One of the more difficult quilts I have made is of snowflakes. It is time to take it down off the wall, now that daffodils are smiling outside my door. In my last lingering looks at it I notice a few pieces that are plain. Bits that were in the blue family, and yet nothing new or special. I grabbed them from the baskets I keep within reach for that purpose, and cut them to size. At that point in the process I was still dubious about the whole project, and had some hesitation about using my nicest fabrics. 

Years later, I see that they do the job... and yet. If I could have peeked into the future and seen how happy I would be with the final quilt, I would have broken out the batiks. It is ridiculous, if not impossible to consider replacing those triangles, since they are not only sewn in, they are quilted firmly. So the plain ones stay. 

Sometimes when I make a meal for a family that is going through a  hard time, or a joyful time like welcoming a baby, I pull all the stops. I make an adult friendly entree as well as some that kids might like. I include dessert, because why not, and some cut veggies so a tired mother can at least tell herself that her children were offered such things. 

But I recall one time when the meal I signed up for fell on a complicated day, and the supper I created was, well, plain. There were no chopped carrots, not gluten free brownies. Just an ordinary soup and banana muffins. I suppose it filled their bellies. 

And yet. 

I kind of regret not bringing out my best recipes, and spending much of the afternoon simmering. Because that was my one chance to spoil them. 

I had a quote embroidered by a friend once that still niggles me. 

"I shall pass this way but once, therefore any good that I can do or kindness that I can show to any human being let me do it now. For I shall pass this way but once."

Sadly the quote was left behind in a pre move purge, but the sentiment is written on my heart.