Every Woman Should Know.......

Know how to use a stick shift
A plunger
Understand the difference between don't tell a soul and don't tell a soul, I mean it
Know her mind, change it,
Have protection handy, but not too handy
Use special china and special underwear for no special reason
Over Commit,
Come Through
Refuse to do it again
Do it again
Be able to discuss first and ten
Have better things to do
Set Boundaries
Go camping
Grow something
Dance crazy all alone
Stare at a phone
Get dressed in five minutes
Be a Princess
Get over it
Believe in the perfect man
.....Get over it
Read, walk, Flirt, shock, listen, sing
Thank God
Be single and like it
........a lot
Raise a child or not
See a wrinkle and be reminded of her youth and not her age!

The "eyes" have it!

Fear manifests itself in many phases of my life.

It comes in small packages as a rule, but this package is one that I am hesitant to open. I have trouble seeing. Not everything is a blur, just the things that I need to see clearly, like the road at night, the road when the sun is shining brightly, the road covered in snow, the TV menu, road signs, the white line, the mailboxes on posts in the country that look like people walking along the road, and people walking along the road that look like mailboxes on posts.

"Cataract" is a word we all hear but pay noattention too, for the most part. Except, in my case, the culprit is on the back of the eye, not the front.

Finally, I made the ultimate decision, after much struggling with the fear of going blind, and the fear of the unknown, and the fear of picking up the phone and calling the Doctor, "hey, I am having a problem, I need to come into your office". January 23rd at 2:30 is "I" day. My Doctor said: "If you want me to schedule you you for the Cleveland Clinic, then I will, but I will tell you this: your surgery will be performed by a Resident!" What???? But.......not at the Clinic?! She told me that one of the most competent surgeions is located right here in Medina. Who knew? Yes, I am going to see the famous Dr. Chi! He will do the surgery at the hospital and I am to believe that he is right up there with the almighty!

I have pictured myself with a seeing eye dog, (not my Toby), and a white cane, and having to depend on someone to drive me around, and have my hair done by someone who will make it look like a football helmet, and choosing the wrong color lipstick and all sorts of other things. Let alone not being able to take care of my horses, see my precious Daniel......no logic to my fears!

Well one thing is certain in this whole thing.......getting old is not for sissies!

A friend in need........is a friend indeed!

Your job won't take care of you when you are sick.

Your friends will.

Stay in Touch!

No matter how you feel...

get up...

dress up...

and show up!

...think it could happen like this??????

Fixin’ a deal - Chicago Style

Three contractors are bidding to fix a broken fence at the White House in D.C.: One from Illinois ,one from Tennessee, and a third from Kentucky. They all go with a White House official to examine the fence.

The Tennessee contractor takes out a tape measure and does some measuring, then works some figures with a pencil.'Well', he says, 'I figure the job will run about $900: $400 for materials, $400 for my crew and $100 profit for me.'

The Kentucky contractor also does some measuring and figuring, then says, 'I can do this job for $700: $300 for materials, $300 for my crew and $100 profit for me.'

The Illinois contractor doesn't measure or figure, but leans over to the White House official and whispers, '$2,700.'

The official, incredulous, whispers back, 'You didn't even measure like the other guys! How did you come up with such a high figure?'The Illinois contractor whispers back, '$1000 for me, $1000 for you, and we hire that guy from Kentucky to fix the fence.

''Done!' replies the government official.

Top Ten Comfort Food Countdown......The Deen Bros., Y'All Come Eat!.

Christmas provided me with a new stash of cookbooks. I love cookbooks! I only collect the kind that you can "read". You know, a story behind the author on each page, or a story or anecdote about the ingredients, or the origin of the recipe.

Well, many of you know that I am a huge Paula Deen fan, and thus by association, a fan of Jamie and Bobby Deen, Paula's two grown sons. The recipe in mention is called "Bobby's Goulash". Now the word Goulash probably had a slightly different meaning to me growing up on Cleveland's ethnic westside. and would have contained the words "Paprika and Sour Cream" But this recipe is certainly right up there on my list of "Food for the Soul" or whatever you choose to call something easy to make, filling, aromatic and done in "one pan".

20 minutes of simmering onions in olive oil, (I also added chopped celery, because I had it) browned ground beef, basil, oregano, garlic, salt, pepper, 2 cans of diced tomatoes, and a large can of tomato sauce (I only had 28 oz. of tomato puree)... same difference! The addition of 3 tbl . of soy sauce (does teriyaki count?) was a surprise, but it's a TV show cookbook, what the hay! Poetic license, so there!

After simmering this stuff, you add 2 cups of "dry macaroni" directly to the mix and simmer for another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, and then after that, let it sit off the heat for another 20 minutes. Prep time was insignificant, and I was watching Daniel while I was cooking so popping back into the kitchen was no biggie. Delicious! Made a ton and it was so comforting! I will be eating it for a few days at least. Great addition to a snowy Ohio evening.

I am no chef, and certainly no TV Show Star, author, or Foodie wannabe on the Food Network, but this is the kind of cooking I am "famous" for in my own right. One pan...One Meal.....Perfect!

If the truth would be known, you could find similiar recipes in any church cookbook from the ladies auxiliary, or any Amish recipe collection, or as my Kentucky born and bred Grandma Craft would have pronounced it......Slum Gullion!

Yah!

p.s. I also use Paula's House Seasoning (used in her restaurant, The Lady and Sons, in Savannah, Ga.) for cooking.: 1 cup salt, 1/4 cup garlic powder, 1/4 cup black pepper. Shake up and store in a covered container and keep it next to the stove. Good stuff!

No matter what the flower, the sentiment is the same!

There comes a point in your life when you realize:

Who matters,Who never did,

Who won't anymore...And who always will.

So, don't worry about people from your past,

there's a reason why they didn't make it to your future.

Give these flowers to everyone you don't want to lose in 2009.

This was sent to me by a friend....enjoy!

Recipe for a Happy New Year

Take twelve whole months,
Clean them thoroughly of all bitterness, hate, and jealousy.
Make them just as fresh and clean as possible.
Now cut each month into twenty-eight, thirty, or thirty-one different parts,
But don't make up the whole batch at once.
Prepare it one day at a time out of these ingredients.
Mix well into each day one part of faith, one part of patience, one part of courage, and one part of work.
Add to each day one part of hope, faithfulness, generosity, and kindness.
Blend with one part prayer, one part meditation, and one good deed.
Season the whole with a dash of good spirits, a sprinkle of fun, a pinch of play, and a cupful of good humor.
Pour all of this into a vessel of love.
Cook thoroughly over radiant joy, garnish with a smile, and serve with quietness, unselfishness, and cheerfulness.
You're bound to have a
HAPPY NEW YEAR!