325 degrees for 13 minutes

It was Sunday afternoon and I'd decided that I was going to teach my children to be charitable.  A double batch of Jane's recipe Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies, still warm and gooey, divided equally onto 6 plates and loaded into the minivan.

Plate #1:  delivered to our neighbors who so generously share everything with us.

Plate #2:  delivered to the Perez family.  A family we hope to know better.

Plate #3:  delivered to the world's most patient and forgiving primary teacher.

Plate #4:  delivered to a lovely lady named Mary Ann.  A mere stranger 2 weeks ago - a fellow customer at the local greenhouse that gave me her cell phone # and address and insisted I come to her home to get starts for the plants I was intending to purchase.  Saved me a pretty penny and made me want to extend myself to strangers in the future.

Plate #5:  Driving to the next house when a black sports car passed us going the opposite direction. The passenger  launched a blue water balloon which landed squarely on the side of our Sunday-Love-Giving Odyssey.  My sweetheart glanced the curb as he quickly spun our grocery getter around and gave chase.  All serviceable feelings flew out the window as the children clung fearfully to their plates of goodies while being jostled about in the back of the van.  I pulled out a pen and paper and began scribbling down the license plate number (the only scare tactic I could come up with at the moment).  A stop sign.  This was our chance!  "Pull up alongside them," I half screamed.  And he did.  The perpetrator and I were now eye to eye, separated by only a few feet.  "These are for you," I said as I leaned out the window, extending him my humble plate of charity.   His bright blue eyes widened and his diamond earrings gleamed wildly in the filtered light of the solar eclipse.  "Really?"  "Really.  Enjoy."

Plate #6:  delivered to Grandma and Grandpa who kindly shared them with us as we talked and laughed into the night.