To My Blog Friends

Today over at  Cate's Blog Every Day in May, Cate has asked us to write a letter.   My initial thought was to write an open letter to my daughters.  But I just don't seem to have the words in me today.  But I was feeling this... so, I'm writing to YOU...

Dear Blog Friend:

I never knew when I started this blog back in October of 2008 that it would become a place of such personal connection. 

I never knew that I could meet friends online who were just as real, just as supportive, just as wonderful as those who are present in my offline life.  In fact, sometimes you all are even more here for me than some of the folks who see me in person on a regular basis.  You GET me.  Does that make sense?

I never knew that I would find a tribe of like-minded women from all over the globe with shared interests willing to open up their lives, their homes, and their hearts.

I never knew it would be such a lasting source of inspiration and fun and sharing.

And for all that I want to say thank you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

To acknowledge how often a comment you leave here has the ability to make me smile, feel validated, pull me out of a funk.

And to tell you all how much you are appreciated.  And loved.

With big virtual hugs from me to you:

Me On Monday

Hello Monday! As is typical of Mondays, I'm back at the desk, trying to catch up with everything I missed over a crazy fun busy weekend.  On tap for today - lots and lots of paperwork. 2 contracts to revise for work. Flex Pay reimbursement submission. And business paperwork. Yuck and patooie. Plus meal planning and grocery shopping which didn't happen yesterday.  But the sun is shining, I have the windows open and a nice little cross-breeze through my office, and Life is Good! :)

I don't know if I have mentioned this lately, but I LOVE Spring!!! The weather has gone from winter to practically summer with barely a blink of Spring in between, but I have enjoyed every moment of it!

So my weekend went like this. 1/2 day on Friday - then hit a book sale at the Quakertown Library, thrift shops, and dinner at Roman Delight, my favorite pizza place. Shortly after dinner Rachel and Becca arrived home from college. They'll be around for the next 14 weeks solid and already I'm hearing "I'm bored".  I thought that was a teen thing???  Saturday we went to our community yard sale at Lenape Park and a flea market in Lambertville N.J.   Sunday I started in on the mountain of laundry that Becca brought home from college, went out shopping for flowers (photos coming!) and made Baked Ziti for dinner.  Mother's Day dinner out has been postponed to next weekend when all my girls will be home!

On tap for this week - the aforementioned paper work (ugh), in the office on Wednesday, and other than that, finishing up the mountain of laundry, trying hard to keep up with blogs, online classes, and my crazy creative life. Hoping for a good week! What do you have on tap this week?

Waving hello to Sian and all the "Me on Monday" folks and linking up with Cate's Blog Every Day in May.

What My Mothers Taught Me

I had the unique experience of growing up with two women who loved me as their daughter - the Mother who gave birth to me and the Mom who raised me. You can read the full story here of how that came to be. It's important back-story to understanding the valuable lessons I learned from each of them.

The most important lesson my Mom taught me was to be self-sufficient and never need to rely on a man for my support and well-being. The lesson came directly from her own life, but I grew up knowing that it was important for me to do well in school, that it was important to have a vocation - a skill or career by which I could support myself. It was a lesson that earned me a full scholarship to one of the top colleges in the country, gave me the education I needed to succeed, and taught me the value of hard work. I think it still plays out in my life in many ways today. In how I approach challenges, obstacles, difficulties.  The one flaw in that lesson is that the goal of gainful employment was never tempered with any kind of advice to do something that you actually enjoy. So I ended up with a career that pays the bills but provides minimal personal fulfillment. I've had to learn on my own how to convert that scenario into a happy life. No worries - I think I have it figured out! :)

The most important lesson my Mother taught me was to live for today - to be present in the moment, to stop and smell the flowers, to not always be focusing so hard on the future. I'm sure she didn't think I was listening!  But I did get the message. I understand that this moment is the only one I know I have for sure, that I should live it to the fullest and actually attempt to enjoy it. It isn't quite in my temperament to live with a devil-may-care attitude, so I temper the enjoying of the moment with also planning for the future so that I'm prepared for all the other moments that I may be gifted with down the road.

Do you see it?  The yin/yang, two sides of the coin lessons that I learned from my mothers? It took me awhile, but I do now.  Thanks Moms.

THRIVE - April Review

*  Cate's Blog Every Day in May wants a list of ten bloggers we follow regularly. Truth is the only "famous" blogger I follow regularly anymore is Cathy Zielski. Brene Brown and Stacy Julian are still in my reader but they rarely post. Otherwise, the people I follow are bloggers who have become friends. And you all know who you are!  I don't want to single anyone out or make anyone else feel left out if I publish a list. So I'm using today for my THRIVE review.

