Saturday, October 28, 2006

Entry for October 28, 2006 - It's all about cake....

Vero has claimed it to be all about cake today...A day of just cake... can there be anything better? lol





White Whipped Cream Cake with Caramel Icing



1 cup whipping cream

1 1/2 cups white sugar

Pinch of salt

2 cups flour

3 egg whites

1/2 cup water

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 teaspoons baking powder



Beat egg whites. Whip cream and then whip together. Sift all dry ingredients twice and add alternately with water to which vanilla has been added. Pour batter into a greased and lightly floured 9 x 13 pan. Bake in 350 degree oven until cake springs back in the center with tough of finger. Frost with caramel icing.



Caramel Icing:



1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup sour cream

Pinch of salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 Tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon vanilla



Cook brown sugar, white sugar, sour cream, and salt to soft ball stage, stirring while cooking. Then remove from heat. Add baking soda, butter and vanilla and let cool. Beat and spread on cake.


Friday, October 27, 2006

Entry for October 27, 2006 - Queen for a Day...

It seems the blog world lately has been besieged with royalty. With Lords, and Earls, and a jester or two, it is no wonder that a queen would soon emerge....



Known by most as JD, it is only in his closest circle of blog friends he is affectionately known as "Queenie".









JD's Top Ten Reasons it's Good to be Queen...



10. People stop and stare when you go by...(okay they already do that, nevermind)....



 9. You get to wear sparklies...



 8. You get to use the scissors during the ribbon cutting at the local grand opening of the PigglyWiggly

 

 7. You can request roadkill for dinner as often as you like....



 6. You are expected to be wierd from decades of inbreeding...



 5. The hats...it's all about the hats...



 4. You can call up the local market and ask if they have Prince Albert in a can,... and really mean it...



 3. You can goose foreign dignitaries and get away with it...



 2. Getting to do the special wave.....



 1. You can make all the bodily noises you want and no one will say a word....








Saturday, October 21, 2006

Entry for October 21, 2006 - Ghost Story...

It was a dark and dreary night.



The kind of night that ghost stories are made from...



The moon was bright and full, shining thru the window. It had an eery, almost sinister glow about it tonight.



As I settled in for a good night's sleep,...I heard it. The tiniest "rap, tap, tap" on my front door. Who in the world could be out at this hour I groaned?  It was so late, so dark, my mind started to wonder, and then worry.



I heard it again......"rap, tap, tap"....



Whoever it was, they weren't going away. I searched blindly in the dark for my robe, I fumbled for my slippers. I dragged myself down the hallway, flicking on the light to help me find my way....and my confidence.



What if it was a stranger? Lost and confused and needing directions, or perhaps just pretending to be lost and confused. What if it was really an escaped convict...a burglar....a person intent on doing me bodily harm?



I was fully awake now, my consciousness alive with thoughts of unknown creatures banging on my door. I searched vainly for a weapon, something to fight off an attacker...The rapping was getting louder.



"RAP, ..TAP...TAP"....



I reached the door and flicked on the outside light. All I could see was two shadows.....my heart raced..there was TWO of them!



One I might be able to overpower, with two however, my chances were slim to none. Oh how at that moment I wished I had a baseball bat, like those people have in the movies and tv shows when they confront someone at their door. I wanted to bolt and run, but I had already turned on the outside light.



I took a deep breath.



I squinted my eyes shut for a moment as I heard the unclick of the lock as I slowly opened the door.



My eyes grew wide with horror.....still not focusing on what was before me.



I rubbed my eyes again and gasped.



There they were............Gloggy and Wukky.



They yelled in unison..."trick or treat".



I rolled my eyes and mumbled ,..."you are too early... It's not Halloween yet!"



I slammed the door shut...and as I started to turn away, I stopped.



I opened the door back up and there they still stood...



I yelled at them..."and next time wear a Halloween costume!"....







The End....



Early Trick or Treaters">.


Sunday, October 15, 2006

Entry for October 15, 2006 - For Sue...

Sue I know all the blogging on recipes lately is really testing your dieting willpower...so today's blog is for you....(((HUGS)))....



TANGY FISH



1 lb. fish fillets

1 cup tomato juice

1/4 cup prepared mustard

1 Tablespoon instant minced onion

1/8 teaspoon pepper



Preheat over to 350 degrees

Place fish in casserole dish. Mix together all other ingredients and pour over fish. Bake 20-30 minutes.







WEIGHT WATCHERS SALMON IN FOIL



2 Tablespoons diet/light margarine

1 Tablespoon mayonnaise

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon dry dill weed

16 oz. canned salmon

1/2 cup celery



Preheat over to 350 degrees

Heat margaine in custard cup set in hot water. Remove from heat and beat in mayo,lemon juice,salt,paprika, and dill. Tear off a large piece of aluminum foil. Place salmon and celery in center of foil and add margarine mixutre on top of salmon. Fold foil together to make a packet. Bake for 20-30 minutes. Serves 2







FRUITY GOOD MORNING DRINK



1 banana

1 cup plain lowfat yogurt

1 cup unsweetened orange juice, chilled

1 and 1/4 cup hulled strawberries

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 packet artificial sweetner



Blend all the ingredients together in a blender. Pour into four 5-oz. glasses. Garnish with fresh mint.

