RECALL!!!!!!!!!

I received an interesting piece of personal mail yesterday. The letter, addressed directly to me, was from General Motors Corporation.
Now, please understand that we are not currently paying off a General Motors automobile. Our only GM car is a thirteen year old Cadillac, with a mere 350,000 miles on the odometer. We haven't heard from GM or a Cadillac Dealer in eight or nine years. All of the Cadillac "bells and whistles", like ON-STAR, have been expired now for several years......maybe a decade. The car runs like a top, but it is a junker.
Never-the-less, suspecting a major sales pitch, I opened my personal letter and read that "I must immediately strip our Cadillac key chain of all items, except the key". The key must be the ONLY item attached, in any way, to the ignition of our Cadillac. GM says that there may be something horribly wrong with the mechanism that triggers the ignition and the extra weight of the fob and anything else (Price Chopper, CVS, K-Mart, U.S.Toy discount mini-cards, the flashlight, Hand sanitizer, and panic whistle) attached to the key, is going to cause a wreck. OMG. Who knew?
The letter went on to state that there were no parts available, currently, to fix the problem. GM is going to let us know when to bring in the car for a re-fit of the ignition. Just be sure and reassemble our key chain, ASAP.
Right. I have enough to worry about, for Pete's sake. I refuse to worry about what damage my key chain is going to cause. We would have more issues trying to locate a safe and usable place for all of the stuff that GM wants me to remove from where I know it is. Lord, if I lose that stuff, I will be in a real mess.

Oh Lord: Help us hold our lives together. Sometimes it seems like we are being bombarded from all sides by nonsense. Show us a filter. Help us to see what the really important issues are.
We glorify your name. We praise your majesty and power.

Meeeeeowwww!

Yesterday, I chased and caught a cat. No big deal, you say. People chase and catch cats every day....unless you mean a Tiger or perhaps a Lion, of some ilk.
No. I am writing about my experience with a common house cat. I don't spend any time around cats. It's not that I don't like them. I'm not one of those people who abhor cats and say with firm belief "that the only good cat is a dead cat". Oh, no. Cats are just fine......as long as they don't come near me.
I am one of the many folks who are allergic to felines. Really, desperately allergic to cats. If I am in the same house (not even the same room) with a cat, I will start to wheeze, cough and tear up within minutes. And, my throat starts to close up, if I am even near someone who has a cat. Let me touch a random cat owner's coat, hat, scarf or purse, and I know within minutes that the owner of these garments lives with a member of the feline order. They don't need to tell me. I just know.
So yesterday, I allowed a cat to escape from one of the apartments. Being a conscientious concierge, I took out after the escapee. Upon tracking him or maybe it was a her (I certainly didn't bother to check) down and pinning it with my right hand to the floor, I called for the owner. As I smiled, the grateful owner rescued Le Chat from my death grip and took it back to her apartment.
I kept my right hand away from the rest of my body and rushed to the nearest sink where I bathed, fingertips to my elbow, in hot water and soap.
Two of Christ's creatures saved.

God of our Universe. You created us all. Thank you for the animals that enhance our lives. Keep them all safe and in the care of those who love them. We enjoy your many blessings.

Yum and then some.

During our journey to California this past week, I had the opportunity to taste several new dishes. I wouldn't call myself an adventuresome eater, but sometimes when the opportunity arises, I like to tickle my taste buds with something off the beaten menu.
Last Sunday night, I tried Paella for the first time, and I really liked it. The spices were a pleasant mix of some sort. And, who doesn't like rice, sausage, shrimp and chicken? The ingredients, in this Spanish dish, were blended excellently and I enjoyed the meal immensely.
Then, later in the week, I had an Ahi Tuna Burger. Of course, I have eaten tuna many times. Tuna Salad (of the Starkist kind) was one of the very first dishes I ever learned to make. I believe the recipe went down in Miss Esch's seventh grade Home Ec Class. However, this Tuna Burger consisted of fresh fish, grilled to a delicate hue and it in no way resembled that gray stuff called canned tuna. The burger, coated in Panko Crumbs,  was delicious.
Next, I tried Lemoncello. Talk about good! After I got over the fact that I wasn't going to eat reconstituted lemon geletin, I loved it. It was even better tasting because I knew that it was made from lemons grown not over 20 feet from where we sat drinking the delicate liquor.
Now, what did I learn from my Culinary Adventure?
You know! Of course it was...Try it, you'll like it!

Great and glorious God. We are blessed with sharp new adventures and soft comfortable memories. Thank you for allowing us to experience life each and every day. You are our Rock and our Salvation.

