It's been much, much too long since my last post. A lot has happened.
I am getting reacquainted with my notes and material.
Something new coming down the pike very soon.

Under Construction...

The Joy of Cooking....Really??

My ears had been assaulted. There was no going back. Couldn't un-hear it....

The commercial cut through my morning happy time like a knife.  "Have you ever wanted to cook for a living?..." Cook for a living?! I don't even want to cook for my own living. Why on earth would I want to cook for other people for a living??

Why do you think I love soups and salads so much? Open a can. Snip open a bag. There you have it. Even the dressing is supplied (although I rarely use it). Do I make my own? Oh, surely you jest. I love to just drizzle a bit of  bottled balsamic vinegar over all my salads. Sometimes I'll add a dollop of salsa if I want to get complicated. A can of Garbanzos. Handful of almonds. My skills are amazing.

Didn't hit the mute button fast enough. The blaring continued..." You can, just by calling..."  Oh great. Now they actually supply a number to call to make me feel accountable to doing something about the stew I've gotten myself into over the years.

This was a recipe for disaster! Me? A cooking school?  Do you have any idea how many times I have to look at the box of the Jell-o Cook Pudding to remember what I'm supposed to be doing? Was that 1 Cup? Boil for how long? Stir constantly? The No-Cook Pudding? Not much better. Stir for how long? Wisp or spoon? Mixer? Where's the box? Where's the box! Which end of the box!? Where's the stupid directions? Not that one. That's for if you want it to be a pie. Turn, flip, turn, stare, read, re-read....

My poor husband... I nearly had a melt-down when he recycled the Pillsbury cake box while I was engaged in the complicated culinary process of adding oil, water, egg, and stir. It's not so much the ingredients but the amounts and the order of combining that throw me. Unless there are more than 3 ingredients, of course.  Now that really throws a lump in the batter for me!   Oh my, too long, too long, much too long. WOW! Way too long.  And just look at all the other stuff!  The extra bowls. All those instructions. And those terms! It'll take days of just going back to the book to be sure I haven't forgotten what I was doing while getting the measuring spoon out of the drawer. Completely fries my brain! And that's just the ingredient list for the boxed mix. Now why would they do that? ...complicate a nice boxed mix by adding things to it... just not right.

Oh, I try to use those clever techniques to remember things. Like number sequencing. That's 1 C. flour + 2 tsp baking powder.  One/Two.  One/Two. Simple. Wait. Was that 1 tsp powder + 2 C. flour. 1 Tablespoon?   No, no.  Couldn't be that much. Better check the book out...again!!!  THAT really frosts my cookies! What's the deal! Now, not only am I a frustrated cook but I must be  having a pre-senior moment!

Oh yes, I've tried. I have multiple sets of measuring spoons, measuring cups, spatulas, etc. I even have shot glasses with markings. I even lay the appropriate spoon next to each ingredient in an effort to remember how much to use. But somehow it gets scooched away by something else and that can be disastrous. Fear gels my brain. So I keep checking the book to make sure I still have the right spoon by the right ingredient. Is something burning?

I know, I know. I have a reputation to uphold from other more sane areas of living. She's so clever, so organized. Brilliant ideas. She's got it down. Must be a regular Whiz in the kitchen. Why, I've even used rubber-bands to keep things together. Yes, ingeniously, I have a 1 tsp. spoon banded around my can of baking powder because I always make the same pancakes from scratch. Well, you can scrape yourself off the floor with the spatula now because, after a lifetime of the same Fanny Farmer recipe I still have to pull out the book to remind myself if it's 1 teaspoon or 2. (They should really make a 2 tsp spoon don't you think?)  Do I still have the right spoon on there? Did I wash it and put the wrong one back on? That doesn't seem right somehow.  Really burns me up when I can't remember that one.

Now, there was a time...far, far away...when I really was quite the kitchen-ista. Canned TONS of fruits and vegetables every year. Freezer jam, cooked jam.  HUGE turkeys so I could bone out the carcass and spoil my family with homemade dumplings, biscuits and gravy, soups, stews, etc..
Loved baking cakes, cookies, pies. Invented my own variations that everyone wanted the recipes for after the Christmas pot-luck.  ...yes, I know... what happened?!!

Two. That's it. Two.  As in "...just the two of us...". No family around to spoil. Lost my momentum.
Even my wonderful hubby prefers the simple life of Costco salmon patties and an occasional Papa Murphy's Pizza.  Trust me. I offer! I volunteer to cook lots of times. He graciously says. "Let's just have pancakes." He loves my super thin pancakes and waffles. But I think he loves his sanity more.