Per serving - 106 calories.







STIR FRY CHICKEN



1 cup unsalted chicken broth

2 Tablespoons soy sauce

2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1 cup celery, diced

    *    *     *

2 cups cooked chicken breast

1  (6oz.) can bean sprouts

1  (60z.) can bamboo shoots

1  (8oz.) can sliced water chestnuts

1  (6oz.) can sliced mushrooms

1  (6oz.) package frozen snow peas



Heat broth in a saucepan until simmering. Add the soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion, and celery. Cook for about 5 or 6 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and cook for 10 minutes. Serve over hot rice. Makes 8 servings, calories per serving (excluding rice) 154.




Saturday, October 14, 2006

Entry for October 14, 2006 - Living Years

For "J"

Oct. 14, 1935 - March 14, 1997





Living Years



by Mike and the Mechanics



Every Generation

Blames the one before

And all of their frustrations

Come beating on your door



I know that I'm a prisoner

To all my Father held so dear

I know that I'm a hostage

To all his hopes and fears

I just wish I could have told him in the living years



Crumpled bits of paper

Filled with imperfect thought

Stilted conversations

I'm afraid that's all we've got



You say you just don't see it

He says it's perfect sense

You just can't get agreement

In this present tense

We all talk a different language

Talking in defense



Say it loud, say it clear

You can listen as well as you hear

It's too late when we die

To admit we don't see eye to eye



So we open up a quarrel

Between the present and the past

We only sacrifice the future

It's the bitterness that lasts



So don't yield to the fortunes

You sometimes see as fate

It may have a new perspective

On a different day

And if you don't give up, and don't give in

You may just be O.K.



Say it loud, say it clear

You can listen as well as you hear

It's too late when we die

To admit we don't see eye to eye



I wasn't there that morning

When my father passed away

I didn't get to tell him

All the things I had to say



I think I caught his spirit

Later that same year

I'm sure I heard his echo

In my baby's new born tears

I just wish I could have told him in the living years



Say it loud, say it clear

You can listen as well as you hear

It's too late when we die

To admit we don't see eye to eye


Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Entry for October 10, 2006 - Blogging in My Sleep...

Blogging in my sleep...



Yesterday I had a dilemma. I was close to panicking. It was the middle of an ordinary Monday....and I couldn't log on...



I know, it's such a small thing, but it seems like such a big thing when you have your heart set on  enjoying a grey, rainy day curled up with your monitor and keyboard. It ruined the mood, and put me in another mood....I was ticked.



I tried, and I tried, but Yahoo wouldn't load. It wouldn't load it's front page, my e-mail, or 360. Not both my poor mind cried, ..not both 360 AND my e-mail. How could I function  today without one or the other? After much bemoaning and several choice words for Yahoo, I gave up. I could fight no more, and I had to join the real world...a world without blogs, e-mails, fwds, instant messages and replies.



I survived....barely...but I survived...



One would have thought the world was coming to an end, and not many would have understood  what I am  talking about....but I know you do. I know you would in my little box on top of my desk would undertand, console, and even gasp at the notion of a blog-less and e-mail free world.



It was after 11 at night when I tried again...I was pessimistic. I was sure I must have a virus or a trojan or my ancient relic of a computer was just bogged down with just too much of everything after almost 10 years. I considered dumping. I considered dumping files, and folders, pics , and old programs to clear up space... enough space and memory to fix my problem...but I held off.



At the darkest hour, I logged on,... my computer had finally logged me into Yahoo. I was almost giddy. I clicked and went to page after page. I clicked my e-mail. It was there, all 216 of e-mails waiting patiently for me. I skimmed and read, and skimmed and read, and saved the ones that needed replies. I rushed over to 360.



You left comments. You had blogged in my absence. I was jealous...but how could you know, so I forgave you. I hopped from blog page to blog page reading your updates. I replied on some blogs, I left comments on some, and my eyes grew heavy. Nooooo, I whined, I have more blogs to read,... but deep down I knew I would have to go soon. I trudged on, halfway thru my friend's list. I was reading or it seemed I was reading, words were becoming jumbled. I would write replies only to erase them before posting because of all the typs I spied or because even in my befuddled mind the responses made little sense.



I knew I was close to breaking when I was reading from one of my favorite bloggers about his trip, about eating pasties, and about cats. My sleep deprived mind was in fits of giggles. I wanted to post a reply that they were "the cat's meow", and ask if their pasties had tassles, but I thought better, I get punchy when I am tired. I didn't know if they would log into their page and read my reply and think.... "Huh"? Sometimes I think my humor might be a bit too warped for most. So I left without commenting. I promised myself I would be back tomorrow to post a comment, and then I wondered if I comment to much? I blogged on ....



