TBS olive oil

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

½ cup peeled and finely chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms

½ cup white wine

1 cup chopped tinned tomatoes

¼ cup heavy cream

2 TBS chopped fresh flat leaf parsley for garnish

Grated Parmesan cheese

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the oil and heat it until it shimmers. Season the chicken strips and then add them to the hot oil. Cook them, stirring occasionally until they are well browned on all sides. Remove them to a plate.

Add the onions and garlic. Cook, stirring until tender. Add the mushrooms and cook them until they are golden brown. (Try not to stir them too much as stirring them brings out their juices too much)

Add the wine and bring to a simmer. Stir in the tomatoes and bring once again to a simmer. Let cook and reduce for about 10 minutes, then return the chicken to the pan and heat through. Taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary. Stir in the cream and parsley to finish. Serve warm spooned over the cooked pasta of your choice. Pass the Parmesan cheese for dusting over the top.