The Joy of Multitasking

                    The Joy of Multitasking


I've been multitasking all day. I'm the person who can do a load of laundry while cleaning a bathroom as I'm taking a shower with a phone conversation on the other side of the shower door. 

Yep that was me this morning. I had just gotten my shower ready to get into and my phone rang. I left it on speaker the entire time I showered, cleaned the shower and started a load of laundry. Why did I do this? And who was on the other line that wouldn't be offended because I was doing this? Well that's a story now isn't it. 

This morning my phone rang much the same as it does every morning. Usually it's from a number unknown to me and since I get so many phone calls wanting to sell me everything from janitorial supplies to printer ink for my home based business, I usually let it go to voicemail. I decided to answer it this morning because it's Monday, I felt like it, I just wanted to see what they were trying to sell me today, or maybe I just had a feeling that this was a call I couldn't ignore. It was priceless.

I answered the phone as I usually do with unknown callers, Design Styles by Deborah, how may I assist you today? Now to be completely honest with you I thought I was talking to a real person, the computer voice was that real, so kudos to the company on that one. But I, being the person I am, hate talking to computers. I really hate talking to computers that I don't know the company they are affiliated with. So by the time I figured out it was a computer I decided to have some fun. 

The computer proceeded to ask me if I was me. I looked in the mirror just to make sure. There's more of me than there used to be, but yes, still me.  So I said yes. 
Okay. Are you still living at your address. I went outside checked the numbers on the house. Yep this is where I live. So I said yes. 
Okay. Since I've confirmed that you are the person I'm trying to reach, can I ask you a few questions? 
Sure. That's when I figured out it was a computer. It didn't understand my response. 
*Rubs hands and shouts for joy.
I'm sorry I didn't understand you, can you repeat that? 
Yes. But first I have a question for you. Who is this? 
Holiday Travel. 
Okay, proceed. 
Have you ever traveled out of the United States?
Yes.
Have you ever used the services of a travel agent?
Yes.
Do you have a passport?
Yes.
Do you have a credit card?
Yes.
It sounds like you are qualified to receive this free offer. Would you like to hear about it?
Yes.
We would like to offer you a free cruise to the Bahamas. You would only be responsible for the port fees of $69.00 per person. This is a wonderful opportunity to visit the Bahamas on a luxury cruise ship for only $69.00 per person in port fees. Would you be interested in this offer. 
Yes.
Okay let me transfer you to one of our travel specialists. Please hold until someone comes on the line. 

Sadly I ended the call right then. Not for the reasons you might think but one of my own in addition to the ones your thinking. I have been to the Bahamas. I hated the Bahamas. I will never go to the Bahamas again. EVER. It was a steaming mass of humanity, sweat, and a huge rock pile that only offered a Straw Market for entertainment on one island and a trip to view all the rich peoples vacation homes on the other. 

Imagine if you will, A giant bale of hay with tunnels cut into it miles deep that only has one way in and one way out. Then add the fact that these tunnels are filled with "shops" much like those found in a flea market. Remember we are still inside a bale of hay. The only opening is the one we came in. The walkways are only large enough for one person at a time. There is no going back the way you came in. To someone who is claustrophobic, this was a living nightmare. It took me days to find my way out of that hay cave and by the time I did I had been manhandled by more humanity than lives in my current hometown. I wanted a shower, a nap and a Xanax in no particular order. 

The other island was just as bad but in a different way. We thought we were going to see the sights of the island. Yeah, we saw Oprah's house, P-Diddy's house, etc. you get the picture. Plus the tour guide went on to tell us the names of the people who care for the houses and their salaries and why it was such a great job. Really. 

Needless to say I passed on the Bahamas trip.  

Have a laugh today. I did.

Until next time. 

The Joy of Friends

Best Friends Forever

I have friends that I have known since I was born. When we get together it's almost as if we haven't been apart. It's often said that good friends can go years without seeing each other but the love is still there. I felt that last night, again, it wasn't the first time I'd felt the love embrace me and it wont be the last. But the feeling of seeing an old friend is like no other. 

Friends are like small treasures we pick up in our lifetimes and lock away in our hearts until we see them again. We had a great supper and talked for almost 3 hours. It was priceless time. Time to make new plans to see each other again, to hold each other up for those 3 hours, it was time to just be us and the rest of the world fell away. 

It always reminds me just how precious your friends are. They love you unconditionally and expect nothing more from you than you can give them. They ask for noting more than your time and give you as much of theirs as you are willing to take. 

We both love to scrap book so this winter when it's cold and we have nothing else to do we are going to scrapbook.  I have so many things to go into a scrapbook that I could easily make 20 of them. But the really funny thing is, I have made them for everyone in my family, 8 of them, and have never made one for myself. Its's a funny thing why we never do for ourselves what we've done for others. Well this is my year. I am going to make my wedding book, and my honeymoon book. Lance and I have been married almost 9 years so I think it's time.

