Hello, Strangers! It feels that way kind of–not writing about pies in a long time. Tonight, though, it was this pie plate that brought me back:

 

It’s the empty dish after a yummy supper of Cheeseburger Pie. It’s an easy old recipe that’s been on the back of the Bisquick box for years. Here’s what you do:

Brown a pound of ground beef (I guess you could use ground turkey if you do that) with some chopped onion.

Spray a 9 inch pie plate with non-stick spray. Dump the cooked meat in there.

Add cheddar cheese–or whatever cheese. I used a cup of white cheddar.

Mix together 2 eggs, 1/2 cup Bisquick, some salt, and a cup of milk. Dump it on top of the meat and cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes at 400 degrees.

It works every time and everyone in my family ate it.

What really got me tonight was the empty plate.

As I was putting it in the dishwasher, I thought, “Well, shoot. I could’ve taken a picture of that pie. Or a slice. Or something. Should I have written something? Oh well–gone too fast.”

It was too late.

The chance was gone.

So I photographed the empty plate and sat right down, convicted by the lesson it taught me.

Just this afternoon, I was telling someone I know–someone who was a little discouraged–that they should look at this day as a gift. Even if it’s not what you planned, it’s still a gift. And I was saying it to myself, too, because before you know it, the plate’s already empty. The chance is gone. The day is over.

I want to ask myself each day, “What did I do to show appreciation for this day?”

And how many days have I forgotten to be thankful because I was annoyed or irritated or busy or grumpy or complaining or something else that just didn’t matter? Too many.

Everybody says it’s so important to plan things in life. And I guess it is, but remember the old saying,

Life is what happens when we’re busy making other plans.

So if you, like me, are saying to yourself, “Everything will be great when….”

When I get the job

When we get the house

When we go on that trip

When they graduate

When we pay that off

When I finish this work

If you’re saying some of that stuff, be warned. Today will be gone before you know it.

So instead, make different plans.

Plan to notice all the stuff you’ve been missing. Plan to really taste the pie and say, “MMMMMM” way too loud. Plan to remember exactly what someone’s laugh sounds like. Plan to sit closer to people you’ve been sitting far from. Plan to say thank you. Plan to look people in the eyes long enough to see what color their eyes are. Plan to boost someone’s self-esteem. Plan to look out the window and keep looking till you see birds and squirrels. Plan to hold hands with someone. Ask someone to tell you a story you’ve already heard, but you know they love to tell it. Plan to hug someone long enough to feel their heartbeat. Plan to sing. Plan to live in the RIGHT NOW.

Because it’s a gift. This day. This moment. It’ll be gone before you know it!