It Is What It Is

Graces- 16 of 52

Grocery Store Prepared Entrees. 

We lead a busy life like most people I know.  Sometimes I struggle to get a homemade dinner on the table every -single - night.  I try not to do the drive thru stuff or even the "to go curbside" that a lot of restaurants are now doing.  It's a real challenge to prepare a delicious and nutritious dinner on the fly...ready in 5 minutes or less....because "Mom, I'm starving!  What's for dinner?"   I know- that's why God invented crock pots?  Well, my crock pot died a year ago and I haven't replaced it.  The other problem, you still have to gather the ingredients and plan on prep time.  So- back to my original dilemma.  GOOD FOOD- FAST.

  

Exhibit A-The Rotisserie Chicken available at most grocery stores.  There's your protein add a side and a salad and you've got yourself a nutritionally balanced meal.  I love rotisserie chickens.  If I'm making a recipe that requires cooked chicken- you can bet I'm using a rotisserie chicken.  It's convenient and delicious. 

It's amazing what you can buy at your local grocers these days by way of prepared foods.  I'm not talking frozen dinners, I'm talking prepared entrees ready to be plated.  I love my local grocery store, Churchills.  There selection is outstanding.  I also am a big fan of Costco.  Our family favs are too numerous to mention, but when in doubt for dinner, a quick stop at my neighborhood Costco will net me a fantastic meal that I only have to warm up. 

I don't feel to guilty when I serve one of these dinners.  It's like I really cooked it- right?  I did turn the oven on to reheat or zap it in the microwave.  That should count for something- and it is being served on real plates....

"You're So Vain...."

Well- I try not to be.  I'm not always successful.  Is it not natural to want to present yourself in the most favorable way?  Case in point, I've always been funny about having my photo taken.  (I have no problem taking pictures of others, I might add.)  The reason I'm so "funny" about it is I have a face that definitely has a better "side" than the other.  It's almost appears that my face is misshapen at times.  I have a crooked smile and one of my eyes crinkles up more than the other. 

So, I'm almost always pleasantly surprised when I like a photo of myself.  I have years of not so flattering class photos.  When I was in college, my sorority would have a composite portrait done each year.  Each girl in the house would have her portrait taken and then all of them would be displayed in a giant framed picture.  I would hate composite photo day.  I would pray to the hair God's for a good hair day.  I would make sure my makeup was just right.  These photos are hung up in the house for years for everyone to see.  The most current composite hung in the place of honor in the dining room.  Then in new school year the pictures are rotated and moved around throughout the house until maybe a decade or so later, you were moved to the basement for safekeeping.

Each year I dreaded the fraternity prank whereby one of the fraternities on campus would steal your composite and then your sorority would have to retrieve the composite by going and singing for it's return.  When it was returned, it would be decorated with funny sayings or photos that were  basically a "critique" of each girl by the fraternity.  While some were sweet or even x-rated, let me just say, some were not so nice.  How crushed and bruised were some of my sisters when a photo of a can of dog food appeared by their face.  Sometimes you were spared altogether and nothing was taped to your photo. 

One memorable year, I had these words cut from an advertisement taped by my photo-

"It's Value Merits a Standing Ovation." 

Well, I gotta say, that made my day!  How nice was that?!  But then again, who were these guys to pass judgment on anyone's looks?  Why did we care what they thought?  Why didn't we steal their composites and do the same exact thing?  (The answer to I do not know to this day...)

Well, this brings me back to today.  Eldest's prom was this past weekend.  I plan a post with photos, but I was disappointed because in all of the photos of her and I and Beloved, I look terrible.  It was not my day at all.  I can live with that.  But then the smartypants went and posted all those terrible photos on her Facebook with links to hundreds of people- many of whom I know and haven't seen for a long time.  (I think you all know how I feel about posting unflattering photos of yourself on Facebook-See November archives.)  I demanded she take them down.  "No, mom- I like them.  Besides they're good of me and dad." 

Yeah- well....they're not good of me and.... it's all  about me, right? 

See- I can show my bad side.....Never be it said more true than that my value merits a standing ovation!

Graces- 15 of 52

FRIENDS.  You know who you are- and if you don't I'm not doing my job.  It's you- the person I talk to on a daily basis.  It's you who I run into occasionally at school and nod hello.  It's you the person I spill my guts to , complain to, laugh with, gossip with, work with ....I appreciate each and every person who I consider a friend or acquaintance.  I need you and am grateful for the part you play in my life. 

Life's hard- friends soften the blow.  Life's a journey- friends make the ride more interesting.  Friends are the family you get to pick yourself.   Thanks for being my friend.

How Did That Happen? Happy Birthday Eldest!

Today my first baby has officially become an adult!  I can hardly believe it.  Never more has the saying "In the blink of an eye" been more true.

 

Here she is right out of the womb...(well actually, she's been cleaned up a bit for the camera.  Did I ever tell you about the time that my dear daughter made me a Mother's Day Card and used the photo of her being lifted out of my womb still attached by umbilical cord?)  Anyways, I  thought I'd spare you the gory details of that part....