I'm trying to stay accountable to myself for the things I have set out to do. THRIVE is a big word. This is what thriving looked like in April...

1. Read A Book:  I read "Find Your Happy" by Shannon Kaiser in April.  You can read my scathing review Here.  

2.  Try A New Recipe: I did!  Chicken Scallopini with Capers. I shared the recipe here.

3.  Declutter:  With traveling so much of the month, I didn't actually do a new decluttering project. But I did get all those boxes from March off to the charity shop! And I took some books to the crop to sell at the yard sale table. 

4.  Complete An Unfinished Project:  I made significant progress with Rachel and Becca's Kindergarten through 6th Grade School of Life albums. I think I have about 4 digi pages in each to create to call them done. Here are some examples of the pages I did this month:

 One thing about creating for twins... one design does double duty. I made this page twice, only changing out the focal photo.

 Becca - keeping these pages super simple

 Somehow we only had one copy of this field trip photo. Scanner to the rescue! The scanned version (with a little photoshop help) is actually clearer than the original.

 Two 8.5.x11 digi pages adhered to 12 x12 cardstock with bits of the newspaper clippings and awards program added. The pages are the same except that the ad each child drew is different and clipped directly from the paper.

 Title page for Rachel's album. They change a LOT between Kindergarten and 6th grade. And somehow I had no small copies of the 1st & 2nd grade photos, but had Fall and Spring versions for 5th & 6th grades. 

5. Improve Flexibility - A little backsliding on this one. I'm back to 6" from the touching my toes. Which is why stretching will be a priority again in May - I need to get back into the habit!

6. Scrapbooking - My Favorite Five - Not this month either, not a single one of the photos I identified in this post were scrapped during the months of March or April. I didn't think they would be. But a lot of scrapbooking WAS done and I WILL get to those photos. A few of them are what remains of finally being finished with Rachel and Becca's K-6 albums. So they will remain on my list for May. GOAL.

7.  Photography - I haven't looked at Kim Klassen's classes since I posted my THRIVE review last month. That will change soon. It's on the list of things to do.  I did manage to get outside for a few Spring shots.

8.  Art Journaling - I haven't had any time to do this, but I do have some mixed media/altered art projects in mind for this month that will likely take the place of actual art journaling. Projects I'm excited about. So stay tuned.

9.  On the Wellness front - I literally ate my way through Baltimore, the Poconos, and the Dallas area of Texas during the month of April. I enjoyed a lot of foods that I don't normally have at home (Maryland crab cakes and crab bisque, Thai, blueberry crepes, Texas barbeque...). I don't regret a single bite, but my "numbers" continue to be moving in the wrong direction.  I AM still moving more - had several days during my trips where I hit 10,000+ steps.  And walking around the block (that's about 1/2 mile in quite hilly terrain) is happening regularly at home. During the month of May, I'm committed to reigning my eating back to healthier choices and smaller portions.

And here are the April pages from my One Little Word Planner:

 I had a full calendar in April with lots of travel. The large photo shows sunset from the vantage point of 30,000 feet on the way home from Texas.

1. Numbers;   2. Work conference in Baltimore MD; 3. Crop in the Poconos with friend Krystal
4. Melissa and I at Frisco Mercantile; 5. Texas Bluebonnets in Ennis; 6. Target practice with 9 mm S&W

 April's One Little Word Assignment was to capture how our word is manifesting in our lives via photos.  The stamped copper penny is a charm I bought from an Etsy shop to have a tangible reminder.

My gratitude calendar - noting the best thing that happened that day or the thing for which I am grateful that day.

My Happy Place

* linking up with Cate's Blog Every Day in May.

Where do I go to clear my head?  If I have a choice, it is the ocean. Ocean City N.J. is the most often visited. 

As soon as I cross the bridge into O.C. I feel like I have come home. Like this is where I belong. With the sound of the gulls, the smell of the salt water, the waves crashing on the shore, this is where I am at once most peaceful and most alive.  Maui was the prettiest bit of ocean I have visited to date. I'd love to go back!

 If I can't have the ocean, any body of water will do - the closest being the creek that runs along the walking path here in town. 

layout from April 2011

And here's a link to a true story of a day when I actually HAD to go there to clear my head.

Movie Madness

Today Cate wants to know my top five movies of all time.

If I went strictly by what I've seen the most on television, it would go something like Mean Girls, She's The Man, The Princess Diaries, John Tucker Must Die, and Pitch Perfect.  Are you sensing a theme?  Yep, teen chick flicks ... and while I enjoy them, no they aren't my choice. Obviously this programming is courtesy of my girls (well, at least the younger two)!

