Drabble

A drabble is an extremely short piece of fiction - exactly 100 words.

He waited in the late afternoon sun while she went across the street to the church mission pantry to ask for some coffee. As she walked away, her long shadow followed behind her, lingering for a moment at his feet. He noticed his feet, then noticed a solitary shoe in the gutter, and wondered if it would fit his foot. Never hurts to have a spare, he thought. He wondered where it’s mate wound up. As he started toward the curb, a band of young boys jostled by him, adding the lonely shoe to their game of kick the can.

Tree Wrecks

I'm feeling busy and overwhelmed this holiday season, but come hell or high water, I will make time to put up a nice, good-looking tree with the kids.

This site is hilarious. Trees gone terribly wrong. Mustard packets? Beer Cans? As ornaments? Seriously? Yes. Wow.

http://www.lemondrop.com/2008/12/04/tree-wrecks-what-happens-to-your-fine-pine-after-the-holiday/

4 months! Guess I've been busy.

So four months since a post. I'm sure I've been adding links, just not writing. Workin' my tail off. Really want to get back to writing. Ah - miss that. A season for all things my friend. At least I can keep gathering resources and ideas until time comes when I can make regular posts again.

Creating weekly meal plans

Since I'm going to be working and traveling fulltime, I'm trying to learn some new strategies for making better, more realistic meal plans for my family.

I love to cook, and I anticipate this becoming a source of frustration for me if I don't get a handle on it right out of the shoot.

I learned today that Meijer grocery stores does something nice on their website to this end. They create weekly meal plans that are built around the sale ad for that week. THANK YOU Meijer!

I'm gonna give it a try. http://www.meijerhealthyliving.com/

I also signed up for Bust-a-Meal. www.BustAMeal.com
On this service, you go to the website and pick your favorite yummy easy recipes from their database of hundreds (maybe thousands by now). All are sorted by main dish and there are side recipes too. You tag your favs, then each week, they send you an email with a menu for the week with whatever number of meals you want (I just picked 3 per week because I know that I won't have time to cook more than that. Then I just fix extra to have as leftovers and we wind up doing a sandwich or going out once or twice for something cheap and fast on a busy day.)

So, the automatic weekly menu email is compiled from the recipes you flagged. They mix it up and follow stuff that's in season. Then, you get the email which contains your menu and a shopping list to take to the store to make sure you have all the ingredients on hand! I'm loving this! Thank you Bust A Meal!

Silver Screen Surroundings...

I live in an old house.

I love the movie "Moonstruck". It's on my all time favorite list for all kinds of reasons.

One of the reasons I never grow tired of watching this movie is the house. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the house in that movie. It's so home-y and comforting.

I know everybody is into modern style these days, but I love cozy and familiar and comforting style. The house in this movie has it.

So today I found the coolest blog.
Silver Screen Surroundings Inspiring Movie Set Decor and how to "Get that Look"

It's everything you need to use your favorite movie sets as inspiration to decorate your own home.

This woman, Linda Merrill, is an interior design consultant and writer. Her blog is full of resources and tips for defining the style from your favorite movies and figuring out how to duplicate a room from your favorite set. It's soooooooo cool!

What a great way to decorate - imitate your favorite movie.

What movie would you love to base your decorating on?

Where the Hell is Matt?

A friend sent me a link to this today.

Watch the video, be moved and inspired. Feel joy.
And buy a pack of Stride gum in gratitude.

http://wherethehellismatt.com/?fbid=g1SSR

A Parent's Love: Team Hoyt

Today, my cousin sent me the link to this video clip.

This is a true story!

A son asked his father, 'Dad, will you take part in a marathon with me?'
The father who, despite having a heart condition, says 'Yes'.

They went on to complete the marathon together. Father and son went on to join other marathons, the father always saying 'Yes' to his son's' request of going through the race together.

One day, the son asked his father, 'Dad, let's join the Ironman together..' to which his father said 'Yes' too.

For those who don't know, Ironman is the toughest triathlon ever. The race encompasses three endurance events of a 2.4 mile (3.86Kilometer) ocean swim, followed by a 112 mile (180.2 kilometer) bike ride, and ending with a 26.2 mile (42.195 kilometer) marathon along the Coast of the Big Island . Father and son went on to complete the race together.

View this race at.....
GodTube

Organizational Development Consultant: Career Path of the Day

I started reading a book from the library on getting organized and decluttering. It was written by a woman who described herself as an "Organziational Development Consultant."

