Hope Was Here

You've got to love yourself with all your short comings, and you've got to love the world no matter how bad it gets.

It was probably easier in the old days when the bad guys rode into town wearing black capes or whatever bad guys wore and the milk cows were ownded by honest people. Right off the bat, you'd know who you were dealing with. Now everybody dresses alike.

...motherhood should be like driving a car -- you should have to pass a test before you can do it legally.

You don't know which way a thing will come at you, but you need to welcome it with your whole heart which ever way it arrives.

And we learned that you don't have to be famous or rich or physically healthy to be a leader. You just have to try to be a true person. We learned that helping other people brings out the good in everybody.

when hope gets released in a place, all kinds of things are possible

When you can carry five full dinner platters on your left arm, you should be able to vote, even if you're not eighteen.

He stood up, put the tree back under the grow light. 'There. That's what's going to happen to us. It's called grafting. Taking something from one place and fixing it to another until they grow together. We didn't start from the same tree, but we're going to grow together like we did.

I had expected the well to be full for some reason. Not that it had ever been before. I kept looking for signs of water in the dark insides. I heard my bucket clank as it hit Against the walls that held nothing. I look at the bucket that came up empty And made a decision that changed my life. I will keep my bucket and find another well.

Know why I plant trees?" "No." "I like thinking that they'll be here long after I'm gone. All those fine memories pushing up to the sky.

it's a complete rush to get what you've been hoping for - to get it so full and complete that it fills your senses.

We were having the best time working together, too, except when he'd make a mistake on an order and I'd have to be an advocate for my customer. I always mentioned it sweetly. "You didn't say hold the bacon, Hope." "Barverman, I said it twice." "You must have said it to someone else." "I said it to you." Clang. "Don't clang pots at me.

The sad heart needs work to do.

Harrison wrote a two-page poem about his deep feelings of loss when his dog Filbert died, and Mrs. Minerva, the creative writing teacher, gave it a B-minus. Do you know what that does to a a person to get a B-minus in Grief?

To quote Shirley Polanski, head waitress at the Humdinger Diner: "Beware of a big man whose stomach doesn't move when he laughs." I think a Chinese philosopher said it first, but these things trickle down to the food service community.

Finally he said, "Hope, do you want to have dinner with me sometime?" I dropped a plastic bottle of Gulden's. We looked at it on the floor. Neither of us picked it up. "I mean, I know we have dinner a lot when we're working. I meant out someplace. Together." Braverman picked up the Gulden's bottle, handed it to me. He coughed. "A date." I said, "What is this, an epidemic?" I backed out the door and left Braverman in the supply closet. I don't get asked out too much either.

It takes a great cook to pull life truth from poultry.

You think all teenagers care about are musicians and movie stars? Spend some time in Wisconsin. We'll blow your socks off.

Was it alright?" "It was fine." "What aspect of the definition of fine was it?" "We had a decent time." I've been to Walgreens and had a decent time.

When you listen to G. T. Stoop, you understand the importance of being a honorable person, you get charged to fight for the truth, you get angry that so many politicians are playing games with people's trust.

I've got my Replogle globe, because you've got to keep a world view, you can't just live like you're the only person on the planet who matters

Perchance, I would listen. Have you said anything?

Huevos up. Swing up to the window, swing back to Al B. Hall, who says, "Bless you," and would I get him a bottle of Satan's Red-Hot Revenge for the eggs? Sure thing, Pastor.

There's a lot of cheese where you're going, Hope. I'm not sure how this affects people long term.

Addie always keeps her promises. That's why my mother gave me to her.

But through it all I held Mrs. Pettibone's words in my heart-the ones she spoke to me after the funeral when she took my hand, looked into my face and said, "You've got your father's eyes.

Revenge of the Giant Grill Man.

now i believe that the way to anyone's heart is through their stomach, and, my boy, i'm here to tell you, we ware in the heart business. we're going to reach deep past the menu and into the emotional power of food because a person comes back to a restaurant again and again for one reason only - to fee their soul.

If you stick that anger behind you, one day you're going to turn around and find it's gone.