"Where's the box? Did you toss the box? I need the box. I just had it!"
Cooking school? Not likely. No wonder he cringes when I muse about taking a class together..for fun.

It feels SO good to be back!!

Before we catch up, let me draw your attention to these two outstanding programs which I viewed yesterday on Oregon Public Broadcasting.  "When I Paint I Remember" (Wednesday, Nov. 18th, OPB+) also Fri. 5a.m.; and "Raising of America: Early Childhood and the Future of Our Nation" (Wednesday, Nov.18th, OPB+) also Fri. 4a.m..  I'm being brief so I can put this out asap so you might have a chance to DVR them Fri. a.m. and watch them or find them online. I will discuss them more on my other Blog
"AnEmptyBucketbyOrr.blogspot.com". I hope you will join the conversation.
Also, look for related original material on this and other topics on my Blog "CRUMBLEbyOrr.blogspot.com".

That said, here we go....   What have I been distracted by all this time since my last post???
Well, the ravages of end-of-summer loose ends are over....almost...and I have finally arrived at the junction of "Leave it for Spring" and "Know When To Stop", evidenced by stray bags of rock yet to be spread in my newly raised front landscape, and patches of bare dirt waiting to be cozied up for winter with ground cloth and an artistically placed clean layer of red lava rock.

Although I delight in doing my own landscaping, this project is reluctantly born  more of necessity than the pure desire to have fun and play in the dirt. Yes, age is creeping up on me. My goal is to minimize future yard work. The process of which has taken a considerable amount of planning and effort. Coupled with weather complications (too HOT to work, too WET to work) and physical limitations (too SORE to work), Fibromyalgia, etc.), the time frame has extended much further than anticipated. Our 30-something son has delighted in some good-natured finger-wagging and smirking as he reminds me of my comments when we first moved into our downsized home and yard. "This is perfect. Simple and clean lines. I'm not touching a thing! No yard projects!".  HOWEVER, time showed that some things were placed too close to the foundation and the lawn was woefully under-soiled and a tree had to be removed that had damaged a water main. Yes, I did it all with my little electric chainsaw, a 12 foot extension ladder and a lot of shoveling. No more tree; nearly no more front lawn; newly simplified. I should be finished next summer . It's only taken me 3 years!!!  I can hear him snickering now...  I love you, too, Mike!  :)  
 
Other positives are that I am looking forward to trying my hand at so many other things which I long to dabble in. Just ask my husband, and the dear friends who moved us in December of 2012, about the stack of reclaimed deck wood; garage sale plunders of free tile of all kinds, shapes and sizes; gallons of Oops paint my gut shouted to me to buy; fabric; wallpapers to craft with; jewelry to re-imagine into other forms; scrap wood gleaned from a carpenter; and...need I say more??

Someone! Please save me from myself! I am a very creative person with far too many ideas and without the, as yet undeveloped, skills to pull it all off in a timely manner. But I just can't let it go until I have at least tried my hand at each one and seen what joys, or ???, will come of it. Then I can say with satisfaction, "Been there. Done that." Maybe I'll never do any of it again. But maybe I will find a new passion and outlet for the yen to create that God has anchored so firmly within me.

I will keep you posted. Pun definitely intended! Talk to you soon...
Blessings to you and your families! A very Happy Thanksgiving to all!
"ORR-dinary Me"

The Power of a Shower... and other craziness

Are you an Energizer Bunny? Off and running when your feet hit the floor? What's your secret?
I'm trying a new system of getting my day going.  I have so many things going on in my head that I sometimes freeze up due to a sense of overwhelm and don't get anything accomplished. So, in an effort to save my self from my self I am trying to work out yet another plan to get my day off to a successful start.  Type-A personalities unite!

With this completed "short-list" in hand I have hopes of propelling myself into even more productivity.  Right? Let's see how this panned out...

#1 TIDY UP MY BEDROOM EVERY MORNING
Collected all strewn clothing...(Ah! There's my purse!!)...from the day before (okay, the week before) and tossed it all in the walk-in closet on the heap of clean laundry still in the wicker basket from the other night's last minute, red-eye, 11pm wash. Slowly scanned the room for more. Oops. Spotted more clothing hiding under a chair. "Who says I can't do a slam dunk in the basket from here?", I said aloud as I moved to the opposite corner of the room. Bam! Done! Fun! Off to a good start!

