Kitchen Makeover

This weekend I decided to take on the task of remodeling my kitchen.  I figured a few coats of paint would do the trick.

Wrong?  Who was I fooling.  I couldn’t settle for just paint. Not me, the person with the ultra triple-A type personality.

I had to go BIG – do it all; completely transform my kitchen from old and stale to contemporary yet fabulous.

How’s it going?  Well, I probably have more paint on my body than on the walls and my hubby didn’t have a heart attack when I told him I wanted him to re-do the cabinets.

So I guess it’s going pretty good.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that I hope to have this all done by Monday morning.

So I probably won’t post for the next few days, but I promise to share pictures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wordless Wednesday

The weather in Wisconsin is AWFUL!!  This is how I’m feeling today – a little melancholy.  With 46 degree weather and no sun – just rain, rain, and more rain – can you blame me?

A Fried Chicken Leg?? Can’t Be !!

One morning last fall, in a mad rush to get my daughter to school on time, I left my coveted sidekick – la cell phone` at home.   I don’t know about ya’ll but I NEED my cell.  So like a bat-out-of-hell, I rushed back home before heading into the office.

As I walked towards my house I noticed a really peculiar object lodged between the drain gutter and the house. I wasn’t quite sure what it was. I figured it was probably vegetation over growth; seeing as though my husband never seems to clean out the gutters the way I’d like them done.

Anyway, I stopped to take a closer look.

What the Hell Is This?

This Can NOT Be A Fried Chicken Leg!

Yep that’s it……a fried chicken leg (Don’t believe me? Take another look.  Go ahead see for yourself).

But how did it get there?  It can’t be garbage scraps.  I don’t fry foods very often, don’t care for chicken legs and lastly, it has a breading that is sure to be loaded with gluten.  My family had better not be trying to pull a prank on me!!

After getting my cell phone, I looked at the chicken leg again.  Shaking my head in disbelief, I called my hubby. Of course, he didn’t believe me until I sent him the pictures.  It must be our new ‘not’ so friendly neighbors.  What if they were gypsies placing some sort of weird curse on our home because they don’t like our dogs? I gotta be realistic, there are anti-dog people in this world.

I shared my theory with hubby. He laughed and tried to reassure me it was probably a squirrel digging in the garbage to harvest before the winter.  A squirrel?  No way. Besides do squirrels even harvest?

Infamous ‘Chicken Leg Hoarder’ Squirrel

I pondered this notion for a moment.  Hubby might be right, this could be a possibility. We always seem to have an abundance of squirrels living in our tree in the backyard.

Although, I tend to like the gypsy story better.

Jimmy John’s Fiasco

It’s been a year since my gluten free journey began and I’ll be honest – this has been one hellava ride.

It’s not as easy as it seems, going gluten free is more than just eliminating certain foods.  It’s a complete life altering transition.  I’ve read other blogs discuss the excitement in trying new foods.  That might work on some small level but for me; food is social, comfort, and entertaining.

Eating (or the inability to eat) food in social settings has turned my lifestyle upside down.  Exactly what I am I suppose to eat at a professional event? Or when I’m invited to a dinner party with friends?  As much as I would like special treatment, let’s be real the gluten filled foods on the menu are my option – take it or leave it. Not being able to eat in a social setting leaves me feeling like a complete dork.

A few weeks ago, I had a glimmer of hope after ordering the Turkey Unwich (short for a sandwich with no bread) from Jimmy John’s.  I was a little apprehensive during the phone call, as the order taker from Jimmy John’s didn’t seem to understand exactly what I was ordering.  I reassured her that even though it was an odd request, it was a listed item on the menu.

In what seemed like a nanosecond, the Jimmy John’s delivery guy was at my door.  Proudly smiling, the delivery guy handed me a rather heavy package.  Immediately, I knew it was wrong and returned the package to the driver; the smell of the fresh bread was too much for me.  Hey don’t judge me. The smell of warm bread is my weakness. Besides, I never said I didn’t like wheat bread. I called to explain the mix-up and of course I get the order taker who at this point became extremely rude and seemed put off that I even ordered a sandwich without bread; the nerve of me.

It took three delivery attempts to actually get my order right; it was too late I had lost my desire to have the Unwich.  I resorted to a banana and cup of applesauce for lunch. Damnit! Jimmy John’s I knew it was too good to be true.

Cluttered Heart

Today’s prompt for The Red Dress Club was to write about sloth or one of the seven deadly sins.  This piece is about forgiveness, something we all struggle with.

I think my heart is cluttered.

My health is great. My mental stability is just fine. HA- I’m sure hubby would tell a different story during my ratchet time of the month.

I’ve taken a path in my life that I’m very comfortable with – honestly no regrets.  I have discovered a comfortable level of peace and understanding in my life.

But something just doesn’t seem right….

I’m sure I’ve told all the people that are important to me how much I appreciate them.  Anyone who knows me – knows I speak from my heart, KEEPING IT REAL along the way; the good and the bad.

So my heart can’t be cluttered from that…..

Are there things I need to get off my chest to a few people that have pissed me off along the way?  Naw, cause I’m certain I took care of that awhile ago.

I’m stumped and not sure what could be causing this uneasiness I’ve been feeling lately.

I’ll admit.  I have a mean-streak and I don’t forgive that easy.  In fact, I don’t forgive at all.  Especially, when I have accepted and overlooked lots of pain and rejection from people.  I just compartmentalize the issue and move on.

But maybe, just maybe forgiving would help to release the small compartment that is now the size of a storage unit.

I’m not entirely convinced and I’m a little skeptical about the process because quite frankly, I’m still pissed at the betrayal.  I won’t get into the specifics, you know who you are.