I also have photos and memories of all of the cruises we've been on. I've lost count of the number of them but I know we're close to being platinum level on carnival. Those memories alone will fill a few scrapbooks.

We are going to go on a long vacation this fall from Texas, through New Mexico, to the Grand Canyon, then to Las Vegas, over to Los Angeles to support, "The Salute to Cancer Survivors Cruise." Which is 7 days, then it's off to San Diego for some much  needed cultural education. Tucson will be our next stop, to visit with Lance's family and then it's back to LA for another small cruise but this time with Lance's Mother Marty with us. This time it's 5 days.

Then we go back to Tucson, spend the night and drive home back to Texas the next day. I hope I find lots of great things to use in scrapbooks, the children's books I'm writing and that I just have fun on this new adventure. Whatever happens I'm sure I'll have plenty of stories to tell about it.

Til next time.......

Debbie

The Art of being Joyful

                         

                                     The Joy of Children

Have you seen a bunch of children playing outside, in the street, laughing, having a good time?
Have you seen them lately? I did just yesterday. From my front window and my back yard. Children outside playing. It was such a joy to watch them. It was almost as if we had gone back to the times when children played outside. When we made up our own games. We could do anything our imagination would think of.

I was lucky to not only have Cindy and Pam but also Jimmy, Lynda, Ginger, Bobby and a bunch of friends. Pam, Cindy and I were all the same age plus we were cousins so we were born playing together. Jimmy and Lynda are also cousins but they were a bit older and would sometimes play with us. Bobby, my baby brother, and Ginger, were smaller so we had to be careful with them. Scott was kind of in the middle of Bobby and Ginger but we all cared for each other and we all had so much love.

We played outside where we built forts or had fights in olive trees with the olives as ammunition. I remember one time we got carried away, Jimmy and Lynda were in one tree, Cindy, Pam and myself were in another tree. Jimmy shot an olive toward our tree with the aim of a true marksman. He hit me right between my eyes with that olive and I went over backwards and fell right out of that tree. I hit the ground so hard my Grandma came running outside screaming for my Grandpa. Jamesy, JAMESY, HURRY UP ONE OF OUR BABIES FELL OUT OF THE TREE..

Of course I was fine. I was a kid. Kids don't get hurt falling out of trees onto grassy surfaces. I just got the wind knocked out of me. Of course we were banned from the trees after that and let me tell you that if we got caught....I don't even want to think about it.

We lived in a small mining community called San Manuel. It's located in The southern portion of Arizona. As kids we played in the desert. It was a second home to us. It was full of incredible things like cactus and devil horns and blister bugs. Of course the devil horns only resembled a devils horns. They were actually a seed pod for one the the trees in the desert. I'm not sure which one. When you are a kid you don't really care about those things. We played with horny toads and big bright green june bugs. We would catch them put a string on their leg and fly them like kites. We always let them go when we were done playing with them. We also had bats that would come in after dark. My Mom was always telling us that they would get in our hair. Well we weren't allowed out after dark so we never knew if a bat would get in our hair our not. We always made our own fun. We used our imaginations and became whoever we wanted to be. Life was easy then. If only we could go back for a few days and live those good times over again.

Those were the good things about life in that small town. The downside was often the town itself. The mine was underground and had its own railroad system and its own smelter. At that time of course the EPA was nowhere in sight and so for years we all breathed sulpher smoke from the twin stacks that belched it out all day every day. When the barometric pressure got just right it would blanket the town in a smoke so thick you couldn't see much less breathe. This stuff would literally burn you lungs when you breathed it. But those were the only times I can think of that were hard.

I was always so easy for us as we were all right there in the same town. We didn't know what it was like to be away from each other. Until one of us did. Oh we still got together on major holidays but eventually we all grew up and moved away. Even now, I feel like an island unto myself. I lived in my current home town with my Mother, Sister and Brother. My sister got married and moved for school and settled three hours south of me. My brother did the same and moved 2 hours north of me. Then he to decided to move to where my sister was, so now he is also 3 three hours south of me. My Mother who had to go into assisted living last year, also now lives 3 hours south of me. The rest of my family is scattered to the four winds.  But we all still talk on the phone, or on Facebook and are all still very much a part of each others lives.

Til next time,

Have a joy filled day.

Maci and the Dandelion

I have recently started on a new venture. I'm writing children's books and would love to share a short story I wrote just for fun. Please enjoy and if you know anyone with children who would like some cute stories about great critters, please direct them to my page on Amazon.  

MACI AND THE DANDELION

BY DEBORAH JOY

My family was gathered, at what would be the last time at my Mom’s Kitchen/Dining room table. Since she only had a dining room table and her kitchen wasn’t large enough for a table, this was the place to be when we had a family gathering.