"I'll sort it out and put it away in a minute. I might wear something that's in the basket so I might as well not fold and hang things up until I know what I'm wearing.  But I may not take my shower until later.  So I'd be getting dressed just to get undressed to take a shower and then get dressed again. That makes no sense." I say to myself.  We're done here. Close the closet door.  SUCCESS!  Bedroom looking much better.

#2 TOUCH UP/CLEAN BOTH BATHROOMS
Well...we both have our own bathrooms. And since this is really only about me I see no reason to drag the poor man into my issues with my self.  He can take care of his own bathroom. There. How decisive. One done and one to go.

The red, plush, shag throw rug covers 99% of the floor. Since that involves possible vacuuming/shaking/sweeping it's more of a house-in-general chore and can be done thoroughly at that time. So there's no sense dragging the vacuum out just for this little thing. Done.

Everything else looks good as I, with a sweep of the hand, clear any visible counter clutter into the top drawer. I know what's in there so...works for me.

Now, all masters of bathroom productivity everywhere know that the most efficient way to hit the toothpaste splatter on the bathroom mirror is to make use of The Steamy Shower-fog to polish the mirror with a clean cloth immediately after stepping out of the shower. Then use that cloth for a quick wipe-down of the counter and other surfaces.  Fast. Bam. Done.
But I may not take my shower until later, so I shall wait until I have the amazing Shower-fog to clean all that.  Moving on...

#3 GET DRESSED 
(Yes, I have to put that on my To-Do List.) ...enough said. At the moment, though, I'm not exactly sure what I'm going to do today. Gardening, painting, clean out the garage, go for a walk? But I may not take my shower until later so it seems silly to get dressed, undressed to shower, dressed again. Sounds very counter-productive, and oddly similar.  I'll figure that out later.  Probably while I'm taking my shower. On to the next step.

#4 START THE DAY WITH A CLEAN KITCHEN
Actually this started out to be a "Don't go to bed with a dirty kitchen" goal. But, if I do end up with dirty dishes in the sink from the night before...okay, okay. from the entire day before..two days?..whatever... I can still claim a successful start to the next day.  Brilliant!

Now, if I don't want to clean up twice I should have breakfast first. Nothing more annoying than having dirty dishes immediately after cleaning up. However, I'm not quite hungry yet and I usually prefer to eat breakfast after I've had my shower and gotten dressed anyway.  I'm sure I'll figure it out later.  Probably while I'm taking my shower. I get some of my best thinking done in there. Why is that??  But I may not take my shower until later and then it'll be nearly lunchtime....more dirty dishes. I better hold off.  Good. That's settled.

#5 REVIEW THE REST OF THE DAY'S TO-DO LIST
You know, after looking over today's possibilities and all this hot summer weather we've been having, I realize I'm probably going to get all sweaty today no matter what I do. And I really don't like having to take a shower twice in one day.  And I always lose track of time once I get going. Then, when I do come in once I finish whatever I'll be doing for the day I know I'll have to sit down and cool off with a couple of glasses of ice-water.  By that time it'll be too close to dinner time to squeeze a shower in. Once dinner is done (and the dishes!) it'll be well after 7pm and I hate to miss Wheel of fortune just because I was in the shower.  And taking a late-night shower just wakes me up and then I can't get to sleep. What's a body to do??

Now that I've given the whole matter careful thought, I may not take my shower until tomorrow.
-----------------------------------

At the end of the day...
I've now developed a new Morning Mantra to recite before my feet hit the floor.
JUST TAKE THE SHOWER.... JUST TAKE THE SHOWER...JUST...........

Enjoy your day! and enjoy your shower...,
ORRdinaryMe 

CRUMBLED

We've all heard it..."That's the way the cookie crumbles."

Usually that comment comes from a negative happening..a crumbled cookie.  After all, you can't dunk a crumbled cookie! You can sometimes dunk a broken cookie but not a crumbled cookie. How disappointing. What to do!? Well, I have this thought to offer... 

Crumbled cookies can make fantastic ingredients in other applications!          

Often, when faced with all manor of difficulties we find ourselves seeking out other opinions, input, and discoveries. And, most likely, we've bombarded our friends and family with similar comments, questions and ideas.  I don't have all the answers to be sure. But sometimes we really don't want answers, just a listening ear.  Not everything is as it seems...crumbled cookies??

