Friday Flashback--Good bye "60" And Hello "61"

Sixty One years ago today, I was born in a hospital in Los Angeles, Ca. I spent the first five years of my life in a small bungalow house on East 61st street in an area now known as Watts. Back in the day, the neighborhood was very diversified. My grandma lived in a little cottage three doors down, my Aunt Mary lived across the street. We had an Asian family across the street, Mexican family next door who made fresh tortillas every afternoon and invited me over to eat them fresh off the hot plate. Probably because I stood there drooling from the smell:) A Chinese family lived across the street and a Black family three doors down. I remember it being a lovely mix of people all living together on one small block of this world. I was free to walk in and out of each of these families houses and feel totally safe. I was exposed to so many different races and cultures and I am so thankful that to this day, I grew up knowing that all people are equal in Gods eyes. I was an independent and bold little toddler. I lived in my own little world of make believe and I liked everybody. I picked up stray kittens constantly, wanting to keep them all. I lived with a secret that no one knew and was liked by everyone. I climbed the big fig tree and got up on our roof with my older brother many times. The view from up there was great. Getting down was not as easy as getting up there.:) My ignorance of all things dangerous was bliss for me. So much changed as I grew older and yet, somehow, I am here this morning writing and thinking how grateful I am to have spent all of these years learning who I am in Him. And what He has given me in my life I would not trade for anything.

My grandkids will be here this morning in a few hours and we are going to make "finger jello". I was talking to Isaac about it when he was here Wednesday. He was telling me that his mom made jello and they tried to cut shapes out of it and it kept falling apart. Then, I remembered "finger jello". I made it for my boys all the time when they were his age. It's all about the Knox Gelatin!! I found the recipe in the back of my recipe box, thank God, because Isaac insisted we make it. So today, this is what we will be doing. He loves to help me bake and cook and he will be so stoked to see what we can do with it. It doesn't melt and feels just like gummy worms. It will be a fun day and it looks like the sun will be out today too. It's all good.

Have a wonderful day and a wonderful weekend. I plan to.:)

Love and Hugs, Laurie