Dec 3, 2017 |
by Molly Jo Realy @MollyJoRealy
Frankly, On Faith.
We say it a lot when trying to embolden ourselves to move in a direction we’re not entirely sure of.
“What’s the worst that could happen?”
But do we really want to know the answer?
If we knew the answer, would we hesitate?
What if we didn’t know the finish line, but we knew the journey?
What if the not knowing part is where we shine, where we prove to ourselves what we’re made of?
What if that’s where we say okay, yes, I’ll do it?
So, God says, “Hey. I have an idea. And I want you to be a part of it.”
But instead of telling us all the nuts and bolts that holds the plan together, He just whispers.
“I have an idea. And I want you to be a part of it.”
I mean, it’s God. Are you gonna doubt that He’ll take you from here to there?
“I listen carefully to what God the LORD is saying,
for he speaks peace to his faithful people.”
~Psalm 85:8a NLT
God is the One who cannot let you down. He’s the One who will go all the way with you. He’s the One who is always looking out for your best interest.
So, if you’re hearing that still, small voice. If you keep finding God trying to get your attention. If you feel Him gently nudging you, don’t question it.
Keep moving forward. You got this.
And He’s got you.
Frankly, On Faith: What’s the Worst That Could Happen?
And Frankly, My Dear . . . : That’s all she wrote!
Dec 2, 2017 |
by Molly Jo Realy @MollyJoRealy
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Social Media Saturday
It’s never too soon to have an actual plan for your social media. [Says This Girl who has forgotten to write her blog posts til it’s almost bedtime.] So we’ll just call this part of our “Do I Say, Not As I Do” series, yah? #thankyouverymuch.
I recently shared ideas on daily planning. [Read: Planning is Key.] But what about those special projects like book launches or grand opening parties?
Here are a few ideas to keep you on track. [Note to self: Implement more, implement regularly. Just implement.]
- Keep a calendar available and make note of important dates:
- Make a list of what you’d like to accomplish. What is your goal for this project, and what steps can take you there? For instance, a successful book launch party includes Author Q&A, trivia with prizes, and perhaps a live reading from the new book. You should map out a time of the event, list the answers, and photograph your prizes ahead of time.
- Invite, invite, invite. Remember 3 is The Key? Here’s the same theory. Announce your shindig. Remind people. Toss out one more friendly “hey are you coming?” notice.
- Work backwards. That is, set the date and from there set up your To Do’s.
- Let’s say your Twitter Party is on July 4th. You can’t always buy red, white, and blue decor in February, so make sure you remember to look over the discount sales after Memorial Day.
- Hosting a live event? What will you serve? If you’re preparing the foods yourself, you’ll need time to buy the groceries, cook, and set things out. Make a grocery list and check it twice! You don’t want to run out of Bleu Cheese dressing for your ahh-mazing salads, right?
- Get a few eyes on the project.
- Ask a trusted friend or colleague to review your plan with you and help fill in some gaps.
- Google party plans and check for ideas to add.
If you have projects happening in the New Year, are you already planning for them? If so, how?
Share your project planning ideas in the comments!
TWEET THIS: Social Media Saturday: Plan Now to Start Later @RealMojo68 #socialmedia #planner
With an erasable pen and an open Happy Planner,
Happy scheduling!
~Molly Jo
And Frankly, My Dear . . . That’s all she wrote!
Dec 1, 2017 |
by Molly Jo Realy @MollyJoRealy
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Five Things Friday
The holiday season can bring families together, feelings of holiday cheer, and more stress than you can shake a stick at.
It’s also a season of “How do I possibly do this?” and “How can we manage that?”
Finding that perfect gift for someone isn’t always an option when the price tag is higher than your ceiling.
Here are few ideas for giving without going broke:
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Five Things Friday
- Give the gift of time. Spend a few hours chatting over coffee. Catch up with an old friend. Drive over to your brother’s house. Take a loved one to dinner. Turn off your phone and outside distractions, and just be with each other. Rediscover the commonalities you have, and learn how you’ve changed.
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Five Things Friday: Gifts That Don’t Cost
- Give the gift of service. How often do we say, “I wish there were more hours in a day?” What we mean is, “I can’t possibly do everything on the list, all the time.” Helping someone with household cleaning, running errands for them, or driving them to appointments is a great gift. Companionship while conquering a To Do List is a double gift!