I have learned that people who do this job often have a background in psychology. They are usually hired by companies to work in the education and training of their employees. They are often utilized to facilitate management teams and project planning exercises.

I knew people who did this kind of work when I was working outside the home - before children - in the corporate environment. I was lucky enough to participate in some training programs presented by these folks. I always admired them. They were very diplomatic and adept at steering people through the processes of forming ideas and strategies for problems they faced.

If I'd known about this type of work at an earlier age, I believe I might have enjoyed pursuing a career in this area. Today, I find myself recalling the education I received from them and working to apply it to my work today to do better. The problem-solving models they armed me with have made my life easier countless times. I wonder how many others took these strategies with them beyond the classroom, beyond the office? I wonder if they realize the impact their work has? I'm sure they do. What a satisfying vocation it must be.

The Moral Lesson in a Crust of Bread

I don't spend a whole lot of time yet engaging my children in thoughtful discussion about global issues. They're just too young. Their "universe" consists of home, school, church, the park, etc. But I know that the time to begin the foundation of moral grounding is now. This is the time to prepare them in the little moments that hold big lessons. This is the time to equip them with the compass to navigate the bigger issues of our world so that when the time comes, they'll know what to do.

And so, we consider the little things - like the crust on a peanut butter sandwich. I know a lot of children insist the crusts be cut off the sandwich. Many parents do it because they feel it is a small nurturing gesture. Some think it's cute. Others do it out of habit because their mother did it for them. Probably most do it as a desperate attempt to get their picky child to eat something - anything. The picky eater is a discussion for another post.

For me, removing the crusts is not an option. It's one thing if my child gets to the end of his sandwich and becomes full and cannot finish part of the crust. For the child to grow up, believing that the crust is not worth eating and disposable, is a seemingly small, but no less tragic, mistake in the parental task of moral teaching.

Empathy and compassion for those in need begins in childhood. It is critical we teach our children not to waste the blessings they are given. Use care and make sure to spread the peanut butter and jelly all the way to the edge of the bread. Then teach your children that the crust is valuable and worthy of eating.

Talk to your children about those children in this world who dig through garbage every day for the prize of a crust of bread.

Word of the Day: "GUERDON"

Yesterday, Sameer Mishra of West Lafayette, Ind., correctly spelled "guerdon" making him the 2008 Scripps National Spelling Bee Champion in Washington, D.C.

The word appropriately means "something that one has earned or gained.

Love that.

Phrase of the Day: "ad hominem "

adjective....

Meaning:
1.
appealing to one's prejudices, emotions, or special interests rather than to one's intellect or reason.

2.
attacking an opponent's character rather than answering his argument.

From Rogets Dictionary

How to Cook Corn on the Cob

I found this website today. Boy do I ever need it! I screw up the corn every time.
I usually don't cook it long enough - nothing like raw corn - yuk!
Other times, I cook it to death - mushy corn - double yuk!

How to Cook Corn..... plus a few other nice tips that most people don't need but I do.
Like, how to make good hamburgers, how to open a coconut, how to cut a pineapple (I do know how to do this...), how to bake a potato (I can do this one too).

Nutritional Anthropologist: Career Path of the Day

So I heard this term on Alton Brown's "Good Eats" today.
He had an expert on his program - someone called a "Nutritional Anthropologist" talking about the history of onions as food.

As usual, the show was full of kitchen science - which is why I love it so much. And the whole concept of someone who studies why we eat what we eat, and why people ate what they ate down through history is massively fascinating to me.

If I'd heard of this field of study when I was 19 or 20, I feel certain I would have pursued it in college - at least have given it a try.

Here's an article from the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition to learn more:
http://www.cellinteractive.com/ucla/center_overview/nut_anthro.html

It's a good Monday

The sun is shining, it's warm. I took the baby outside to play in the grass. Little guy knows what's good for him - fresh air and sunshine - you could tell he was in heaven and so grateful to be out of the house!

My middle child puked in the car this morning on the way to school - which created a reason for me to haul out the shampoo-er and clean the carpet, seats and floormats in the car. Then, since I had to air the car out anyway so it all could dry, I went ahead and Windex-ed the insides of the windows - something that NEVER gets done! So nice to be able to see out the windows now and scrape off all the stickers that my sons have plastered all over them next to their seats!

My phone rang 3 times already today. First was a friend I've been missing, second was a prospective client asking for additional information - sounds promising!!! Third was a reporter saying she wants to interview me for a story.

So, let's see : sunshine, happy baby, clean car, friend, money, publicity. And middle child is feeling better too....

It's a good Monday.

Moms Need Life Coaching too....