Possibly it’s why my heart feels cluttered.

I probably need to let it go – be free of the bullshit. But I’m not so sure about this approach.  Sometimes, I like being angry and pissed off it helps me get through the pain. Also, some people just don’t deserve to be forgiven – plain and simple.

This is gonna take some time.  I need advice.

Tell me.  Why and how do you forgive?

A Precious Moment

It was on this day 19 years ago that I made the commitment to love, honor and treasure my husband forever.

Like all things in life, time really zooms by fast. However, today is important and I want to savor the moment; take time to celebrate, appreciate and acknowledge what my marriage has meant to me.

I’ve been writing poetry lately.  Here’s one I’ve been working on for awhile

I was young, perhaps naïve for 18,

our souls were connected

love says everything

explains everything.

 

Through the years, our lives evolved,

marriage vows tested 

vulnerabilities exposed.

 

Strength and courage

conquered conflict and challenge

devotion helped

realize hope was not gone.

 

Often it goes unspoken 

how do I explain?

 

Our love is sweet and tender

a window to my soul

lyrics to my heart-song.

 

Real love happens

evolves and grows

becomes a passionate destiny

magical and real.

 

Happy Anniversary

Wordless Wednesday

What Happen to Spring in Wisconsin?

Separate isn’t Equal

Today marks the 57^th anniversary of a critical Supreme Court decision – Brown vs. the Board of Education of Topeka AND the 50^th anniversary of freedom rides.

Just in case you don’t know what this is, I feel obligated to explain.

Brown vs. The Board of Education is a landmark decision by the US Supreme Court that allowed for the integration of schools.

Big Deal?

You bet.  Blacks weren’t allowed to receive an education and when they did it most certainly wasn’t intermingled with whites.  The Brown decision marked a turning point in the civil rights movement and helped put an end to the Jim Crow laws.

While it might seem so far in the past, it still has an impact in today’s society. Being born in the 70’s afforded me the opportunity to attend the best schools in my neighborhood that were racially integrated. Having this experience taught me a lot and perhaps helped to shape my character.

And 50 years ago, my soul was on board the bus that took the freedom riders to an unfortunate demise inAlabama.

Although I wasn’t born during this turbulent time, my identity and character parallel those that fought for the civil rights of each and every Black American. 

The issues are imbedded in the fabric of my existence.  I don’t wear them on my sleeve, as that would be a wasted effort.  I have them sewn, like a quilted swatch, to my heart.

I won’t forget those that sacrificed their lives for my freedom. Linda Brown in her fight for equality; James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, Michael Schwerner who were murdered during freedom summer in Mississippi; as well as all those who perished on the freedom ride bus in Alabama, will never be forgotten.

Lift every voice and sing, ‘Til earth and heaven ring, Ring with the harmonies of Liberty; Let our rejoicing rise High as the listening skies, Let it resound loud as the rolling sea. Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us, Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us; Facing the rising sun of our new day begun, Let us march on ’til victory is won.

 

When it Rains IT Pours

This title is cliché.  But I have bad luck.  Not just some of the time, but seriously – damn near all the time.  So in my world it’s raining – issue after issue.

Do you wanna hear why my luck is so bad today? 

It’s because BOTH my stove and refrigerator are on the fritz and need to be replaced immediately.  This is ridiculous.  I expected a little more life expectancy from them.  Six years is too young to be tossed out to some landfill site.

Last night, I figured something was wrong. I went to grab the bottle of apple juice from the fridge and the temperature was a little lukewarm.  I don’t mind lukewarm beverages especially when I’m thirsty.  But I didn’t figure it to be a temperature/mechanical problem because with the kids it’s hard to determine if the temperature is really the problem or if the kids just stand and stare, at the sometimes bare contents, in the fridge with the door open.

As for the stove, I went to preheat the oven this morning to make some cinnamon rolls for my daughter’s breakfast and it didn’t heat up properly; so much for a quick breakfast this morning. No, I don’t make cinnamon rolls from scratch – in fact I buy then pre-made from Pillsbury.  Don’t judge me.  Hell, I work an intense full-time job.  I ain’t got time for all of that. I’m just happy to be able to give her something to eat in the morning.

I’m pissed about it all. I, with hubby in tow, will be heading out this weekend to make an unplanned, yet timely purchase of appliances.  I’m not so sure if we should get brand new or used.  I was thinking of going to an appliance outlet to see what we might be able to get that is slightly used, scratch and dent.

What are your suggestions?  What brand of appliance works best with a lifecycle more than 3 years? Do you recommend used appliances?

It’s My Special Day !!

Today is a day for celebration.  It’s my day to shine. I just completed my first semester at Mount Mary College!

I transferred from Spalding University’s Low-Residency MFA in Creative Writing program to the Masters in English program at Mount Mary College .

It was an adjustment but I’m happy I made the change. 

The learning opportunity at Spalding was wonderful.  However, family obligations made it difficult to participate in the 10-day extensive workshop.  Transferring to continue my studies in the Master of Arts in English program at Mount Mary was ideal. The program gives me a chance to study and develop my craft as a writer, obtain a master’s degree, and manage my family obligations.

As a young girl, I always wanted to be a writer.  Now as an adult, I’m finally fulfilling my dream.

Writing is a journey of personal exploration that is different for every writer. And despite a few obstacles, I’ve been persistent about furthering my capacity as a writer.  

I plan to take time off from school this summer to focus on blogging, guest blogging opportunities and writing. 

In the fall, I will be refreshed and eager to analyze narrative techniques, character development, literary themes and complete my manuscript. 

Since I’m always looking for ways to network with other writers, anyone want to join me in developing a small writing group/workshop for the summer? 

Online?  Sure, why not.  We are bloggers after all.