Grandma's cookies

The week just past was full of events and activities. Saturday began with an early morning session at 6 am. All of the missionaries arrive at the temple by 5:15 to pass out clothing, man the reception desk, help people find their places, and assist in the ordinances. The Esmeraldas stake from the northwest corner of the country had traveled all night in 19 full size buses. They came with over 400 people to work in all parts of the temple. The sessions all day were full. The baptistry was busy as well all day. There were people relaxing and strolling on the temple grounds. Many complete families were there with all of the children.
Since this was the last Saturday of the year, many people came from other stakes as well. It was an eventful if not, challenging day for us. I was given an assignment to pick up a projector and to see that the stake center chapel was open for a choir practice. The practice, scheduled for 5:30, began at 6:15 pm. After the practice, there was a stake priesthood meeting, a birthday celebration for a 4 year old princess in our ward, and a ward activity. A day that began before 5 am, finally ended at 11:00 PM.
A Christmas program featuring the primary children of the ward as well as the ward choir was presented on Sunday. In the evening a christmas devotional was held in our stake center for all of the temple workers and families. There were 600 to 800 people in attendance to hear the messages of the temple president, his counselors, the Institute choir, the temple missionary choir and some other musical numbers.
Grandma's "free" time recently has been spent sewing some christmas aprons for gifts and making cookies for the ward choir members.
The ward choir members are very good at coming to practices. There are about 30 to 50 members of the ward choir. Most of them with limited musical experience/ability. Still they come even though they have to add another hour of practice to the three hour block of meetings just completed. There is some speculation about this phenomenon (why they come). Some say they come because they want to learn to sing parts, others think that they come for the fellowship, and others think that it is because they will suddenly become great musicians. We may speculate all we like but I know the real reason they come to choir practice. It's grandma's cookies. They are better than any cookies that can be bought here. And people very seldom do any baking. In fact, Virginia has been teaching the cook at the temple cafeteria how to prepare baked goods. You could say that Grandma's cookies "take the cake". They are the reason for the great choir practice turnouts.