Chicken Salad

This weekend, I helped with a luncheon for the stake Relief Society. I was in charge of the food. We decided to do chicken salad on croissants, a green salad, and strawberry shortcake for dessert.

So, this is what I did on Friday:
-- Deboned 23 rotisserie chickens
-- chopped up 108 cups of chicken
-- Diced 32 cups of celery
-- Chopped up 32 cups of grapes
-- Opened 32 cans of water chestnuts using a really crummy can opener. (I'm grateful my mom taught me that you have to have good tools in the kitchen)
-- Opened 25 cans of pineapple using the same crummy can opener.
-- Slept for 3 hours

I need to acknowledge that I did have a wonderful neighbor that helped me debone all those chickens, and some friends that helped me chop the grapes -- but I really think my knife is permanently attached to my hand.

This is what I learned:
-- It feels really good to be doing something for other people.
-- Wal-mart has the best price on water chestnuts.
-- Wal-mart sells out of pineapple tidbits, so if that's what you want, shop ahead of time, otherwise you'll be chopping up pineapple rings at 1am.
-- Dole pineapple tastes much better than the store brand. It's worth the extra $0.14 per can to get the Dole brand
-- Crummy can openers should be outlawed
-- No matter how good of a knife you are using, if you chop up that much stuff, your hand is going to hurt at the end
-- It's really fun to hear lots of people compliment the food, especially when they don't know you are the one that made it.
-- I don't want to go into catering

The food turned out delicious, but I don't want to eat chicken salad for a really, really long time...

You are not Anonymous

I went to Stake Conference tonight. I really wasn't going to go. There were so many reasons not to. Let's just say I was strongly encouraged ... from both sides of the veil.

As I walked in, I noticed a friend was sitting on the stand. She was obviously one of the speakers. I chatted with the friend next to me that we were both grateful that we didn't have to speak because it would be too terrifying. Noting that the speaker had a stake calling, I made the statement: That's why it is great to be in Primary ... I am anonymous, and I am totally safe. I don't have to worry about that."

45 minutes into the meeting, the first counselor conducting the meeting stood up and said, "We would like the following people to stand and bear their testimony. I knew that instant my name was on the list. Someone behind me gasped when he read my name. I wanted to crawl out the door, hoping no one would see me.

The other two people had great credentials. One had just finished his mission yesterday. He had served with valiance and honor. He loved the people, and he had a strong desire to serve the Lord. The next woman was recently called as a relief society president in her ward. She was experienced and strong and wise. And then there was me.

I don't remember a lot of what I said. But as I walked off the stand, I heard, "Never forget, you are not anonymous, and you are of value."


.... And you are too.