Cure for the Greys

Everybody gets grey sometimes, and we all need a little indulgence.

Here in Michigan, Mother Nature plays with the thermostat constantly. One day, it's lovely and we spend time outdoors. The next day my fingers are too cold to type. Today we are in another meltdown and everything is grey. Blahhhhh...

A grey view from my office window.

Here is my thought on a little cure for the day.

Buy a bouquet of fresh flowers.

They are easy to find at any grocery store these days. Split them up so you can have at least one flower in each room of the house. You can use any kind of container; a small vase, a cute little glass, a teacup, or my favorite - an old salt shaker.

Lift someone's spirit and give flowers to a friend or coworker.

Fresh flowers can also add a touch of romance to any room.

Enjoy the simplicity of fresh flowers! A little bit of life and color can brighten any home on a grey day as well as lift our spirits.

I picked up a pretty flowering plant for the office.

How To Keep a Journal

As a young girl, I kept diaries and journals filled with thoughts and poems. I continue to write in a journal and have a couple special ones just for recording adventures during family vacations. 

However, over the years taught high school and college students as well as senior citizens how to keep a journal. Writing down thoughts and experiences not only holds memories but also allows the mind to blossom in creativity.

Start blooming today!

Simple rules of keeping a journal:

* Sit in a comfortable place where you won't be interrupted for a few moments.

* Don't spend alot of time. Set a timer if needed. Use only a few minutes to write. Think of it as drinking a glass of water rather than an entire gallon. Once you get the  hang of it, you might have times where your thoughts may take up several pages.

* Don't be a critique. Journal entries are raw. Think of them as rough drafts if your wish, but don't change them. It may ruin the beauty of the words. If editing is your thing, save the original and edit a copy. Keep every draft you make. I've done that and it's fun to look back at the growth.

*Keep a journal in a notebook or on a computer. It doesn't matter. Whatever is comfortable to you. I like a journal I can hold and carry. There is something about writing with a pencil on paper that feels good.

* Don't just write, keep other things in your journal. Paste a poem or comic that you enjoyed. Clip an article. Save those doodles! Keep inspirational photos.

Take-Out and Mishmash

I'm still not brave enough to visit a restaurant 

so youngest and I ordered fish take-out from the Knights of Columbus. 

A great way to support our local folks as well!

Its Friday night! Add a glass if wine to inspire a bit of romance with your honey.

Since Flyboy is flying, I'm going to enjoy wine with my meal "just because".

Gotta love yourself!

I selected Mich Mash from Chateau Grand Traverse.

Don't you just love the label?

#Thursday13 - Older Women Are Awesome

He was an amazing radio and television writer who was best known for his weekly broadcast "A Few Minutes with Andy Rooney", a part of the CBS News program 60 Minutes from 1978 to 2011. . I miss Andy Roony and his wit. Now that I'm over 50, I think I appreciate his humor more than I did before.

 

13 Quotes from Andy Rooney On Older Women 

1. Older Women Andy Rooney says, "As I grow in age, I value older women most of all. Here are just a few reasons why." 

 2. An older woman will never wake you in the middle of the night to ask, "What are you thinking?" She doesn't care what you think. 

 3. An older woman knows herself well enough to be assured in who she is, what she is, what she wants and from whom. Few women past the age of 50 give a damn what you might think about her. 

 4. An older single woman usually has had her fill of "meaningful relationships" and commitment." The last thing she needs in her life is another dopey, clingy, whiny, dependent lover! 

 5. Older women are dignified. They seldom have a screaming match with you at the opera or in an expensive restaurant. Of course, if you deserve it, they won't hesitate to shoot you if they think they can get away with it. 

 6. Most older women cook well. They care about cleanliness and are generous with praise, often undeserved. 

 7. An older woman has the self-assurance to introduce you to her women friends. 

 9. A younger woman with a man will often ignore even her best friend because she doesn't trust the guy with other women. Older women couldn't care less. 

 10. Women get psychic as they age. You never have to confess your sins to an older woman. They always know. 

11. An older woman looks good wearing bright red lipstick. This is not true of younger women or drag queens. 

 12. Once you get past a wrinkle or two, an older woman is far sexier than her younger counterpart. Her libido's stronger, her fear of pregnancy gone. 13. Older women are forthright and honest. They'll tell you right off you are a jerk if you are acting like one.

BONUS QUOTE: Yes, we praise older women for a multitude of reasons. Unfortunately, it's not reciprocal. For every stunning, smart, well-coifed babe of 70 there is a bald, paunchy relic in yellow pants making a fool of himself with some 22 year old waitress.

A Journal Writing Prompt - In This Moment

Are you snowed in? Are you in self-isolation? Are you in lock down mode? 

Many people have taken time during covid to begin writing or at least keeping a journal.

Writing in a journal is a great way to relax and escape.

Here's a little Writing Prompt 

to help train your mind to write, 

to exercise your brain, 

to get you started putting thoughts down.