Today I found this site on Daily Candy. It was like answers being sent to prayers from last night.
I'm spending a lot of time lately trying to figure out where to start with regards to creating balance. I'm so lop-sided right now with work. Consumed - obsessed are really the words that would best describe my existence at the moment.

I'm motivated and driven from a career standpoint. I haven't felt this ambitious about a job outside motherhood in years. I'm conflicted though. I want my first job to be as a mother. The other stuff is supposed to support my efforts to be a great mom. Instead, I'm grinding grinding grinding with work and the family gets what's left....which isn't much lately.

I know, I know, welcome to the club. These are good problems to have.

I'm going to figure it out. I can.

Working Mothers Coach

Ex-Boyfriend Jewelry...

I found this today on http://www.ohmythatsawesome.com/
You don't want it...he can't have it back...Buy, Sell, Trade, Blog about the Boy! at

http://www.exboyfriendjewelry.com/ .

You know it's worth something, but you don't want to wear it....ever. Who goes to pawn shops? I don't. Why get your good stuff lost amidst all the Ebay crap. Plus, you can vent about him to boot on this site. Don't we all have at least a couple of pieces that sit there because we can't bear to flush 'em, toss 'em or give 'em away, but we don't know what else to do with them?

Here ya go...problem solved.

"HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY" ...

This came from a friend today....

Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle...

Spiritual Needs and Happiness

Considering spiritual needs and happiness.

The need to feel unique, the need to feel a sense of purpose, the need to feel connected with others and with something bigger than me, and the need to understand where I fit in to the big picture.

Find ways to meet these needs in my own life and to look for ways to help others recognize and meet these needs in their own lives.

Celebrate the things that make me different, that make me special - even the littlest things.
Observe others and notice their beauty and uniqueness.

Work to identify my gifts and talents, and use them to the best of my ability as often as possible.
Look for ways to encourage others as they discover, exercise and grow their own talents.

Look for opportunities to make connections with others and with God.
Live a life that expresses gratitude.

Consider the issues that face the world and ask myself what I can do to make a difference in my small part of that big world. Don't live in a bubble. Keep my own challenges, problems and weaknesses in perspective.

Aim for this every day.

Where can a boy climb a tree in Newport Kentucky?

In our urban neighborhood, there are very small yards. Many homes have no yard.

We have a lot of young couples who moved here and are now starting families. Some move away to the suburbs when the baby comes. More are beginning to stay and raise their families in the city.

Luckily for us, there are a couple of small parks nearby. There's a nice fenced playground next to the Montessori school down the street. It's good for little ones, but no dogs allowed and no balls allowed.

So where can the older children play?

There's an open grassy field next to the highway at the end of our street. It has become the unofficial "dog park" for the many dog owners in the neighborhood. The city has added benches and trash cans and planted some trees. It's perfect for the dogs to run and chase a stick or ball. The older children can kick a soccer ball here - if there aren't too many landmines. Most dog owners seem conscientious about that and pick up.

There are some trees along the edge of this park that my sons have taken for their own. They love to play and then stop and rest - up in a tree. When my son is sitting up there, in the branches, he is calm and peaceful - drawing energy from the living structure that suspends him above the ground.

These trees are the perfect size for climbing. Not too tall, but big enough to withstand the rigors of a boy's climb and weight. The leaves are dense - just enough for a boy to hide, but still be able to survey his kingdom.

The state wants to take out this dog park and all the trees that go with it and build a new exit ramp to accomodate the new high rise buildings going up along the river.

While I understand that we must find a way to accomodate the traffic that "progress" brings, I ask: If we take this space away, where can a boy climb a tree in Newport?

Why did the chicken cross the road?

Someone sent this to me....I had to share.....

Why did the chicken cross the road?

DR. PHIL :The problem we have here is that this chicken won't realize that he must first deal with the problem on 'THIS' side of the road before it goes after the problem on the 'OTHER SIDE' of the road. What we need to do is help him realize how stupid he's acting by not taking on his 'CURRENT' problems before adding 'NEW' problems.

OPRAH :Well, I understand that the chicken is having problems, which is why he wants to cross this road so bad. So instead of having the chicken learn from his mistakes and take falls, which is a part of life, I'm going to give this chicken a car so that he can just drive across the road and not live his life like the rest of the chickens.

GEORGE W. BUSH :We don't really care why the chicken crossed the road. We just want to know if the chicken is on our side of the road, or not. The chicken is either against us, or for us. There is no middle ground here.

COLIN POWELL :Now to the left of the screen, you can clearly see the satellite image of the chicken crossing the road...

