Cup of Sugar

That old practice of borrowing a cup of sugar from a neighbor is alive and well on Blue Jay Drive. In fact, in just the course of a day or two, three of us have created a Pay it Forward-type Bermuda, er Betty Crocker, Triangle.

I have to bring treats to a meeting tomorrow so I planned ahead to bake a pizza for supper, then keep the stove on so I could make some Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars. Good plan, right?

Well, it worked down to the last ingredient -- the chocolate chips! Kind of important.

So I call Niki next door and she's still at work. Call Cindy across the street and scored a bag of chocolate chips. Yay. She said she understood because she just had to borrow a can of tomato sauce from Niki the day before. So Niki helps Cindy and Cindy helps me.

Then, after baking the bars and realizing we needed an emergency run to Wal-Mart to get 2 gallons of milk and a belt (with Carter, it's always an emergency), my cell phone rings and it's Niki -- home now and baking Amish Friendship Bread... and out of Baking Soda. Oh I can get that! I'm at the store!

So Niki helps Cindy, Cindy helps me and I help Niki.

It's a great system. Plus it really makes us all sound like domestic goddesses, doesn't it?

And we are. Of course.

We just don't plan ahead!