I visited a blog page and smiled at their latest blog posting. They had made a graphic on "Alerts". I was going to post a reply and when I scrolled down ,..I saw it. They had blogged more than once today. Argh!...I can't post a reply to the latest blog when I haven't read all the others. It's like skipping ahead in a book to read the ending. I feel so guilty, like I have missed something. I mumbled under my breath I would have to come back, and so help me if they have blogged half a dozen more times before I get to their blog page again tomorrow, I might have to rap their knuckles with a frozen twinkie.



My eyes were finding it hard to focus. It was almost 12:30 in the morning. I was waiting on a page to load with some autumnal pics. I squinted hard, was that a goose? No wait, I think someone had commented on a heron....I was going down fast.



An instant message popped up on my screen ..."goodnight Vickie"....it was from my favorite Kiwi. It was either the 2nd or 3rd time he had sent me a message near or after midnight this week. I was beginning to think he was psychic knowing that I was still on-line... Till he commented for me to wipe the chocolate from my mouth, and I realized I had been busted, I had just been at his blog a moment ago and left a comment on snitching chocolates.



He was right, it was time for bed,..but it was so hard to let you all go. What if tomorrow brought the same headaches? What if I couldn't log onto Yahoo? What if I had to go another whole day without e-mail or blogging? My eyes were barely focusing. My mind was numb. I had to let go, but not without some worries.



Today I can hear the traffice go by,... hear the squirrels chattering outside my window  in the softest drizzle of rain. There is a cup by the monitor on top of a book, and I am wearing my fuzzy slipper socks. I made it on-line today... and Yahoo was there. I found my e-mail, and logged into 360.....and for this very moment..... all is right in the world.

Thursday, October 5, 2006

Entry for October 05, 2006 - Choices



Choices...





Here it is late again at night and I am sitting here writing or thinking about writing a blog. It's not like I have some pressing subject on my mind that needs to be said. But I have been thinking of this blog entry for a few days now after reading some of this week's past blogs.



There have been serious blogs, and blogs of silliness,... and some would argue there are too many that fall in either category. Some bloggers want to read blogs on serious matters, and some bloggers that think  life is serious enough, and anything that brings smiles and laughter is a good thing. I like both, some are easier to read though... I don't think very many accuse me of being too serious... or taking myself too seriously.



Reading some of the blogs this week, I found a recurring theme in some of them....Well.. in a way I suppose in all of them.



The matter of choice...and the choices we make.



I think it was Spotty who wrote a blog on suicide and then it sparked a blog for Possum on decisions. Zim then posted a blog on choices and being informed on vaccinations and preventiveness of disease and well, the  harder I looked the more it seemed so connected.



Choices...



Hillbilly had a most thought provoking blog about anger and his choice to choose forgiveness.



Sue and Mahvin have posted on their blogs of wanting to improve their lifestyles and their personal battle with diets and dieting. They both have chosen to make improvements in their lives. Positive choices of which they will reap the rewards.



I have read and shared giggles on blogs of Halloween and costumes and jokes and all kinds of silly things. Given a choice I think I would choose laughter as a way  to start off every day.



Every day is a choice and about the choices we make. Some are good, some we make in the heat of emotion, and some we wish we could change. Which brings me back to the beginning...back to Spotty's and Possum's blogs... I guess it really is a 360 circle.



A few years ago I was asked to help a neighbor and good friend who had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. Her family couldn't be there all the time and asked me to fill in some of the hours, so I said I would. I don't think at the time I had thought it out, I just answered automatically yes.



We all sat around the kitchen table, my friend, her large family of kids and grandkids, the hospice nurses, and myself. They explained in great detail of the hospice program and were very professional about it. Then they pushed the papers over to be signed by my friend. She held that pen in her hand twirling it for a few moments. In her face I saw all the despair, and fear, and dread she was feeling and I felt it rise up in me as well... It took everything in me to not get up and bolt from that room....and it took everything in her to sign those papers.



Some choices we have no control of, some choices are made for us, and sometimes we really don't have a choice.



In that short summer I learned about pills, and pain patches and different strengths of pain patches, and supplements, and ports, and how to hook up an electric pump to a tube in the stomach to pump the contents out before those contents came back up on their own. Between the cancer and a huge ulcer, nothing would stay down longer than 15 minutes. It was a defeating process... and feeling.



But during that time, I never saw that look on her face again...and I never felt that overwhelming feeling again. I think we both found that quiet place. That quiet place that Zimmy talked about in her last blog. That wherever you are at, you can hear the quiet...and find peace.



I use to think that people make choices in life, and for life, and that death and dying doesn't begin until a person takes that last breath...



Now I often wonder if it doesn't begin, when you learn that you have no hope.......or choice.