Feb 5, 2013 |
Y’all know how I love Pinterest, right? I mean, every time I start a new board, you’re the first to know about it!
A few months ago I started Pinning Mason Jars. How to decorate them. What to do with them. Things to put in them. I’m in Mason Jar Nirvana!
My first post was my Feta Tomato Spinach Salad in a Jar. Remember this lovely, delectable delight?
Thanks to Pinterest and other Blogs I follow, I found some delightful easy crafts. This weekend I tried my hand at making my own kind of kitchen air freshener.
In less than five minutes from start to finish, this craft was completed.
First, gather the necessary materials: Mason Jar, scrapbook paper (or any decorative paper), pen, scissors, small nail, and soft mat/cloth.
Materials
On a flat surface, trace around the lid. It’s okay to keep the paper face up so you can see where you’re placing your circle.
Positioning the Lid
Tracing the Circle
Next, cut the circle out. It doesn’t have to be perfect. The edges will be hidden under the rim.
Put your scrapbook circle on the soft mat and using the small nail, carefully punch holes through the paper. Get creative, make designs! Punch enough holes to allow air flow. If necessary, use a bigger nail.
Hole Punching
Fill your jar with your favorite aromatic blend, cover with paper and rim.
My kitchen now smells like fresh ground coffee even when the Keurig isn’t brewing!
Fresh Ground Aroma
Experiment with your favorite fragrances: fresh-cut herbs. Potpourri. Leftover candle wax. Essential oils. Whatever scent makes you smile… smell and smell again.
How sweet is that?
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
Feb 1, 2013 |
I’m writing this at 10 o’clock Friday night. I’m also writing blind… that is, I’m writing without having been online for anything else.
What I know at this moment in time is that I am a Writer. An Editor. A publisher. And a Cook. And I know, from the snippets I can gleam, that my Cookbook Project exceeded my expectations.
I hadn’t realized until a few days ago, that the final hours would coincide with the end of my work-week. There are no personal phone or computer usages allowed at my Day Job. I’m fine with that: my Boss doesn’t pay me to be on Facebook. But that meant I could only “check in” intermittently.
Before work. At lunch. Bank run.
And then, when it came down to it, 5 o’clock arrived. I left work and took a deep breath as I pulled out my iPhone. I nearly squinted into darkness, afraid yet excited at what I might see.
There they were.
Messages. Texts. Emails. Facebook. Twitter. Notification after Notification after Notification. “Yay!” “Congratulations!” “Way to go!” About halfway through my scrolling list I saw it. From Kickstarter. “Congratulations!”
I don’t know where to start. I haven’t had time to sit down and focus. I still haven’t checked my emails or Facebook.
Right after work I had my yearly tax appointment. I made a short stop at Mom’s before heading over to my Bible Study. And now I’m home.
And while I want to read and respond to every ounce of communication, right now it’s more important for me to get this out there:
THANK YOU.
Thank you to Danny and Lisa who kept me sane this last week. To Jenn, Rachel and Shell who continued to share the Project with their own Blog readers. To Jordin from WinCo who found my Meal Plan post online and reached out. To Patty who prayed and promoted in ways I didn’t expect. To so many others who cheered, shared, supported, talked about, liked, or otherwise helped spread the word about this Project. Of course to my family for their unending support and prayers. But mostly, obviously, outstandingly, THANK YOU to my Backers.
You did this. You will soon be the proud owner of your very own copy of THE UNEMPLOYMENT COOKBOOK, SECOND EDITION.
And that just leaves a great taste in my mouth.
I couldn’t have done it without you.
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
Jan 29, 2013 |
I love driving at Twilight. I’d forgotten that until I started working again. Driving home in the near-dark with Sinatra playing through the speakers is a nightly experience I consistently relish.
In the Winter rains, the fresh air and delicate winds bring a certain feel with them.
There’s something quite magical about the mix of neon and starlight, of headlights and stoplights reflecting off the hard pavement and sidewalks.
When I was otherwise unemployed, my driving was nearly confined to only the sandy desert roads less maintained by the City. Now I traverse Main Street each day. With Winter on its way out and Spring starting to show (at least trying to nudge an appearance now and then), the sky isn’t as dark as early.