ANDERSON COOPER - CNN:We have reason to believe there is a chicken, but we have not yet been allowed to have access to the other side of the road.

JOHN KERRY :Although I voted to let the chicken cross the road, I am now against it! It was the wrong road to cross, and I was misled about the chicken's intentions. I am not for it now, and will remain against it.

NANCY GRACE :That chicken crossed the road because he's GUILTY! You can see it in his eyes and the way he walks.

PAT BUCHANAN :To steal the job of a decent, hardworking American.

MARTHA STEWART :No one called me to warn me which way that chicken was going. I had a standing order at the Farmer's Market to sell my eggs when the price dropped to a certain level. No little bird gave me any insider information.

DR SEUSS :Did the chicken cross the road? Did he cross it with a toad? Yes, the chicken crossed the road, but why it crossed I've not been told.

ERNEST HEMINGWAY :To die in the rain. Alone.

JERRY FALWELL :Because the chicken was gay! Can't you people see the plain truth?' That's why they call it the 'other side.' Yes, my friends, that chicken is gay. And if you eat that chicken, you will become gay too. I say we boycott all chickens until we sort out thi s abomination that the liberal media white washes with seemingly harmless phrases like 'the other side. That chicken should not be crossing the road. It's as plain and as simple as that.

GRANDPA :In my day we didn't ask why the chicken crossed the road. Somebody told us the chicken crossed the road, and that was good enough.

BARBARA WALTERS :Isn't that interesting? In a few moments, we will be listening to the chicken tell, for the first time, the heart warming story of how it experienced a serious case of molting, and went on to accomplish its life long dream of crossing the road.

ARISTOTLE :It is the nature of chickens to cross the road.

JOHN LENNON :Imagine all the chickens in the world crossing roads together, in peace.

BILL GATES:I have just released eChicken2007, which will not only cross roads, but will lay eggs, file your important documents, and balance your check book. Inte rnet Explorer is an integral part of eChicken. This new platform is much more stable and will never cra...#@&&^(C% ........ reboot.

ALBERT EINSTEIN :Did the chicken really cross the road, or did the road move beneath the chicken? BILL CLINTON :I did not cross the road with THAT chicken. What is your definition of chicken?

AL GORE :I invented the chicken!

COLONEL SANDERS :Did I miss one?

DICK CHENEY :Where's my gun?

AL SHARPTON :Why are all the chickens white? We need some black chickens.

Beer Margaritas!

This reminds me of something we used to make in the summertime while hanging out at my friend's pool. They were called "Skip and Go Nakeds". It was vodka and beer and frozen lemonade concentrate blended together with ice into a frozen yummy thing.

12-ounce bottle cold Corona
12-ounces Sauza Tequila
12-ounce can frozen limeade concentrate
12-ounces Sprite
2 shots of Triple Sec

Lime wedges
Kosher salt, for rimming glasses

In a large pitcher, combine the beer, tequila and limeade. Rub a lime wedge around the rim of each of glass and dip it in the salt. Pour the margaritas into the glasses and garnish with a lime wedge.

Makes me think warm sunshiny thoughts while it's cold and gray outside my window....

Whew! Saved by the System Restore Wizard....

I left the laptop up and running this morning. Problem is DS #3 has become very interested in the mysterious thing that has me so occupied these days. He has taken to furtively sneaking into the office when we are otherwise indisposed and climbs into my chair and proceeds to poke and bang on buttons with delight.

Today, I came back to a desktop on my screen that was situated horizontally - sideways! The START menu, all the icons - even the mouse pointer was all oriented sideways across the screen. I had a pain in my neck trying to look and read the help menus to figure out how to fix this!

After about 2 hours of futile attempts to reset the desktop display, I finally discovered the System Restore Wizard - which would revert my settings to what they were last night when I stopped working.....thank GOD!

Note to self......shut the thing down when I walk away and keep an eye on that little bugger!!

Lunch...a warm multigrain salad

I'm into these warm salads these days.

It's easy -
I usually just put a pile of salad greens on a big plate, then mound some hot seasoned rice or multigrain pilaf in the middle of it and top it with some sauteed veggies. Sometimes I add meat, sometimes not. It's so good - especially with some good vinaigrette.

It's best with a good sturdy lettuce like romaine or iceberg.
I like a few drops of sesame oil and soy sauce in it.

I'm Here

So. I finally did it. Big earth shattering accomplishment. After being a voyeur for so long into the lives of others, I'm going to write my own. Here it is. I'm here.