We have two wonderful children, now adults, who brought with them all the experiences you're never told about at La Maze Classes.  My husband and I have shared 37 years of developing a wealth of opportunities for growth in more ways than we can count. Lost jobs, lost health, lost wealth but never lost hope. ...crumbled no more.

We have also journeyed through the incredibly difficult joy of care-giving for both of his parents in our home as they moved through the processes of  passing on from this life to the next.  First, his father with Parkinson's and Dementia. Then, his mother with Dementia and Alzheimer's. 

We will draw upon our experiences...clever ways to garden for example...to move me into the more positive perspective of living with, as opposed to suffering from, fibromyalgia and other chronic long-term pain...  When a sudden jolt and a gasp cause some concern for those in near proximity a split-second, and sometimes comedic announcement of “I'm fine” often follows. ( It's become my 'life theme' ...ha!) And life-readjustments following his prostate cancer treatments.

On the lighter side there are roller-coasters and other life-skills;  the skydiving surprise our daughter and son-in-law had for me for my 60th birthday,...still dreaming of bungee jumping...

Vacations gone wrong and camping trips that rival even the best of the Chevy Chase "Vacation" movies!.... crumbles along the way.

A lifetime garage sale-er I remember my Mom taking us in tow as soon as we were old enough to follow her around. I don't think I had a store bought piece of clothing until well into my teens.

Having grown up in a historical, Victorian style home I watched and learned as she was constantly in action. Mom was ahead of her time in her decorating style; always painting, wallpapering, gardening and cooking. If it weren't for the garage and estate sales we wouldn't have had much of anything. I have followed that path often for my home and life-style as well. Over the years my penchant for creativity in those same areas of finding and displaying and using my new treasures have prompted many a co-worker, friend, and even strangers say with fervor... “I never would have thought to do that!" Lots of tips to come from those years! ...crumbs into confections

So, whether it's the obviously important or the apparently mundane, the serious or the downright silly parts of life, maybe I will have something that will help and may cause you to say...”I never thought of that before. Thanks.”  Then, I will do “the Happy Dance”.

So relax... Enjoy your cookies!  crumbs and all !!   

I'll take mine with coffee.   :>)

Hi There!

Over the years I have made suggestions to co-workers, friends, family and even strangers in so many ways and on so many topics, big and small, serious and humorous, pretty much all over the charts, that I have finally succumbed to their insistence that “You should write a book!”.

So a new blog was born.

I'm not sure I'm ready for a book, but in this blog I hope to inspire “aha!” moments for you in a variety of areas of life. I hope that you, too, will share your insights and experiences as we join forces in finding another way, perhaps a better way or just a different way of strategising and coping with the important and the mundane and sometimes the downright silliness of our existence.

Like I say, “Every day is an adventure so you might as well enjoy the ride.”

Do you have a back-seat driver in your family? I'm particularly thinking this morning of mothers chauffeuring young children, say about the ages of 4 to 8 years, around town on various errands.

Eventually I hear “Mom, go faster.”

“I can't go faster, honey, there's another car in front of us.”

“Then, tell him to go faster! Honk your horn!”

“Well, we are going the speed limit so we'll just need to be patient.”

Then here it comes...the offending driver in front of us goes to make a turn at the intersection.

Did I say it was a rather w-i-d-e turn and a very s-l-o-w turn?

Objections abound. To which, my brain goes into automatic, rapid-fire possible scenarios.

“Well, maybe she is on her way to a luncheon and has a dish on the floor that might slide around. Or, maybe it's a liquid and she's afraid it might spill. She could have a baby on board who is sleeping and she doesn't want to wake it. Or maybe it's an infant and her head might bobble too much. Or, maybe she's had a number of driving violations and she is being especially careful. Or, maybe...”.

“MOM! STOP!! Okay! Okay!

After a few of these encounters it was amazing at how very far between these little episodes occurred.

And, when they did, I only got through one or two interjections before they succumbed to my creative wisdom.

Especially effective was the cute rhyming song that they had played what must have been a million times that went like this... at least it was cute when they were little but not so cute grown up at 3rd grade.

“Have patience. Have patience. Don't be in such a hurry. When you get impatient you only start to worry. Remember. Remember. That God is patient, too. And think of all the times when others had to wait for you.”

When you find yourselves in similar circumstances maybe you can try this instead and let me know how it went! So... that's it for now. Looking forward to hearing from you.