Lind Ladies

Since 1976 Barb and Phyllis Bowling have been baking cookies one day a month at the Ronald McDonald House in Spokane. The project began as a tribute to the memory of Barb's son, John, who died of cancer. Last week I was invited to join this cookie baking experience. With all their practice they can turn out 15 dozen cookies in two hours with no sweat. Barb mans the mixer, two more make the dough into balls, two take cookies on and off the cookie sheets and finally one expert runs between four ovens moving cookie sheets from the lower to upper racks for perfect browning. When they leave there are trays of cookies for the visitors staying at the house and large cans of cookies for extra supply.

This is a very select, elite group and to join you have to be from Lind or be connected to the Bowling girls in some fashion. Luckily for me I started first grade with Barbara and she's only one day older than I. She let me come to visit for the baking session and gave me the job of measuring the dry ingredients for her and doing the dishes. This measuring was not an easy task as I would stop and ask myself if that was 6 cups of flour or 5? Sometimes I had to remeasure. I doubt if I'll get better with this.

The visitors in the house were also using the kitchen while we were there and one girl came in and said, "This is such a happy thing." There aren't too many places to volunteer where you can get immediate compliments like that. I have to say I loved it so I checked with Barb in case she wanted me to bow out early. She said they will be glad to have a dishwasher so I think I'm in!