If Time Stood Still

If time stood still just for me I could get all of the "stuff" done that needs doing. But then again, if time stood still just for me, I'd probably find some reason for not getting the "stuff" done. I'd also have to have energy to finish all that needs doing! Let's see, organizing the play room (again) and going through mail and paper work and put all in their proper places. But then again, I would have to make a proper place for all of this. I know! Throw everything out and start it all over again next week. Yes, there is always next week! It works for me. Well no, it has not or I would not be writing this.

It's Almost That TIme Of Year!

I have always felt a bit strange about my birthdays. When I was a youngster, I never really wanted a party. I guess it comes from being shy and having everyone sing that dreaded song that always made me want to cry. I was never one for a lot of attention. In school, I would sit in the back of the class in hopes that the teacher would not call on me. I soon realized though, that sitting in back of the class meant that when the teacher did call on me, EVERYONE looked back at me which made my face and ears turn bright red. Now, if that is not bad enough, my voice is very soft and the teacher would tell me to answer again because she could not hear me! To add to my horror, the kids would turn around again! I did not care if I got invited to a party or not. When I did go to parties that were huge, I would leave early and walk home with my little present left behind. I know, I was a strange child! Now comes the big number 50! The big five-o! Get out the "over the hill" balloons and the huge candles that are larger than the cake! For someone that never cared for birthdays in the past, this one is extremely hard for me. I am not old enough to get the discounts at the fast food chains or to order off the senior menu. Why is this birthday bothering me so much? I guess it is bothering me because I have to admit to myself that I can't do the things the way I did when I was younger. If I am down on the ground, it takes me a lot longer to get up off the floor than it did ten years ago. I am trying to find humor in my aging but somehow can't find it right at the moment. I may add on to this post after my birthday party. Yes, I am having a 50th birthday party! My mother (bless her heart) is throwing me one. I will go to my own party and smile at my friends and family, and realize that we are all growing older. I will seize the day and enjoy it, not for what it represents; but because the ones I care about, care about me. Happy birthday to me!

This Year A Nut shell...Organize?

I am taking some much needed time to just sit and think about this past year and what it entailed for me is not an easy task. Did I accomplish anything at all? I'm looking about my desk and I do see that there are a few resolutions that I did not do. One is, cleaning and keeping my desk organized. Is this what they mean by controlled chaos? I pretty much know where everything is and apart from being an eye-sore, it's not really hurting anyone, or is it? I am trying to teach my grandson to clean up behind himself and to be a good helper. What is this desk showing him? That grammy tries but she's not perfect? That she'll get to it another day? I don't think he really wonders about it at all because he is two. When he gets up on grammy's computer he wants to press all the buttons on the keyboard and play with the mouse. He wants me to turn on youtube so he can watch his favorite videos, like hippo and dog farting. I do think I will get up from here and organize my areas of the house which I tend to leave books and papers that I am reading or working on. Yes, today is the day!

November!

Where did this year go? It seems like not too long ago it was just the beginning of summer and I was longing for the cooler days of winter. Notice I did not say colder, since I live in San Diego it rarely gets cold. It has gotten down to 36 degrees in the winter and by golly that is a cold one for me. I do wish we had the four seasons here though. I would love to see all the lovely colors on the trees as they begin to lose their leaves. Our leaves mostly just turn brown and fall to the ground. I remember when I was a child living in Virginia and seeing all the different colors that the leaves turned and feeling the air get cold and crisp where even my ears were cold was pretty cool for a 9 year old. We moved back to California when I was ten and I have pretty much been here every since. I would love to take my grandson Eli up to Julian this year so he can experience snow for the first time.

My Soul's Ocean

By Robert W. Hamilton

In awestruck madness I am captivated with majesty as the distant sun sets on the mirroring ocean with gentle kindness. All the while, my heart surrenders dreamingly as it causes me deeply inherent emotion and I ponder days gone by and loves rescinded reminder of tragedy and the imprisonments of yesterday. They awaken me from vast solitude to lucid contemplation. The hues of orange and red horizon tapestry sink into the darkening and placid ocean. The shimmering yet subtle breeze against the whitish waves, cause's me unfathomable and reminiscing sensations within. As it covers an endless bounty of lives lost and memories sunken, amid a thousand unharmed and ageless graves I am still left to my whispering thoughts and hollow ballads that my own ghosts possess. As the watery blanket falls in teams, it pitches calming echo’s on the stony and infinite shore until the beams of light huddle across the distant sphere and loom so silently, yet abruptly. The smell of salt water and the tinge of smoky mix remind me of passing ships and endless days spent at sea. Its glows beckons inside me the hope of days anew, of a baby’s soft pausing cry, and the feeling of the first drop of rain upon my warm and inviting skin. The golden glow of the settling sun invigorates me to new levels and brings my very existence to new and colorfully tempest horizons.

Stuffed Chicken Legs

A few months ago my husband John and I decided to try to make one of Gordon Ramsay's recipes. This recipe was stuffed chicken legs. It looked so delicious that we just had to see if we could do it. We got all the ingredients minus the nuts and hubby went to work at deboning the leg. Needless to say, this was time consuming but John kept at it and did not give up even with me there with a camera taking picture after picture and telling him to "hold it" a zillion times. Of course Mr. Ramsay makes it look so easy and I had to keep reminding hubby that he has not had twenty years experience doing this, but he was doing rather well any way.
Once the meat was off the bone the stuffing was not hard to do. The bacon we bought should have been much thinner because it was harder to work with the thicker slices. He then wrapped tightly with foil and poached three at a time for 25 minutes. We let them rest and then put them in the fridge for 30 minutes before taking them out to pat dry and sautéed the bacon wrapped chicken so the back would be nice and crisp.
Now eating this was a test on its own. We noticed little things that we would have done differently if we choose to do this recipe again. First of all, thinner bacon. The bacon was way too thick and was hard to work with and took awhile to crisp and it was pretty greasy. The second thing is to not eat a whole one! We should have just had slices of it between us. I was so full and I did not even eat a whole one. We have some in the freezer that we will take out when we have company and just slice it. I think about three slices per person is a good portion. It was fun but when I asked John if he would do it again, his face answered for him. I will take his look as a polite "no."

Feels Like Spring In August

Here it is August 14th, and we have been sleeping with a light blanket on at night. I am not complaining by far so don't get me wrong. I love it! Bring it on! The weather has just been so strange all over the place. I know someone in Seattle that just in July it was hitting 100 degrees and hardly anyone there has air conditioners so needless to say, they were sweltering! It has gotten warm here in Southern California but not by our usual standards of heat. My husband is from Canada and he hates the summers here and he is usually one unhappy hubby around this time of year. He loves sleeping with a blanket, especially in August! I usually do not bake anything in the oven during the summer but last week I baked a bunch of chocolate cupcakes and they were so delicious. I am loving our summer so far!