I like to welcome spring with good thoughts for others. I have been asked many times to conduct Board retreats for non-profit organizations. The retreats tend to increase participation and help to break down barriers amongst Board members. One technique that is very effective is to provide stationery to the participants, who are seated in a circle. Each person is asked to write a kind thought or observation about the person sitting to the right. Then, the stationery is passed to the right. The request is given again to write a kind thought or observation about the person 2nd to their right. The process is repeated, by passing the stationery once (each time) to the right and then writing about the 3rd (or next ) person on the right. The process is repeated with a writing for the 4th person, respectively, until the original stationery returns to the beginning writer. Then, each person reads the interactive sheet of the observations and considerations aloud. Smiles abound because the lesson is a technique to look for the good in others. © Kelly McBride Loft

One of my favorite culinary purchases in Paris, France is from a quaint fruit market on the Champs-Élysées. The owner hand-picks dates for his customers. This date variety offers a plump and juicy fruit that is so sweet it tastes as though it is caramelized. Fruit filled date cookies bridge the seasonal gap between winter and spring, as we sometimes need to bridge the gap amongst others. The cookie suffices the comfort food yearning and the fruit welcomes the fruit of spring to share with friends. I wish you camaraderie as you share the sweetness of life.

Date Cookies

Combine:
½ stick of butter
¾ cup of brown sugar
½ teaspoon almond flavoring
1 beaten egg
1 cup flour
½ teaspoon soda
¼ teaspoon baking powder
Dash of salt
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
½ cup sour cream
1 cup of chopped dates

Drop, by spoonful, the cookie dough onto a greased baking sheet. Press each with a pecan on top. Bake at 400°F for 10 minutes.