Penance Brownies

When I look at my Beehives, I sometimes wonder if I was ever as silly as they are. I would like to think that for the most part I was a good, serious child; however, there is one memory that will forever burn in my mind the fact that I could be a complete dolt at times.

Growing up, Aunt Charlene made my favorite brownies. The brownie itself was yummy, but when they were almost cooked, she would put marshmallows on the top for the last 3 minutes of baking, let them cool, and frost them. They were delicious.

I, however have not ever made these brownies, until today, because they have a most embarrassing memory associated with them in my mind.

When I was in seventh grade, during spirit week, we had a Hawaiian day. My mom let me wear a necklace she picked up in Hawaii that had yellow birds on it. While walking home with a friend, the necklace broke, and the birds, and beads went flying down the road.

I loved the necklace and decided that it would only be appropriate to hold a funeral for the two birds that perished with the necklace.

While we were discussing funeral arrangements, a boy in my neighborhood happened to walk past. He asked what we were doing, and I told him we were preparing for the funeral of a bird I had loved, and told him he would be welcome to attend the services.

He came to the funeral, only to discover that he was attending funeral services for a necklace, and wasn't exactly thrilled to have to admit it.

My mom overheard the conversation, and happily smoothed things over with a batch of Aunt Charlene's brownies.

The neighbor stayed and jumped on the trampoline with my friend and me while my mom baked in the kitchen, but the longer I had to wait for the brownies, the more embarrassed I became that I actually invited a guy my age to come to a funeral for a fake bird.

Ever since that funeral, I have not been able to look a marshmallow brownie in the eye without remembering that fateful day when I decided to act like a moron for no apparent reason.

But today, I have decided that I have done enough penance for my actions, and I will be making the same brownies I loved as a girl.

So today, I am grateful for yummy brownies, grateful for the reminder that I could be silly too (so I should go easy on my girls) and I'm also grateful that my name isn't Max Hall....poor cougars :)