Hidden Valley Ranch Ice Cream (And Other Things)!

Heroes

Merrium-Webster gives several definitions for the word "hero."

Here are two: "A person admired for achievements and noble qualities" and "one who shows great courage."

Heroes typically have clay feet and live in glass houses. Yet we are often surprised to discover that.

Nevertheless, flaws don't cancel out achievements, noble qualities, and great courage.

That is good news indeed.

On This Monday Morning

Many people (including my family) get jittery on Sunday night and stressed on Monday morning.

Sometimes I think that's our mind's way of waking us up, that the weekend's relaxation is waning, and the new week is calling us to be alert and engaged for the tasks we are called to do, for the fresh opportunities, and even the unknown challenges, waiting for us.

It's easy to be thankful when all goes well in our lives. But even when all is awful, I believe hope lies beneath the muck, waiting to be uncovered.

Each coin has two sides.

Each mistake brings fresh knowledge and wisdom we can apply to "next time." But so does each effort we accomplish well, that effects the goal or at brings us closer to attaining it.

If you can't be heard, you can at least be kind and sincere and leave a trail of positivity in your wake.

Not everyone will like you. But you can always like yourself and no one can take that away from you.

If you're struggling with loss of any kind (job, finances, health loved ones), be gentle with yourself and pursue those things that bring you joy, even if joy is fleeting.

Night always follows day. But day follows night, too. Both have their charms, if we are discerning enough to see them.

Our way is not always the best way. It's OK to let go. But it's also OK to stubbornly hang on until we're proven otherwise. Sometimes, we actually are right.

Just because someone serves up poison doesn't mean you must drink it. You can always refuse the cup.

Besides, dark roast coffee tastes so much better.

Happy Monday!

Randomness

Here are some bits and pieces of random thoughts on this extremely busy week:

We are moving in less than three weeks; at least one of us will be working all through the move (me!); and we have less than three weeks to break down and pack up two townhouses. Yikes!

I am behind in scheduling routine doctor's appointments, and these are more numerous than my social calendar. A sign of getting old?

Faith, my calico, has suddenly decided she's rather sleep on my desk chair or waaaaay up high by my pillows, not on the specially reserved spot for her on my bed, at the foot, with her own pillow. Spoiled? Spooked?

Shipping is free on the BryonySeries store and most likely will continue to be free until after we move. Only print is available for now (for eBooks, you must still go to Amazon), so if one or two or more titles appeal to you, now is the time to order and/or stock up..

Why does coffee taste the best early in the morning?

Uncle Barty is in town.

Speaking of uncles, I received the sweetest birthday card from my Uncle Carl in New York. He is eighty-one, and the front of the card reads: "A niece like you adds so much beauty, joy, and love to life." The inside reads: Celebrating all there is to love about you and the incredible difference you make in our family and in so many people's lives." I shall treasure this for a very long time.

My ears feel pretty good today. And if I don't remember to cancel the appointment with my primary today to have those ears addressed (I made an appointment for Friday and wound up in quick care over the weekend), I will be paying a no-show charge. Better put "cancel Dr. Rogers" in my calendar.

I have just under 8,000 emails in my AOL account, and if I didn't have email that needs answering (such as anthology submissions from WriteOn Joliet members), I'd delete all of them and just start fresh. Why does email pile up faster than one can respond to it?

Finally, we did not swap out the recipe on the Sue's Diner page yet and probably won't until this weekend. 

So if you'd like to check out the current one, which is authentically from the nineteenth century, apears in Bryony, and is most likely unlike anything you've ever eaten, go here.