Ok, I simply cannot keep this to myself. I received this email at work today from a co-member of a professional organization we belong to:

International Development is selling cookbooks put together from member submissions. I am almost sure that they have tested all of the recipe’s before putting them in this book or someone was particularly proud of the recipe and it was probably because one of their friends or their family told them it was great.

At any rate, we don’t participate in fundraising to get good recipes, that is just the bonus. Please support your organization, order a book, get a recipe that looks like it may have potential. Use the recipes over the holidays and if anyone complains about the food, you can always tell them that at least one person said that the recipe was a solid addition to your library of food preparation repertoire. Oh yeah, quote me on this, “These recipes are a solid addition to your library of food preparation.”

Thanks,

Jeff

I must tell you...I do not HAVE a library of food preparation, because I really don't cook. However, with this great sales pitch, I might just have to spring for the cost of a copy! So excuse me while I order my copy and go design my "library of food preparation".

Whew!

In all the hub-bub of daily life, it hadn't occurred to me until just now that I've passed 100 posts on this little blog! My goodness! To think this started out as a way to document my journey through a very difficult time in my life! Although the entries have been erratic, it is interesting for me to go back and see some of the snippets of my life over the last 3 or so years!

I've already missed a day in my quest to complete 'one post per day' during this month of Blogtoberfest! It didn't slip my mind, either; however, the day slipped away before I could get around to getting it done. I am so grateful that this is not a high-pressure idea where you MUST post something every day. Well, I probably wouldn't have ventured it had THAT been so. I know better than to commit myself to ANYTHING right now. I am learning, however, of the importance of committing to doing certain things you WANT to do, and not just making the MUST do things a priority. And I find that quite enjoyable - knowing that the pleasant, fun, "paisley" part of yourself deserves a place of importance, alongside the necessary mundane tasks of everyday life. I'm starting to realize that there are aspects of my "self" I didn't realize existed....Some fun, surprising, even intimidating things! I am anxious to explore them, to try them on for size. I might actually find that I love this 'late-middle' part of my life!

What is this "Blogtoberfest"?

Oh my, what have I done? I feel like I just got on a bus I have no business getting on, but I want to go for the ride! A few days ago while visiting one of my favorite blogs, Fabulously Artsy, I discovered that October is indeed "Blogtoberfest" and she included an invitation to join in. She even designed a cute little button I could (and did) add to my blog, advertising this month-long event. She promises to bring us many wonderful tips and blog-type tricks to make our own corner of the blog-universe more visitor friendly and author-fun! I copied that little code and stuck it right up on my side bar, just because I thought it was sooo cute! It might also remind me to check her blog daily to make sure I get every single snippet she offers, because I feel I know the Stamp Goddess well enough at this point to tell you that SHE DOES NOT DISAPPOINT!
I must tell you, however (as you can easily see if you check the LAST time I posted), that I am not exactly a regular blog post-er. I mean, I love the idea of a blog, and I love READING other people's blogs, but when it comes right down to it....Hmmm, turns out I'm just not that full of fun information! I'm pretty sure that if I committed to blogging every day, you'd be getting a weather report, a daily blurb about the mood I'm in, and that's it! As I understand it, however, 'Blogtoberfest' is an opportunity to re-invest yourself in your blog - to learn more about blogging, writing and story telling, and just who can say no to that, I ask you?? I did wonder though, if this was another fantastic creation of the Goddess's, or if there was actually a national/international organization for Blogtoberfest? When in doubt, GOOGLE....right? And SURPRISE, SURPRISE! There are actually several links associated in one way or another with Blogtoberfest. I chose to click on Tinniegirl's link to see what she had to say and LO! I was certainly not disappointed! She invites everyone who would like to sign up for Blogtoberfest. After I read a few of the comments, I lost my head and signed up! I VERY much want to participate in this fun fest (I AM a fun fest type of gal...if you know me, you know that), so I intend to commit to entering SOMETHING here everyday. Something more entertaining than just a weather report (that is, unless my unleashed Id shows up and takes over...Lord knows where we may end up in that case!) Anyway, here's to a wonderful Blogtober!! To all of the folks I have joined, or who may join me in this adventure, I wish you the VERY best of blogging! TAKE MY TICKET, PLEASE! :) THE SEAT NEXT TO ME IS OPEN!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Good grief, it's been 8 months since I've posted anything to this blog! It's not that I haven't thought about posting, it's just that I couldn't think of anything much to post about. I still don't have anything earth-shattering to say, but I want to get that last post off the page, or at least a little lower down! I don't THINK I went crazy, for pete's sake (not that I've ever been totally sane). Maybe I should give a brief synopsis of how the year has progressed thus far:

