"abundantly beyond all that we ask or think"

Last week, Spring cleaning hit the burrow, and my husband. It took the form of me--a me consumed with chucking papers and candle stubs, trapping dust bunnies, and dousing every surface with 409, all with the fervor of demon-possessed swine racing toward a cliff.

Deep in a file folder, I ran across an unredeemed gift that someone gave us at our wedding. The gift consisted of looking through a catalog of mostly kitchen appliances and home gizmos, picking one item, and calling a number to have the item mailed to us. After pouring over the items, I got stuck between a blender and a food processor, two items I've been hankering to have in order to make, among other delights, (1) smoothies and (2) salsa. I noticed in small print on the back of the catalog that if they don't have an item in stock, they'll substitute an item of equal value. Oh, I thought, so either choice could be shattered by the arrival of an electric foot masseuse or his and her beer mugs. Realty check. I promptly dialed the toll free number and asked for the blender.

Today the package arrived. My future does not hold happy feet, a Goodwill donation, a blender, or a food processor. No, instead the company sent me something not even listed in their catalog: a PowerBlend Duet. "What is a PowerBlend Duet?" asks the reader who hasn't yet clicked on the hyperlink. Well, dear reader, it is a delightful invention that acts as both a blender and a food processor. No joke.

So there will be smoothies in the burrow. And salsa. And a visual reminder that God knows the desires of our hearts. Even when those desires don't aspire higher than a kitchen appliance.