IN THIS MOMENT 

Sit comfortably with your notebook and pen. Write for 10 -15 minutes.

This exercise is one of my favorites. 

Read the following questions then close your eyes.

What sounds do you hear? Do you notice any odors? How is the temperature?

Are you in a relaxed state?

Now, open your eyes and immediately pick up your pen/pencil 

and write about the first thing that comes to mind.

          

Tasty Tuesday - Chocolate Chip Cookie Fun Facts

Grandma said the quickest way to a man's heart is through his stomach.

My best friend's mom made the best cookies in the world. Unfortunately she took the recipe to the grave. I miss Mom Carlyon and her cookies. Cooking and baking is actually a science and I've narrowed my "tests" to one closest resembling her recipe.  

These cookies spread out too much 

so we have to eat these up before I can try another batch. 

So enjoy a cookie and some trivia about chocolate chip cookies.

• Ruth and Kenneth Wakefield sold the Toll House Inn in 1966 and the new owners turned the building into a nightclub. In 1970, the Saccone family bought the building and restored it to its original 1700's Cape Code style. On New Year’s Eve, 1984, the Toll House burned to the ground and was never rebuilt. The site, the birthplace of the first chocolate chip cookie, is marked with a sign and is now home to an ice cream shop.

• There are 7 billion chocolate chip cookies eaten in the United States every year, with about 50% of those homemade cookies.

• Nabisco’s “Chips Ahoy” Chocolate Chip cookies are the second highest selling cookie in the United States. Oreos hold the number 1 slot.

• The Chocolate Chip Cookie is the official state cookie of both Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania “state cookie” status was proposed in 1996 by 4th Grade students at Caln Elementary school. Previously, the officially named state cookie of Pennsylvania had been tied up in a legislative battle between the Nazareth sugar cookie and the oatmeal chocolate chip cookie.

• The world’s largest cookie was a chocolate chip cookie, made by the Immaculate Baking Company on May 17, 2003 in Flat Rock, North Carolina. It was 40,000 pounds and 102 feet in diameter. The giant cookie was broken up and sold in commemorative boxes, raising $20,000 for the Folk Artists Foundation Museum. The record was officially recognized by Guinness World Records in 2008. Previously, the record for the world’s biggest cookie was also a chocolate chip cookie, an 81 foot diameter cookie made by New Zealand’s Cookie Time Company in 1996.

• If it wasn’t for airplay on The Betty Crocker Cooking School of the Air, the Wakefield chocolate crunch recipe may not have risen to fame quite so quickly. Betty Crocker is not and has never been a real person. The radio program that launched the chocolate chip cookie to legendary status was voiced and scripted by home economist Marjorie Child Husted, who was also responsible for inventing the Betty Crocker brand character.

*This post was previously published, 4/11/17

Sausage Nonsense

I visited Willi's Sausage Co in Frankenmuth. 

Sent out-of-town Flyboy a pic to make him jealous.

His response, "You can't have anyone else's sausage. 🥴"

Not Quite Right

My new yoga partner hasn't quite figured out how it's done.

Breakfast at the Cabin

It's 16 degrees Farenheit outside today. More snow fell in the night. Flyboy is off flying in warmer climates, leaving only me and son #3 home. My son is doing what teen boys do best....SLEEP. 

I'm enjoying the quiet morning. 

Natures sounds are coming from my kitchen Echo while I chop varies veggies to be used in dishes this week.

The dogs relax at my feet. They already cleared the floor of sweet pepper pieces and the don't care for turnips.

Time for breakfast. I've added Flaxseed, (Doc says I need more Omega 3), ashwagandha powder for wellness and for fun some French herbs. 

For my omelet, I begin with a dollop of ghee, my choice of fat, to my cast iron pan. Toss in some turnips and season with my favorite Cajun spices. I add diced tomato,  sweet pepper,  green onions. Pour my whisked eggs on top. Sprinkle with parsley and cheddar cheese. Cover to cook through.

I cut the omelet and serve on top of the grits. 

Today, I'm enjoying tea Flyboy brought home from Alaska. 

Teen boy is gracing me with his presence and shouts, "I smell food!"

All I Want for #ValentinesDay...

Setting the scene: Married boy, college boy and teen boy are together in our Livingroom. I love them but sometimes their obnoxiousness wears on me. Especially when I'm reading.

My darling Flyboy asks me what I want to do for Valentine's Day. My sons continue trying to out amaze each other.

Flyboy frowns at our overly loud offspring: "Again...I ask. What do you want for Valentine's Day?"

Not looking up from my kindle: "I want lots of delicious orgasms."

Dead silence.

Married boy: "I'm outta here. I'm going home."

College boy: On that note, I'm heading back to school."

Teen boy grumbling on his way to his room: "At least you can go some place. I'm stuck with them."

Dust settles.

Flyboy looks around the empty room: "What was that?"

Without losing my place in the book: "That, my love, is how you clear a room. And yes, I'm serious about the orgasms."

A moment latter, Flyboy is heard booking a hotel room.