E is for Eggs

In pondering about future posts this week, I was thinking about how much I miss green eggs and ham. My mom used to make it every St. Patrick's Day for us right before school, named after, of course, the Dr. Seuss book by that same title. Then I started thinking, and the more I thought about it, the more I thought "I just like eggs".

I like them scrambled, poached, fried, deviled...many different ways. I've never tried Eggs Benedict, but I've heard it's good. I even enjoy decorating eggs for Easter. It's one of my favorite pastimes, even if it has nothing to do with anything. It just allows me to be artistic, and that's good enough. Half the time projects like that allow me to keep my sanity. I DO NOT, however, like egg salad sandwiches (I think it's the texture--far too mushy for my taste. I can't even explain it, but when I eat them I gag.)!

I also enjoy using them in cooking. I always get those half dozen cartons at the market, then end up using half of them in a cake or project I'm doing that includes dough of some kind. Maybe it's just the idea that eggs are so useful, and good for you too without being too bland. Have you ever made a "Sunny Side" sandwich? Try it sometime--they are super good! Two pieces of bread with a hole in the middle, fry the egg in the holes and ta-da! You've got breakfast right at your fingertips.

D is for Decorating

I love to decorate! Halloween to New Years is my favorite time of year, and is certainly enhanced by the decorative possibilities that come without shame upon us annually. I love the colors, the exuberance, the ability for mankind to embrace the better part of themselves as the holidays roll forth. Even Halloween, the scariest of them, usually has fun attached to it. Giving, food, friends...all the things that make life bearable are wrapped up in these few months.

Unfortunately, I'm not that crafty, so I buy what I cannot make (God rest ye merry merchants may ye make the Yuletide pay! Angels we have heard on high tell us to go out and buy!). Pinterest has become my new best friend; they really should make a Pinterest Anonymous group for how addictive that website is. I know there are Pinbuds out there, even if you're hiding, and you know exactly what I'm talking about...

Pillows, table settings, ornaments to gather dust--many of these I have, but I've found that my collection mainly consists of hanging decorations. I'm not sure what it is about it that makes decorating so exciting, but there it is. Maybe it's the finished product. The decorations make the house a home, a lonely place a welcome relief from the stresses of life. I would hope that when people come to my apartment or my home when I get one that they feel welcome, and decorations definitely aid in that ambiance.

C is for Cats

I think my favorite animal is the cat. Big ones, small ones, they just bring me joy. I adore my sister's cat Raj, who is affectionate and absolutely loves people, and I even love Mac, my parents' cat, who is the opposite of that and now a grumpy old man. They are quiet, subtle animals who are domestic but don't need constant attention like dogs do--as long as you feed them, clean out the litter box and pay attention to them once in a while, they are relatively happy creatures.

Like most animals, though, they can tell when their owner is having a hard time and, at least for the small ones, most of the time they'll come and snuggle in their own way. I love that about them. They can sense when they are needed most, and even when you feel uncomfortable talking to a person about your problems, you can always talk to a cat.

 I really wish I was allowed a pet in my apartment right now, but I will obey the rules. If I got a cat, I would probably get a tabby, just because that's what I grew up with and I guess it's rubbing off on me. But even if another type came my way and it was meant to be, I wouldn't say no. :) When I go to the pet store sometimes, I always go into the cat room, even if I only have five minutes on an errand with someone. I just like to look at them, and my heart always aches to take one home. Hopefully someday I'll be able to do that without any qualms, and hopefully that day will come soon.

B is for Books

I LOVE books! I love them so much you will probably see me with one all the time. I have also been blessed to be a fast reader. My coworkers laugh because they can always ask, "What are you reading today?" and usually I'll answer something different every couple of weeks or so, and if it's one of the really long ones, perhaps several months (Les Miserables was a long one--Literally a thousand pages in 5 months!).

I also love giving out suggestions, and I even gave a coworker suggestions for his children, who I had heard also love to read. If you love to read and are running out of ideas or options, talk to me! I definitely believe that there is enough room on the bookshelf somewhere, and I love print books you can hold in your hand. I do not own a Kindle, I-phone or any digital device that has a digital reader app--even though I know that is somewhat ironic because the publisher I work with, Untreed Reads, is entirely digital. If you do have a device you can load it there, but even if you don't, you can download it on PDF for your computer. You can do that here.

I am plowing through Ivanhoe like a boss at the present, and I'm not sure what I will start reading afterwards...perhaps the Outlander series by Diana Gabeldon. I also am part of a book club that reads a book a month, so there's always something new to enjoy (or even some good rereads!).

Books have been a part of my life since I can remember, and I can't give it up. It's an addiction with the printed word. I write as well, and so I read a lot of what I write, and if there are authors out there who want to be published, start there. Read what you write. Even if I didn't write, though, there is so much in books that can change a rainy day into a cozy curl up with a friend, an exploration of a new world without leaving your favorite wing-backed chair...The possibilities are endless!

A is for Acceptance

Rather than this being a post about one of my favorite things, instead it will at least be about something that has been on my mind. When I was younger, I wanted to be just like everybody else, but even more than that I wanted to be accepted. What would I have to do to be accepted by my peers, my friends, family members and even strangers?

Would I have to like sports, even though I was a child no P.E. teacher wanted in their class...ever? Would I need to wear makeup, be skinny and play dumb to be favored and have friends? Would I have to be so talented no one could see the red rims around my eyes from lack of sleep and, even when I was ill from the stresses of life, bottle it all up inside so no one would see the hurt?

The answer to these questions is no. Why? Because the people who matter accept you for who you are, and those that don't will fade from your life like a passing fog. Find those in your life who will lift your spirits, laugh and cry with you when the ache is too much to bear, and who don't care so much about the things that you are not, but support you in the things that you are.

These people may be few and far between, but all the better for you, for then you will know who will stand by you no matter what. Listen to their counsel, even if it might replace something you want for something you need. These friends will rarely lead you astray. Keep them close about you, and if you find yourself alone, seek them--they will come.

Thirty Days Hath September....

One of my goals on my bucket list is to try something for thirty days. You would think this goal is something easy to check off, but I tried once with a different thing many moons ago and didn't quite make it. I figure if it is helping me write, perhaps I will be able to do both things at once--write and beat this goal.

I'm not sure if there will be a running theme or not. I saw a blog that my friend did that was the alphabet of things she loved...That would at least be 26 blogs! Maybe I'll do something like that. Either way, if you want to get to know me, start tracking for the next thirty days...We'll have some fun!

Feel free also to comment. If you have questions or want to know more, I'll be happy to answer!

Coffee, Time and Romance- 9/2/13

Friends, Romans, Countrymen:
Next Monday, September 2nd, I will be participating in what is called The Book Brew, provided by Coffee, Time and Romance, a book blog that helps authors get the word out. I will also be on that blog to answer questions and respond to comments for my book The Hudson Diaries, so even if your just a bit curious, come along!

http://www.coffeetimeromance.com/