My daughter, her son and their dog moved in with us just before Christmas last year. Understand that my house is about 900 square feet, and you can imagine the fun we all have stumbling over one another! I do very much enjoy having them with us. They keep life very interesting, which is something I need, considering how easily moved I am to boredom! This was not a voluntary move on Carly's part. She simply found it necessary to leave her position at work, and never DREAMED how difficult it would be to re-gain employment! She's had what seems like countless interviews - three, four, even FIVE interviews with a single company, only to find that she had ultimately been passed over by each employer! I can't imagine her frustration at this point, nor can I fathom why no one has hired her to date! She has a brilliant mind and a pleasant demeanor...A perfect candidate for any business (perhaps as her mother, I'm biased :))

In April of this year, Carly had a very serious illness which came near to taking her life. Fortunately, the doctors were able to correct her problem after what turned out to be a three or four hour surgery. She is still woefully thin and hasn't quite determined what foods she can eat without spending the rest of the evening or next day in bed!

Spring was practically non-existent here this year, with more rain than I thought was possible! It's been only within the last month or two that we've really enjoyed summer weather. I do hope summer will linger awhile after Labor Day this year.

On Wednesday of this week, a hillside just south of town caught fire, and for several hours, we all wondered whether our little town would go up in flames! It burned just over 17 acres, but was brought under control (for the most part) that evening, thanks to the valiant efforts of the Forest Service and firefighters from all over our little valley. I for one am extremely grateful to these brave folks for saving our little burg!

I'm hanging in there from day to day, as most folks are in the area. Is it possible for a person to go into a recession, as our country has done? I don't think I'm depressed, but I'm certainly not the happiest person on the planet!

Perhaps the saddest thing that's happened is that my son Josh and his wife Tia have separated. Josh is also currently unemployed following a few ventures in Vegas that didn't quite pan out. He seems to be having the same luck Carly, as well at a little over 9% (seasonally adjusted :)) of the people in our country, are having at the present time. Life is no bowl of cherries for anyone, it seems!

And so, we look forward to the rest of 2011. Hopefully, good things will soon be happening again on all fronts. Until that time, count your blessings and keep your nose clean!

The Crazies

I seem to have fallen into another case of the crazies. I don't know how it happened, and I don't know how to pull myself out of it (well, I guess I do, but I haven't). I've convinced myself that I hate my job, but I'm not sure that's actually the truth. I have a horrible cold right now but that isn't what clouds my thinking. I'm sitting here wondering how to crawl out of the abyss.

It's different this time. Ron Bacardi and Peter Vella are not a part of this fiasco. It's all just me. Am I not the Captain of my ship? The Master of my domain? Why can't I pick myself up by the bootstraps and get on with my life? Am I just that lazy, or is there something organic that causes me to feel this way? The total apathy; the lack of ambition. It's miserable and somehow, it's oddly comfortable. It is withdrawal. But, why? Why do I do this? How did I get here again? I want to be a productive, striving individual, but somehow, that person is not as strong as the apathetic nobody that seems to dominate my moods and actions. Something needs to be done. I need to decide which way I want to live out the rest of my life. Will it be doing what I need to do to be proud of the woman I am, or shall I live out my days in my pajamas, watching old re-runs and making myself physically ill? The choice is clear to me. Why can I not take the necessary action?

Random Thoughts...

I was just thinking....You know how they say that when you die you'll be greeted on that heavenly shore by your dearly departed loved ones? I've been saved and I know I'm going to heaven, but I'm not without fault! I have to admit, I haven't been the best follower of the Lord at all times. So, I was just thinking....I've had some friendships/relationships with a number of things in my life. INanimate objects, like my car. Animate objects, like my dogs. I even had an odd friendship with a cat face spider this summer! What if there's a party going on when I get there and God sends my Camry down to greet me/drive me back to the goings on? What if I'm met at the pearly gates by no one other than my springer spaniel, Patch?! It would be a bit of a letdown, don't you think? Kind of like being met at the airport by no one.
Well, if I don't rate a full blown salute when I reach the pearly shores, Lord, I will totally understand. Like I said, I haven't been the best fish in the pond....The best sheep in the flock. But please, Lord, grant me one wish. Don't let me be greeted at the gate by that cat face spider!

All Hail Facebook!