Winter Sunset
Just a few minutes can make all the difference in the world. Soon I’ll be staying at work just a few moments longer to avoid blindly driving into the Western Sun. In a matter of weeks my Twilight excursions will be a memory for nearly another year.
It’s a bit ironic that my favorite music is “New York, New York” which I blast while driving between single story buildings surrounded by Joshua Trees and the occasional Coyote.
Someday I’ll get to New York. Until then, in the Twilight and even in the summer, Sinatra sings me home.
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
You may also enjoy reading:
When I Get To New York
Writing Prompt: Songs
Help me to reach my funding goal before February 1st!
Just click on the photo below and click “BACK THIS PROJECT” to pre-order YOUR copy of The Unemployment Cookbook, Second Edition!
Jan 28, 2013
Dear God,
I owe you an apology. I’ve been working so hard on so many things, and keeping you in my back pocket like a Genie or magic potion. I’ve only pulled you out to yell and ask why things aren’t going my way.
Why is my furnace broken? Why is the Cookbook Project stagnating? Why is Grandpa Jack dead? Why does my family struggle?
Oh, sure. I’ve been praying. A lot. But mostly selfish, “Help Me” prayers.
The truth is, I don’t need your “help”. I don’t want it. To be a Helper means to be an assistant, and I don’t want You to be my assistant. I want You to be my Leader.
I need You to lead me, Lord. To take away these focuses I have on my world, and turn it instead toward Yours. Open my eyes to see Your beauty. Open my hands and heart to help You.
You don’t need me, God. But you chose me. You chose me to speak your Word. To write for you. And I’ve left you out of it lately.
Things aren’t at all easy. They’re not at all the way I would like, the way I plan. But they are the way You set on this Path.
It feels like You turned your back on me. Haven’t I done all You asked with the Cookbook? … but I know the answer is no. I know there is more. I know You are still on the Path, still leading, but my eyes and heart are downcast at my own shadows.
I don’t want to use You for advertising, Lord. I don’t want to use You for my comfort or confidence or as a security blanket. You are my security, but You are so much more.
I tremble still with so much unknown.
But I do know this: I am fearfully and wonderfully made. By You. For You.
And so whatever else happens, I Love You. And I know You love me back.
So lead me, God. Show me how to accomplish what You want me to accomplish.
And please. Take the glory. Even when it’s hard. Even when I want recognition. Even when I want the pat on the back. Even when I question You or want more than You give.
Lead me. Period.
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
Jan 28, 2013 |
On the heels of a somewhat-successful January Meal Plan, I’m keeping with the motion and starting to plot out my Meal Plan for next month.
This one will be different. I don’t have a $100 gift card to shop at WinCo. But because I was unable to keep to January’s plan in its entirety, I still have plenty of food in my pantry and freezer.
*Here’s where I give a HUGE shout-out to my Mom who’s let us eat much of her food because, well, we’re pretty much living with her until the new furnace unit is installed. And let’s face it… I’m not keen on staying in a cold house even with the cat wrapped around my head at night.
Pillow Thief
For starters, I have a list of meals to make, but I’m not putting them on a schedule. Considering the difficulties in the last two weeks, it’s easier sometimes to have a selection available without an actual Plan.
With that in mind, my February Meals planned consist, so far, of the following:
Ratatouille
- Slow Cooker Ratatouille, 3 days
Veggie Pizza
- Ratatouille Pizza, 2 days
Ratatouille Frittata
- Ratatouille Frittata, 2 days
Bowl of Chili
- Slow Cooker Turkey Chili, 3 days
- Texas Hash, 4 days
That takes care of half the month.
I always keep frozen chicken and salmon filets. I have three favorite ways cooking each of these: citrus baked, breaded, and blackened. That’s six different meals right there, and if only half offer leftovers, that’s three more meals.
There’s a happy chance we’ll be eating at Mom’s at least twice a week. Okay, more than a chance. We get together even if it’s just for toast and peanut butter. So there’s that.
There’s still plenty for lunches and breakfasts, too. The only foods I should have to buy in February are milk, eggs, and cat food for the fur-family. Which, if you ask me, is a really great savings!
And that is my UnPlanned February Meal Plan.
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
Help me to reach my funding goal before February 1st!
Just click on the photo below and click “BACK THIS PROJECT” to pre-order YOUR copy of The Unemployment Cookbook, Second Edition!
