Geddes Mission: A New Year's Resolution Record

It seems that with the passing of time, our new year's resolutions center around one of two things, eating less and/or exercising more. Since arriving in France, our exercise regime has actually been pretty good. Even though we have a car, we choose to walk as much as possible. A check of the phone app shows us averaging a respectable 5 miles per day. So with the gastronomic bounties of France surrounding us, we chose the other obvious option for this year's resolution.

The new year arrived on a Sunday. It also arrived with an after-church dinner invitation to the home of a beautiful family in our ward. The meal they prepared was from their native country of Congo. Many of the menu items were similar to the things we grew to love during our 12 years in Hawaii - baked plantanes, manioca, fish, rice, chicken - but the spices were very different, unique, and absolutely wonderful. There was also a serving of a thick semolina paste that could be pinched off, flattened between the fingers, and used to scoop up the meats and sauces. In other words, as the head of the family explained, it let you "use the fork that Heavenly Father gave you"!

As it turned out, we set a new personal record for the shortest successful new year's resolution. But now we can really enjoy France for the next 364 days!