I joined Facebook awhile back and I really enjoy it. It's an easy way to stay current with people you like and there are a few fun games you can play. But the thing I like best is that I have found friends on Facebook with whom I'd completely lost touch! People who meant a lot to me, going clear back to a time I could barely remember or for which I had just begun having cognitive memory. It's fantastic.

Today I got a message on Facebook from one of my very first friends. I don't know exactly how old J and I were when we first met, but we couldn't have been more than 3.

My grandmother took care of me up until the time she died at the age of 82. We did everything together, and since we did, she drug me along to one of her lady friend's house one day. This particular lady was every bit my grandma's age, and as my grandmother knocked at the door and we waited for Esther to answer, I remember hearing a little girl squealing and splashing in a bath tub nearby! I looked up and found that the water play was coming from an upstairs window next door to Esther's house and I asked my grandma who it was, playing and having so much fun. My grandma wasn't sure, but she promised to ask Esther, who would surely know.


After we got inside Esther's house and the cookies were laid out, my grandma asked Esther if there was a little girl living next door. "Why yes, indeed! Her name is J. " Then she looked at me and asked "Would you like for me to call her mother and see if J can come over to play?" Obviously, I was beside myself to think I could pass the time with a little friend instead of sitting in a dusty old chair watching my grandma and her friend trade stories about the "olden days"!


J was brought over a short while later. I don't recall much about the first meeting...must have been pretty overwhelmed when she finally arrived. I only know, however, from that day forward, J's and my friendship grew and we became inseparable.

J was not an only child, but her sister was significantly older than she and so she was raised alone, much as I was. However, J. was fortunate in that it seemed her mother bought her every new toy and gadget that came down the pike. It seemed like every time I saw her, she had some new play thing. I particularly remember a plastic, round device that went over the top of a soda bottle that was previously filled with water. The idea was to fill the bottle with water, put a "Fizzies" into the globe, attach it to the bottle and enjoy water that was magically transformed in a sparkling treat! J. was also the first kid on the block to have Barbie AND Midge, Creepy Crawlers, and the edible Creepy Crawlers. When we were smaller, she had an entire toy kitchen, complete with refrigerator, stove and sink. Her 'fridge even had real food! She had a pup tent, which we enjoyed using for our club house. We'd pick green apples from the tree above her house and bring them back to store in the tent. We didn't realize what the hot summer sun would do to a bunch of green apples. I don't think that tent EVER lost its smell! Later on, she got the little shed outside to use as a play house of sorts. We had much bigger ideas, however. WE turned that shed into the finest Beatles Fan Club House you'd ever want to see, and we held weekly, no, daily meetings in which we sang the praises of the Fab 4.

J was able to run all over the hill before I was, and for that reason, my dad named her the "Pied Piper". Funny thing was, every dog on the hill seemed to follow her wherever she went, and she was perfectly content with that. She was going to grow up and be a veterinarian or SOME kind of dog person, and she always seemed to scrape enough money together to purchase some kind of doggie treats for her four-legged entourage, most commonly "Lolli-Pups". Lolli-Pups were little round, multi-colored bisquits for dogs, and I swear, they looked as good as candy! One day, J and I were sitting on the side of the hill, feeding the dogs their daily treats and talking about nothing in particular. J suddenly decided that we should try the Lolli-Pups. Not one to miss out on a new taste treat (especially if it was candy), I jumped right on the band wagon. J decided I could try them first. I of course was a little hesitant - After all, they WERE marketed for DOGS. I finally popped it into my mouth and began to chew. This was followed shortly with massive spitting, choking and spewing! Let me tell you something - If you ever get the urge to eat a "Lolli-Pup", don't! They are NOT as good as they look, especially when you're 6 years old.

J and I owned the South Hill in Wallace for many years, until my parents purchased a house down the road in Kellogg when we moved. I missed J dearly; fortunately, our mothers let us spend the night with each other frequently. I shared most all of my "kid" experiences with J...Mexican jumping beans, roller skating downtown, troll dolls and our first boyfriends. We even bragged it up to each other when we got our first bras!

Somehow, about the time I was a junior in high school, J and I lost touch. Oh, I saw her once during an all class reunion, but only in passing. By that time, she and I were both grown adults and she lived down in Southern Idaho, far away from that south hill. And then, I didn't see her at all anymore. Until just the other night, on Facebook. J and I are both back in the valley where we grew up. Together again...LET'S DUST OFF THOSE BEATLE ALBUMS AND LET THE PARTY BEGIN!