Mar 31, 2012
On the heels of the other post for today, the one about the negative comment, this one takes the other end of the spectrum completely:
I got this great comment from Danette Lynn at Bonbonspourlesyeux (don’t worry, I’ve never tried to pronounce it correctly, either): “Hi there. I have nominated you for the Very Inspirational Blogger award. I like your work and feel it is deserving of even more recognition. I guess the rules are, list seven things about yourself and nominate other bloggers that you feel are deserving of the award. Keep up the good work.”
Dani is a great blogger, very creative. She has her blog as listed above, and she’s also a wedding officiant and runs a blog on the stories she gets from that occupation. It’s pretty hilarious at times!
So I’m very honored to accept this award and here are my Seven Things About Me:
1. I have two and a half cats. Dot has two and a half cats. As you can hopefully surmise, the two halves make a whole whom we share.
2. I have never wanted to be anything other than a writer. There have been times when I’ve wanted other careers, or wanted new experiences, but only so that I could write a best seller about them.
3. My mom is my best friend who I’m related to.
4. My best friend that I’m not related to is very much like my mom. And she tells me I’m very much like her mom. And our daughters are very similar as well. We were all made to be friends. Together. It’s one of the most amazing friendships I’ve ever had.
5. I wish I could dance. Really dance, like in the Step Up movies that Dot loves so much.
6. I could have been a great opera singer, but I have stage fright and choke when anyone looks at me.
7. I ramble. A lot. I make much more sense in writing than when I’m speaking. It is by the grace of God that my family and friends can interpret what I say on a regular basis.
And now for my nominations for the blogs that inspire me:
1. … so this is love … by Casey and Jenn.
2. Doodles and Jots by Ann.
3. Quiet MOM-ents and MOM-enclature, both by Andrea.
4. Frommyheart2urs by Ariel.
5. A Divine Walk by Charlene, who also runs The Babbling Baby.
They really do inspire me. And I hope they do the same for you.
Mar 30, 2012
I hate the end of any month. I really do. It means I have to spend several hours going over the budget for the next month and trying to figure out how to make ends meet.
But it means seeing how we got through this month when we weren’t sure four weeks ago how we’d do it.
It means planning another month of meals and snacks and extras that usually include more than one dollar sign.
But it means fine tuning the Meal Memo in a Jar plan we started in March, which is saving us time and money, and giving us quality family time around the dinner table.
It means stepping into the unknown which I’m not always good at because I like my stability.
But it means having a blank page to start with, which I find refreshing.
It means a new writing commitment, sometimes more than one.
But it means striving toward that ultimate goal.
It means the unexpected, the uncertain.
It means adventure.
And arms open wide to embrace whatever comes my way.
I’m ready….
… I think!
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
Mar 29, 2012
Well, it’s the last week of March and here’s the rest of what we’ve been eating:
March 17th was Dot’s best friend’s birthday and we celebrated at the local bowling lanes. His family brought four kinds of Pizza Hut pizza, buffalo wings, soda, water, and cupcakes! Everything was taken in moderation, and we bowled off the calories as soon as we ate them.
18th: My birthday dinner at Mom’s! Corned beef, cabbage, and boiled vegetables along with bread rolls. And for desert, Chocolate Cherry Cake! It’s tradition!
19th: Leftovers.
20th: Dot took me to see George Clooney’s “The Descendants” at the dollar theatre, so we splurged and went through the drive-thru at Jack in the Box. I ordered a Chicken Pita Sandwich. It was delicious!
21st: Dot was at her grandparents for the day. She came home early enough for dinner so we ordered a $10 Pizza Hut box. It was too cheesy, not too warm, and so not fulfilling. More and more, I feel yucky when I don’t stick to the Homecooked Meal Plan.
22nd: We ate healthy snacks all day and met friends in the evening for the midnight showing of “The Hunger Games”. Dinner consisted of Starbucks, popcorn and jalapenos, and fruit snacks.
23rd: Not feeling too good after last night’s fare. Tonight’s Meal Memo called for Schwan’s Seasoned Stuffed Chicken Breasts. I also shredded lettuce for a plain salad, and toasted garlic bread in the oven. It was delicious, and I feel so much better after last week’s junk food bonanza!
24th: Since last night’s chicken was gone in one meal, today I made Hamburger Helper’s Stroganoff and just heated up a bag of frozen green beans. It was really delicious, and there’s plenty leftovers for tomorrow.
25th: Well, Dot ate her leftovers for lunch. But I had a late breakfast of scrambled eggs. So I had my leftovers for dinner.
26th: This morning’s Memo called for Potstickers on a bed of rice. I’ll be honest, I wasn’t thrilled. So we opted for the healthy chicken nugget bucket at McDonald’s… where they prompted screwed up my order again. That’ll teach me.
27th: Leftovers since we saw The Hunger Games again.
28th: Finally gonna make the Potstickers and rice tonight. It will be a yummy casual dinner.
That means we’ll have enough leftovers on this for the next two days, which finishes out the month of March.
I didn’t stick to the Jar Plan every day. And on the days I relied on fast food or whatever I could find, those days (and the next!), I felt pretty yucky. So I know I need to cook much more often. Even if it’s just little things. I also realized I put too many Memos in the Jar. Most of the meals offered leftovers that I didn’t originally account for. Which right now is a good thing, because that means I know have Meal Memos for April.
I’m going to change April’s schedule: I’ll put in the same amount of Meal Memos, but include “white” cards (blanks) for the days we decide to eat out or order pizza. I’ll make sure we only have one of these each week. That means six homecooked meals a week.
I’m feeling pretty good about that.
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
