by Teresa Trent
They stood at the edge of the park sidewalk, the summer sun and azure blue sky framing them in an idyllic picture.
“Okay. You have your hands solidly on your handlebars?” Leo asked.
“Yes, Daddy,” Coco answered, a little perturbed.
“And what do you do when the bike starts to wobble?”
“Try to center the front,” she answered, as if reciting a Bible verse. It was obvious Leo had tried his best to instill some safety guidelines into our daughter. I had to give him credit for that.
“And you know that if you start riding by yourself really well, I’m going to let go. That means you will have to use your brakes to stop. Can you do that?”
“Yes, Daddy.” She was losing her patience with him. As terrified as I was of the next step, she couldn’t wait.
It seemed like just yesterday she was a baby. Now she was getting ready to tear up the sidewalks with her bike. It was the same way with the boys. I could still remember Zach trying to break a Guinness world record using rubber bands when he was little. Had it been so long ago when Tyler was worrying about starting middle school? They grow up so fast, and no amount of organization can stop it.
“Okay, here we go.”
Coco began to pedal. The fringe on her pink boots was awfully close to the chain on the bike. Leo should have changed her boots, but it was too late now. She was on her own. They began to run across the park on the sidewalk. Butch took off to join the bike ride, his low bark echoing behind her, cheering her on.
An enormous grin spread across Coco’s face. “I’m doing it, Daddy. I’m doing it. Let go. Let go.”
Don’t let go, I thought. Whatever you do, don’t let go. She gained more speed, and Leo took his hand off the back of the bike. My heartbeat spiked. This was it. This was the moment when she would go out of control, I thought, but instead, she soared across the playground sidewalk, the smile remaining on her face. My little girl had found her joy. She found it without fringe-free boots or training wheels. I was amazed. Maybe it was okay sometimes just to let something fly. Maybe I didn’t have to keep trying to straighten out the world. My thoughts stopped abruptly as I began to worry whether Coco would be able to stop the bike. She was going at a terrific speed and was coming to the end of the park sidewalk. The brakes squeaked as she pulled her feet back to stop. Coco had made a successful first run. She turned the bike around and shouted for everyone in the park to hear, “I did it! I can ride a bike.”
Leo yelled back, “You did it!” Butch barked and jumped in circles around Coco.
I ran over. “Great job, Coco.”
“Mommy! I did it!” She hugged my waist.
Leo joined us. “I know you wanted me to wait, but sometimes we just need to let go.”
His words sank into me. He was right. I needed to let go. Tyler didn’t need his schedule to be laminated and put on the refrigerator. Zach didn’t need his reading list to be written on a poster of a rocket ship. Sometimes tidying up too many things can actually kill the joy.
I put my arms around my dear Leo as we watched our beautiful daughter glide around the park. There was no denying it.
It sparked my joy.
Helpful Hints from the Happy Hinter
Turning Plastic Bags into a Waterproof Doormat
Cut plastic bags into ½ inch strips. You are creating “Plarn” (Plastic Yarn).
You can crochet (9mm hook) the strips together to make a waterproof doormat.
To join ends of strips, if you pull the plastic tightly it will minimize the size of the knot.
Chain the stitches you need for the length of rug you are making.
Row 2- Chain 1 and turn. Single crochet into each loop.
Continue making rows until your rug is the size you want.
Cheesecake Cookies
½ cup butter, softened
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
9 Tbsp. sugar
1 cup flour
¾ cup pecans, finely chopped
Combine butter and cream cheese. Add sugar, then flour and mix well. Scoop out one teaspoon of dough, dip into milk, then roll into a ball. Place balls on a foil-lined cookie sheet. Press balls flat to make thin round cookies about 1 ½ to 2 inches in diameter. Sprinkle with finely chopped pecans pressed lightly into cookies. Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes.
Yields: approximately 2 dozen cookies
Sour Cream Enchiladas
1 ½ lbs. ground meat
1 15-oz. can chili (no beans)
1 pkg. dry enchilada mix
½ cup picante sauce
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 lbs. processed cheese, grated (Velveeta recommended)
8 flour tortillas
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. minced onion
Brown ground meat and onions in a skillet until the meat is no longer pink; drain. Return the beef and onions to the skillet and mix in canned chili, ½ of the package of enchilada mix, picante sauce, garlic powder, and chili powder. Simmer for ten minutes. In the meantime, prepare the sauce.
Sauce
1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
4 Tbsp. flour
½ cup milk
1 carton (8 oz.) sour cream
Melt the butter in a saucepan. Whisk flour and milk together, then pour it into the melted butter, whisking well to combine. Whisk in the sour cream and approximately 2 tablespoons of the meat mixture.
To assemble, spoon meat mixture down the center of a tortilla; top with cheese. Roll up and place in a casserole dish sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Continue with remaining tortillas. Sprinkle the top with more cheese. Pour sauce over the top and cover with foil.
Bake at 375°F for 20 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and enchiladas are heated through.
Celia’s Ginger Muffins
1 ½ tsp. baking soda
¼ cup hot water
1 cup sugar
¾ cup oil
3 eggs
1 cup molasses
1 cup buttermilk
3 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 ½ tsp. ground ginger
Dissolve baking soda in hot water in a bowl or measuring cup. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, mix oil and sugar; add eggs one at a time, mixing well. Add molasses, then alternately add dry ingredients, buttermilk, and baking soda water, mixing well after each addition.
Fill greased muffin cups 2/3 full and bake at 375°F for 10-12 minutes. Brush tops of cooked muffins with topping and put under a broiler for a glazed effect.
Yield: 12
Topping
½ cup orange juice
¼ cup lemon juice
½ cup sugar
Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook for 4 minutes then brush onto cooked muffins as directed.
About the Author
Teresa Trent lives in Houston, Texas, where she writes the Pecan Bayou and Piney Woods Mystery series. Teresa has also won awards for her work in short stories where she loves to dabble in tales that are closer to the Twilight Zone than small-town cozies. When Teresa isn’t writing, she is a full-time caregiver for her son and teaches preschoolers music part-time. She also enjoys spending time with her family, waiting for brownies to come out of the oven, and of course, a good mystery.
Visit Teresa’s website at TeresaTrent.com and sign up for her newsletter at TeresaTrent.blog for information on new books, free days on Kindle, and giveaways.
Other Books by Teresa Trent
Pecan Bayou Mystery Series
A Dash of Murder (Book One)
Overdue for Murder (Book Two)
Doggone Dead (Book Three)
Buzzkill (Book Four)
Burnout (Book Five)
Murder for a Rainy Day (Book Six)
Till Dirt Do Us Part (Book Seven)
Oh Holy Fright (Book Eight)
Die a Yellow Ribbon (Book Nine)
Piney Woods Mystery Series
Murder of a Good Man (Book One)
&
nbsp; A Sneeze to Die For (Book Two)
Die Die Blackbird (Book Three)