Adventures in the kitchen with a rapidly aging baby-boomer

I had a "first" at breakfast this morning. I was at the stove tending my eggs, and after placing the finished work of art on a plate, I left the skillet and spatula on the stove and neglected to turn off the gas burner underneath the pan. I took my eggs and tea upstairs so I could enjoy breakfast in bed while I checked my e-mails. My daughter-in-law, Erin, (she and our son are staying with us in between "moves") found the outcome about 30 minutes later. I now have a pan with a spatula molded firmly in place creating a puddle of melted plastic in the center of the pan and the addition of another handle attached to the side of the pan.

My reaction to this incident? Well, I have many choices. Here are some of them:

• Deny I did it
• Blame it on something
• Resolve never to take a sleeping pill again (I do, on occasion, and did so last night)
• Fear the future
• Trade making hot breakfasts for milk and cereal
  
• Have a post-midlife crisis
• Cook with a "buddy"
• Eat only in the kitchen with the hope that I'd discover the problem sooner.
  
• Set a timer when I turn on a burner so I'm reminded to turn it off when I'm done cooking
• Go on a cruise
• Have a pity party

I've already eliminated denial, the pity party and fear of the future.

My siblings and I are very familiar with Alzheimer's Disease. We buried Dad almost three years ago after his journey of several years living with this illness. We lament now and then about our spotty memories and how we're concerned we might be following in his footsteps.

My pastor, Tom Stephen, and his wife, Ginny, have written a book entitled, "Fearless." It's about different types of fear and how God is with us and speaks to us in the midst of our fears. He says: "People often stress out over a situation before they have an actual problem. Most of us have a tendency to cultivate fear by worrying about what could happen instead of confronting the actual problem. "* I know God is very active and present in my life so I don't have to be captive to fear. However, that doesn't excuse me from being smart about my choices and facing truth.

In the meantime, I'll be cooking eggs again soon....in a new skillet, of course.

*Fearless, by Tom Stephen & Ginny Starkey, Regal Books, Ventura, CA, 2006.

Photo: COFFEE BREAK
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