Sunset, Kailua-Kona, The Big Island, Hawaii, March 11, 2024

Sunset, Kailua-Kona, The Big Island, Hawaii, March 11, 2024
Sunset, Kailua-Kona, The Big Island, Hawaii, March 11, 2024

Sunday, December 25, 2016

The Christmas Onion: A Parable - Sunday, Dec. 25, 2016

It all started last night with Bob's birthday spaghetti dinner. My work day was very busy and I left the office about 2:40 pm. 

When it came time to make spaghetti, I was carefully considering the quantities of different ingredients. I had 3-4 pounds of ground turkey and a huge onion. I could have put in half the onion, but decided to use the whole thing in the spaghetti.

The spaghetti turned out great. We also had steamed red cabbage and garlic toast.

Fast forward to this morning, 8 am. I'm getting ready to make wild rice stuffing. The recipe is on my computer, saved from when I made it for Thanksgiving dinner. I re-read the ingredient list and there it was: one cup of onions.

Aaaackk! I used up my onion last night.

Christmas morning
Before showering, with my hair all a mess, I hope above hope that Walmart is open this morning. Driving the mile and a half down the street, I see maybe ten cars out. 

The Walmart parking lot comes into view. Not a single car in the lot. I drove past the doors hoping, maybe, that they're open. It was a false hope.

Across the street was a 7-11 at the gas station. Long shot that they'd have an onion, but I gave it a try anyway. The clerk looked at me like I was nuts when I asked her if they had any onions. No, definitely not.

Strike two. What to do? What to do?

Then I remembered driving past a small Mexican restaurant, Las Palmas, that was open. I parked, went inside and sheepishly asked if they had an onion they could sell to me.

Photo taken the evening of Jan. 5, 2017
when we went there for dinner.
The first young lady, Linda, didn't know what to say. She asked someone else. 

I explained to Brenda that I needed to make stuffing, but I didn't have any onions left at home. I wondered if I could purchase an onion from them.

Brenda went to the back of the restaurant and came out with an onion. I asked her, "How much?" She said, "No charge. Merry Christmas." I am so thankful!

What a sweetheart! She made my day. 

We had been there for dinner once before. Now we will be returning more frequently. 

My wild rice stuffing turned out great. 

Lessons learned:
  • Recheck your recipe for ingredients needed the day before a holiday
  • Don't give up after two strikes.
  • Think outside the box...stores.
  • Don't assume someone won't help you.
  • If you have a chance, repay the favor to someone else. (Pay it forward.)
  • Treat other people the way you would like to be treated.  
  • Give thanks when someone goes out of their way to help you.
  • Spread the word about a good deed.
  • Give your business, and refer others, to businesses that help people. 
Merry Christmas!

10 comments:

  1. Well, I wasn't expecting the restaurant onion requisition but, I must say, that was indeed thinking outside the box. A fun story that made me smile! Love the Hawaii photo at the top of your blog. Beautiful! Hope you guys had a wonderful Christmas and best wishes for the new year!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Mike. We did, indeed, have a wonderful Christmas at our friends' home. That is a story for another day. LOL.

      We wish you a happy new year too.

      Delete
  2. And... always stock plenty of onions! Good story, Susan... Merry Christmas!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, always stock plenty of onions! LOL.
      Happy New Year!

      Delete
  3. I love how good most people are. I would never have thought to try to buy an onion from a restaurant. It was a great idea and turned out to make three people very happy. You, the birthday boy and the wonderful lady that gave you the onion you needed. That's a restaurant I would return to anytime I was in that area! Happy Birthday and Merry Christmas to you both!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Kat,
      Thanks for writing. Yes, we plan to frequent Las Palmas. I will tell Bob "Happy Birthday."

      Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you.

      Delete
  4. Does anyone know why Susan stopped posting?
    Thanks,TB

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. OMG, One Fly, thank you for asking. I have been procrastinating and find it hard to write after "The Christmas Onion" blog. That one was so fun to write. I guess I'm feeling I was writing about the same stuff all the time, always walking, walking, walking. BUT, you have given me incentive to write again. I've been busy working 40 hrs per week but I've been doing interesting stuff as time allows. Look for another post within two days.
      TravelBug Susan

      Delete
    2. I wanted to know if you were okay because you have been a prolific blogger.

      No need to explain.

      Delete

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