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Five Things Friday: Gifts That Don’t Cost
- Give the gift of encouragement. We all need to be emboldened. Tell your peeps what you admire about them, and watch them soar. Keep telling them, and they’ll soar even higher.
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Five Things Friday: Gifts That Don’t Cost
- Give the gift of creativity. We’re all good at something. Some are woodworkers, some excel in the kitchen. Others are writers, painters, quilters. Each of us has a talent that is meant to be shared with others. Create a homemade gift, or spend time creating/crafting with others and helping them discover what they’re good at!
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Five Things Friday: Gifts That Don’t Cost
- Give the gift of asking. To truly bless others, we need to know what they want or need. Pay attention. Develop deeper conversations. When they say “A”, don’t misinterpret it as “B”. Understand that understanding is deeper than just talk. Formulate questions that lead you to their answer, and be creative with your solution.
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Five Things Friday: Gifts That Don’t Cost
What gifts do you like to give?
TWEET THIS: Five Things Friday: #Gifts That Don’t Cost @RealMojo68 #holiday
With a light bulb and a thinking cap,
Happy gifting!
~Molly Jo
And Frankly, My Dear . . . : That’s all she wrote!
Nov 30, 2017 |
by Molly Jo Realy @MollyJoRealy
Frankly, My Dear . . . : The Unemployment Cookbook
Looks deelicious, doesn’t it? That thar’ cover is an honest photo, taken in the test kitchens for New Inklings Press. Okay, not really. It was taken by my brother, but he is a professional photographer, and he did format the cookbook for me way back when. So, kudos to realycreative.com for some amazing work, yah?
I was thumbing through the Cookbook tonight and realized I haven’t posted a recipe for a while. So, in Nippers’ commentary fashion, I give you our feature story, the Hot Dog Casserole.
The Unemployment Cookbook: Hot Dog Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 pkg hot dogs, sliced into “coins”. I prefer gold, but you can't always eat that.
- 1 can (16 oz) green beans, drained. If you feel like traveling but don't have your passport, use French cut.
- 1 can (16 oz) Cream of Mushroom soup, undiluted. That means don't add anything to it but love.
- 1/2 tsp worcestershire or soy sauce. Or 1/4 tsp of each.
- 1 can (2.8 oz) French fried onions. Did you know they make them with a cheesy flavor now?
- 1 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded. You can use a pre-shredded mix-Cheese blend for a variety.
Instructions
- Combine hot dogs, green beans, 1/2 can of French fried onions, 1/2 cup cheese.
- Add in soup and worcestershire/soy sauce. Mix thoroughly. You want the flavors to play well together.
- Bake uncovered at 350 for 25 minutes.
- Remove from oven.
- Top with remaining French fried onions and cheese.
- Bake uncovered for an additional 5 minutes.
3.1
https://franklymydearmojo.com/2017/11/30/the-unemployment-cookbook-hot-dog-casserole/ (c) 2012 Frankly, My Dear... New Inklings Press
Best served with bread. Or a salad. Or a glass of wine. Or all of the above. But not frog legs. Just sayin.
Frankly, My Dear . . . : The Unemployment Cookbook
With a wave of the fork and a fake French accent,
Bon appetit!
~Molly Jo
And Frankly, My Dear . . . That’s all she wrote!
Nov 29, 2017 |
by Molly Jo Realy @MollyJoRealy
I’ve been thinking about this for a while, now. And I’ve been wanting to write this, but not wanting to ruffle feathers.
Frankly, My Dear . . . : There’s a Difference
The Rolling Stones tell us we can’t always get what we want, and they must be right. So, with a big gulp and a steady voice, I’m going to be uncharacteristically vocal about a hot button news topic.
Now, I know I’m not a superstar. I don’t have celebrity status and my opinion is just that- my opinion. I don’t expect CNN or Newsweek to call me up for an interview and suddenly realize what I say is life altering. It’s not.
But it is worth saying.
At least, I think so.
Y’all ready?
Here it is:
There’s a difference between harassment and assault
and we need to treat them differently.
You know how it is. Most of the time, you lump things together and they all begin to look alike. Even when they’re not. Chili takes on a brown-red hue even when there’s white beans and corn in the mix. A field of flowers still looks mostly green. And a proud peacock strutting his feathers for attention looks just like the one next door.