Second most in terms of viewing "pleasure" would include anything from the Terminator series, Matrix series, Saving Private Ryan and a host of other war-type movies, Aliens and all the sequels, and Twister along with all the related mega-weather type movies. Theme?  Action-adventure and Sci-Fi mix. I enjoy these too, especially the sci-fi and weather movies. Not so much the war ones. Courtesy of Jay of course.

And since those are the people who generally control the remote, those are the movies I've seen most on television.  But IF I were given the remote (like that would ever happen), the movies I would choose as my favorites of all time:

1.   E.T. (1982) - what's not to love about a friendly little alien that just wants to go home??? And has this ever been shown on TV?

2.  Dirty Dancing (1987). I'd give my eye teeth to be able to dance like that. And I always had a thing for Patrick Swayze. Loved him in Ghost as well. And I enjoy just about any dance-themed movies, including the newer ones like Step Up (2006), cause let's face it, Channing Tatum isn't hard to look at either.

3.  Mrs. Doubtfire (1993). Robin Williams was a comedic genius but I think this was my favorite role of his of all time.

4.  Forrest Gump (1994). Tom Hanks is just incredible in this film. And the references to events over decades can't help but crack you up. I loved the scene where he accidentally invented the smiley face!

5.  Avatar (2009). This had some of the most beautiful CGI imagery I've ever seen and the message is timeless. I loved it!

And just because I can... a few runner's up on my favorites list include Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986), Independence Day (1996) (and the Men in Black Series and Hitch - yes, I enjoy Will Smith), and Titanic  (1997).


* linking up with Cate's Blog Every Day in May.

What's For Dinner?

I know it seems innocuous enough. But it is a loaded  question. And no matter what my answer is, it will inevitably be followed by a groan of disapproval from at least one of my darling offspring. The question was also one that used to fill me with dread because I often didn't know the answer! For years I had a list of "go to" meals that I would consult when dinner time rolled around. Or I'd stick my head in the fridge just searching for inspiration. Back in 2011, I KNEW I needed to start meal planning. I tried, but it didn't stick and the question of "What's for dinner?" continued to strike terror in my heart.

Until I discovered Plan To Eat.  I can't even remember how I found the website, but I'll make it easy for you. The link below the video leads directly to their free 30 day trial sign up.  Or you can click the Plan To Eat icon on the right bar of my blog post and if you sign up, I'll get credit for referring you. After the free trial, it is $4.95 a month or $39.00 a year (that's only 75 cents a week for a wonderful time saving device!).



Plan to Eat

Plan to Eat allows you to choose recipes and drag them onto a calendar to plan meals for a day, week, month... then it takes all the ingredients of those recipes and exports them into a shopping list. You can remove items from the list that you already have in stock (salt, pepper, pasta) and you can add items that aren't part of a specific recipe but that you need on hand each week (milk, bread, bananas) and then print the grocery list to take along to the store - keeps you from forgetting the odd ingredient for a planned meal! And for those of you far more tech savvy than me, yes there is an APP for that!

A few other nifty features:

• With a button on your browser bar, you can add recipes from anywhere on the web. Or you can manually input your own family recipes
• PlanToEat tells you how many times you've added a particular recipe to your planner. 
• You can print the recipes. I see the basis for a recipe album here!
• You can export your recipes for sharing (see below!)

Chicken Scallopini with Capers

Source: blog.myfitnesspal.com

Course: Main Course

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup dry white wine or chicken broth
• 1/3 cup chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon drained capers
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon rubbed sage
• 3 tablespoons whole wheat flour
• 4 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons cold water
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cold butter cut in small pieces
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Directions

1. In a small bowl, combine the wine or broth, broth, capers and set aside.


2. Season the chicken with the salt, pepper, and sage. Lightly coat with the flour, patting off the excess.


3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over high heat and add olive oil. Add chicken and cook until browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and turn the chicken. Cook until the chicken is no longer pink and the juices run clear, about 2 minutes. Remove to a platter and cover with foil to keep warm.


4. In a small cup, combine the cornstarch and water.


5. Pour the caper mixture into the skillet and heat over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and whisk in the cornstarch mixture. Cook, whisking until thickened, about 15 seconds. Whisk in the butter and spoon the sauce over the chicken. Sprinkle with the parsley (if using).


6. NOTE: You can make this dish in bulk then freeze and reheat. To reheat, arrange the scallopini in a baking dish, cover, and bake at 350°F until heated through, about 15 minutes. Drizzle with a little olive oil to replace lost moisture.

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I used the 30 day free trial to add my own family recipes. If you add just one or two recipes a day, you'll have quite the cookbook by the time you are done the free trial! I now consult Plan to Eat each Sunday, choose my meals for the week, and print my grocery list before I go grocery shopping. It has made life so much easier! I'm cooking at home more and making healthier meals. And the question of "What's for dinner?" no longer worries me.