Enough is enough

I don't know about you, but I always have trouble packing for a trip. I have a hard time including, in my suitcase, just what I will need while I am gone from home. I'm not a good packer.
It just isn't a matter of packing the right outfits. It's putting all the right accessories in the bag, too. You know...the shoes, the earrings, the purses, etc., that will complement the dress or shirt and slacks, etc., that I want to wear, while on my trip.
When I reach my destination, I always find that I have forgotten to pack something that I need. I packed my blue dress, but not the silver necklace that I wanted to wear with it. I packed the black slacks, but forgot the top that goes with them. Or, those perfect sandals that I bought, just for this trip....they are still in the box at the bottom of my closet.
In spite of this inability to get my packing act together, I have never had to go naked, while on a trip. Or, for that matter, had to skip an activity, due to my lack of accessories.
All of this leads me to the question......How much do we really need to carry on our lives?
The fact is, we are all collectors, buyers, consumers and users. We all have too much stuff.
Living simple, whether packing for a trip or living every day life, has got to be the best way to live our lives.

Dear God: Help me to simplify my life. Show me how to let go of all the little meaningless extras that basically just cause me a lot of stress. Help me to stop worrying about the little things. Make my life's focus to be doing right and helping others. Guide my feet, while I run this race.

A little help from my friends.....

Let's get real here. I work full time.....forty hours or more each week. I get home around 4:45 p.m. each weekday evening, dog-tired and worn slick. But, like most women, from my generation, I expect and plan to cook a nice meal for my spouse.
I am blessed. Sometimes, my spouse offers to take us out to eat. Other times, he has even cooked the evening meal himself. He is thoughtful and kind, but most times it is up to me. I don't mind. I've been cooking dinner for 40 some years.
It's part of my routine.
But, because I have been doing it for such a long time, I want to share with you one of the secrets to my domestic success.
I always wear an apron.
Aprons are great. Especially the ones that cover up all of your front area. At my age, I have a lot of front area.
When I cook, I get dirty. Greasy. Wet. Gooey. Cooking is a messy job. And, aprons are a great defense against getting your nice work clothes (sometimes, I am too tired to change, before I start dinner) and even your favorite grubbies (othertimes, I opt to change into lounge wear) really messed up.
I have collected a great many aprons, over the 48 years of my housewif-ed-ness. I wear them all. Aprons are like a costume. When I put one on, I become another person. Aprons are a type of superwoman's cape. I become confident, in my role as cook. I am controller of the kitchen, queen of the counter and I can withstand any mess that comes my way.
Viva La Apron!


Great and Loving God. You are our Apron of life. You can shield us from anything that comes our way. You are our protector and provider. Our job is to let You protect us. You are our fortress.
Precious Lord, take our hand and lead us to every lasting life.

Two to Tango

We have two golden anniversary events coming up. One, I am very excited about attending and the other one not so much.
The planners of one of the anniversary events are very concerned about not highlighting anything from the past. They have expressed concern that they don't want anyone to get their feelings hurt because they weren't popular or successful ....way back when. And, they have decided against recognizing much of anything that has happened in the last fifty years, that we are supposedly celebrating. No honors, no congratulations on a life well lived, no high fives on jobs well done. That, in my opinion, doesn't leave much to celebrate.
Don't get me wrong. I'm going to this reunion, and I will participate, but frankly, I'm not looking forward to it.
The planners of the second reunion, are going all out. They are inviting folks to come and celebrate lives well lived and to toast to an exciting future. The celebration will include old and new friends.
I can't wait to join in.
In both cases, we will acknowledge a long span of time. Fifty years is almost a lifetime. Over fifty years there have been good times and bad. That's life folks! We have become who and what we are, thanks to the many events, good and bad, that have shaped our lives.
I'll drink to that!

Great Lord. I am so thankful to be alive. Life is a journey, and I am so thrilled to be on the road. You steadfast love endures forever. Thank you for showing, to each and every one of us, your care and mercy.

Come On In!

Nothing lasts forever, and true to form, a trusted piece of of our outdoor decor fell apart this week.
Unfortunately, it was a victim of several decades of snow, ice, 100 degree temperatures and thousands of downpours. For years on end, this sturdy old item has done its duty and kept dirty shoes and boots from tracking through our living room. It wasn't fancy, but it was trustworthy and did its job quite well. But, now it is in pieces.
I am writing about, as you have probably guessed by now, our trusty old black rubber WELCOME mat. We don't remember when we purchased it, but those seven letters have greeted each and every person who has stood at our door for a really long time.
As I think about replacing our mat, I am becoming a bit sad and nostalgic.
Some of the folks who have stood on that mat have passed on. Young parents carrying toddlers have become senior citizens. Children who stood there are long into adulthood and many now have children of their own. Our old mat has WELCOMEd a lot of people.
But, on the bright side, we are going to replace it today. A trip to the big-box, home improvement store this afternoon will do the trick, and by tonight, the pieces of our old mat will be in our trash bin.
Tomorrow, if our shopping trip is successful, we will have a brand new WELCOME mat at our front stoop, ready to greet many more years of visitors

Kind and welcoming Lord. You always have the WELCOME mat there for us. You are always the perfect host. Help us to become family in Your kingdom and earth and forever.