Here's her Dad (Beloved) looking like OMG- what now!

 

(It's 1991 people- no cutting on the extremely large glasses....I hear they're coming back into fashion, along with shoulder pads...)

  

That's me, still in a hormonal haze of bliss, thinking life will always be this sweet and pure.  Me and my adorable baby girl.

 

She was our first- we weren't perfect and there are lots of quarters in her therapy jar as proof to that.

 

And now, she's about to graduate from high school in three and half weeks. 

 

She'll be attending her Senior Prom this very night.  (More on that later.)  But before she's goes, there's a few things I want to say.  Eldest, you have pushed more buttons in me than I even knew I had.  You are a beautiful person on the inside and out.  I couldn't be more proud of the woman you're becoming.  You're funny, polite, good hearted and a hard worker.  These will take you far in your life's journey. 

 

I love you.  Happy Birthday.

I Believe In Karma and Kismet

And- aren't they really the same thing?  I've been known to say "Karma is a Boomerang."  Actually- it's one of my mantras.   I think that I need a saying about "Kismet."  (At least my personal definition- which is something along the lines of  "one thing begets another and it's because of destiny....it's supposed to happen.")

Case in point- I'm talking to my friend LAF who happens to have a cleaning business.  I tell her that now that I'm back full time and with this next 2 months being incredibly busy I really could use some help in the cleaning department, but I would never use her business because I'd be too humiliated to have her see and clean my mess.  She laughs at this and says I'm not alone in that thinking.  However, her mother also has a cleaning business and she's looking to pick up a few more clients, maybe I should give her a call.  Well- I could live with that.  (As long as LAF promises not to ask how I rank on her mom's scale of worst houses ever cleaned.) 

Well LAF's mom and I exchanged a few voice mails and finally connected this evening.  She's coming next week and I'm quite excited.  She is absolutely adorable  (as I knew she would be -seeing how she's LAF's mom and all  and she's adorable too!)  The funniest thing about the whole conversation is that she kept calling me "Brenda."    "Okay, Brenda, how does next Thursday sound?"  "I should be there about 10:00 am, Brenda, does that work for you?"  I didn't have the heart to tell her that's not my name.  As a matter of fact, I think I'll check into changing my name by next Thursday.  Can you change your name that quickly?

I sure hope so, Brenda.

Really- What Marketing Genius thought of this.....

I actually saw this hanging from a rear view mirror today and it caught my eye.  I tried to photograph it- but the glare from the window was too much.  Apparently they are still readily available,  since I was able to find many sources on the Internet to order them from. 

The Barak Obama Air Freshener-

 

Product Description

Barak Obama. Handsome, dedicated and available November 2008. Car Air Freshener available NOW. Vanilla Scented.

 

I usually don't get political here- but I really thought it was very funny.  Don't ask me why- it just struck my funny bone.  I find it even funnier after reading the description. 

 

This ends my political commentary for the day. 

 

AAAAAUUUUUGGGGHHHH!!!!!

It only takes one little e-mail to do this-

 

and this-

 

and finally this....

 

Yes- I'm frustrated as all holy hell!!!  Why is it that there are people who make it their life work to be difficult- to make other's lives more difficult?  This morning it only took this one little email to set me off for the day.  This email then started a barrage of other frustrating crapola that just set my morning  downhill from there.  I'm hoping by acknowledging this crap- I'm stopping the cycle so I can go on and have a better day!

Thank you for indulging me.

Have a nice day.

Happy Easter!!

 

I'm Being Haunted

Have you ever read a book that haunts you long after you finish reading it?  I have that happen a lot.  The book, the characters keep playing in the background of my mind.  Sometimes, I even dream about the book.  So it goes with this latest book I've finished:

 

I actually listened to this book and read it both- at the same time...  Does that make sense?  I started listening and then I started feeling anxiety toward the direction the story was taking.  When this happens to me when I'm listening to book, I will then usually try to find the book and read (look ahead) to find out the outcome.  In this case, I was surprised in the direction that I thought it was going- didn't quite go there- so I didn't read the end (as I am prone to do) and continued listening. 

However, the book then went in another direction and I had to read it to the end and finish listening to the end.  I am still not satisfied.  The book leaves us to come up with our own conclusions.  I hate that!!  As a reader, I want some clarity as to the direction these characters are going to take.  I don't have to know everything, but I want to know the big stuff.  I feel I'm owed that after investing my waking and subconscious time to these characters. 

I've done Internet searches to find out if other readers have felt the same way about this book.  I've looked for on-line book chats.  I've found many reviews, but none that address the core ending. While at the library today, I picked up the book again and reread some of the key passages, hoping for some sort of magical insight.  And no, nothing changed for me.   I know this current obsession will subside soon enough, but until then, I remain haunted.

Celebration

 

The other night the Women's Retreat got together to celebrate L's birthday.  A little Sangria, a few friends and all's right with the world.  But don't forget the dessert!

 

Happy Birthday-Enjoy!!