The news is full of horrific events and attitudes. Full of “those men” doing terrible things to women and substories of people who knew but didn’t do anything. People who opted more for their bottom line than integrity.
And I think we’re doing a disservice to our young men and women by paying so much attention to them without much clarification.
Let me state, as loud and as clear as I possibly can:
IT IS NEVER OKAY FOR SOMEONE TO INAPPROPRIATELY TALK TO, TOUCH, OR HURT SOMEONE ELSE.
But how do we even know what “inappropriate” means any more? The media is full- full– of blatant sex. Gunfire. Anger management issues. Disrespect. We watch movies and TV all the time where assaults (verbal, emotional, physical, and spiritual) are the norm. And yes. There are men- good men– who have a label against them because some under-aged girl presented herself as an adult. Healthy, self-respecting, “old-fashioned” people are ridiculed for holding their ground.
We teach others all the time that casual sex is okay, and that sometimes “these things happen”. That time holds no consequence. But we’re wrong.
We live in a “Do as I say, not as I do” society.
Stories about about assault, abuse, and relationship violence and the fictional tales almost always have someone coming to the rescue. But it doesn’t always happen that way. Sometimes, we need to find our own way out. #metoo
We live in a world where it’s common to hear the F-bomb in public, where people smoke dope and give no regard to others. And no respect to themselves. Adults call children names I don’t even want to think. “But it’s okay,” they say. “It’s just a joke.” Folks, there’s a difference between joking and being inappropriate.
Is it just a joke when a man touches a woman against her will? Is it just a joke when we diminish the respect we should give others? Is it just a joke when we no longer seek out strong leading role models but instead lump them all together with a head-shaking sigh? Is it a joke when we forget there are still some really good guys and girls out there?
When we don’t respect ourselves as a society, how can we be surprised when our society is collapsing?
Are we telling our girls to misinterpret any tenderness a man may show? Does opening doors for a woman mean he’s going to attack her? If I let my neighbor say hello, does that invite him to call me vicious names? Are we so afraid of being assaulted that we can’t see when someone is just being nice? Because there’s a difference, and we need to learn it. We need to keep our guard up and let the walls crumble at the same time.
Thanks, society. *insert any sarcastic remark here*
Is it a joke when we forget to emulate what Good Character is, to the next generation?
Or are we generations too late? Has the damage already been done to our moral fabric without hope of mending? Did we lose it when we stopped filtering the songs we listen to or the movies we watch? Did we lose it when we started making excuses for ourselves under the guise of asking forgiveness? Because there’s a difference! We can’t be so complacent or afraid of our failings, that we can’t stand up against them!
STAND, PEOPLE! STOP DROWNING!
I fear we’re drowning in a society that glorifies bringing down someone else. I fear that the sexual assault news may be, for a very few, a bandwagon to jump on; and this discourages me greatly because I want women to stand up for themselves and be supported without having to worry that the woman next to them is just in it for the headlines or a cash settlement. I fear we’re encouraging our young women to accept assault and harassment as a way of life, and our young men to accept they will get blamed no matter what they do.
Mostly I want there to stop being a difference between men and women outside of marriage and family. Friendships, workforce, society. It shouldn’t matter if you’re male or female. It should only matter if you’re competent and respectful.
There’s a difference between a youthful mistake and a pattern of behavior. I’m grateful for those who are standing up to say the behavior is no longer welcome. I’m saddened so many had to endure before anyone took notice.
Kudos to Taylor Swift for standing up against a former radio show host. She wasn’t in it for any reason other than to stand up for other women, to embolden them to do the same. She was awarded a single dollar in damages.
I’m also afraid, as a society, the “us” versus “them” is coming to a head where women are no longer able to or allowed to respect men.
The older I get, the more aware I become that it is, indeed, a man’s world. But as the song goes, he wouldn’t be nothing without his woman.
We need to work together. We need to raise our children and ask them, strengthen them, embolden them to take this yoke upon them and straighten things out. We need to apologize to future generations for not being what we need to be for them. For us.
We need to find our way back to being the united people we’re supposed to be.
Don’t let a few bad men overshadow the good ones.
I swear there are good people still out there.
We just need to look for them differently.
And maybe ruffle a few feathers while doing so.
TWEET THIS: There’s a Difference. @MollyJoRealy #metoo
And Frankly, My Dear . . . : That’s all she wrote!