My niece,  Maci, who was 5 at the time, was always busy. Busy tormenting her brother, busy begging for a story or just  busy wandering around looking at things in Grandmas house. Today she was busy opening things. She came upon a basket with a lid on it. It was a small basket my Mom used for random things. A stray button, or a lost paperclip. Well at one time, Maci decided it needed to house a dandelion.

I guess at some point she had put a flower in the box so it would dry out and Mom could still remember the flower that Maci gave her. Of course when she gave Mom the flower had been many months ago. It was winter now, and no flowers had been growing for a long time.

 So the dandelion did what dandelions do, it turned into a puff ball of seeds. Of course Maci, like all children, love dandelions.  This one was no exception. She sat at that kitchen table, took a deep breath and blew those seeds right into her face.

  It was impossible not to laugh. The look on her face was priceless. A combination of awe, shock and fear covered her entire body. Of course everyone was laughing and finally she laughed with us. Her brother, Bryson, who was 2 at the time, just looked astonished. I’m sure it was his first experience with a dandelion. 

This is where my writing comes from. These little people who are so excited by everything around them. Everything  they touch becomes something new and different and exciting.  I try to remember what it was like when I was that age. I see the world through their eyes for a moment and realize just how much I’ve been missing.

Going Bald Gracefully. Not.

The Art of Going Bald.

There really should be an art to it.

 And there must be thousands of books on the subject but apparently they are all hidden in someones basement never to be seen or heard from again. I know because I have looked for books on the subject of going bald

 Men do baldness with grace and dignity. Some even shave their heads because, why bother with hair if you don't have to. It's certainly easier in the shower. Only body wash required. Shampoo optional. Men are supposed to go bald. It's a rule. They even have a name for it. Male pattern baldness. There are, of course, some men who hold out to the bitter end before admitting defeat. They have a ring of hair around their heads that looks like a Frisbee got stuck there.

Then there are the others that take the three remaining hairs on their heads and comb them to the side then wrap them back around in a sort of swirl effect until it looks like they have three hairs on their had that decided to do a waltz and are now standing at attention. These men are so attached to their hair they will do anything to keep it.

Women don't have that same luxury. We need hair, Hair is what we hide behind, frame our faces with, Create fabulous works of art with that take hours only to go home after the party and wash it all out. Having hair is work and women need to have hair. Think about the time in the bathroom women would save everyday if they, suddenly went bald. The same things would apply to us. Only body wash in the shower, no more trips to the salons, Lots of money saved there,

I'm not really changing the subject just veering away from it for a minute. I've been going to physical therapy for 16 weeks on the orders of my doctor. The therapy I've been engaging in has been based in the swimming pool. I've gotten stronger and have lost a total of 20 pounds. Next Tuesday is my last day of therapy. I see my doctor on Monday. At that time I will beg her to give me a medical release to do water aerobics with the 15 or so ladies at the pool each day. I have learned a lot from these ladies. But one of the main things is that they are, to some degree, losing their hair. Today I felt free for the first time in I can't remember when. I have been wearing wigs, hateful contraptions that make your head itch like crazy, an odd assortment of hats, yes I have about 75 hats. I like hats so I'll probably keep wearing them. And I have some head scarves that I wear when I want to challenge someone to a fight because they think I'm a Muslim, instead of the shirttail Baptist that I actually am.

Today was therapy day. I got ready to go and hat in hand was walking out the door. I decided then that today would be the day. My freedom day. Today I went without a hat to the pool. Yes some of the ladies actually cheered. I didn't feel out of place, I didn't feel like people were staring at me. And I didn't put my hat back on to go to the grocery store, or the pharmacy or even in my own home. I am going to embrace the baldness. not. I will still wear hats, the hateful wigs and the scarves until it is socially acceptable for women to be seen in public bald.

Til next time,

Have a joy filled day.

Joyful Cooking

                                  RECIPES FOR FUN

  NOUGATS AND NIBBLES

       I've always loved recipes. I can't tell you how many cookbooks, cooking magazines and just plain recipes I've gathered over the years. The ones I'm going to share with you came from friends along my way. I have treasured them because they are handwritten and have been some of the best food that I ever ate.

 A smiling face is half the meal.   Latvian proverb                                                                                                         

Have you ever looked around at something and ask yourself where did all of this stuff come from? I am a collector of recipes. I have no idea how I became a collector of recipes, unless it was handed down from my Mom, who is also, a collector of recipes.  I have no intention of ever cooking all of them but I like having the option of cooking them…someday. Being a collector of recipes has its pitfalls. People feel like they need to give you more recipes to add to your collection of recipes that you have no use for.  But as a collector of recipes some have found the way into my collection that are, quite simply, extraordinary.

I don’t know the author of this recipe or how it came to be in my collection. It’s written on a sheet of lined tablet paper and has been encased in what appears to be clear packing tape. I have copied it here exactly as it has been written.

“ “This receipt is guaranteed to be the most unorthodox, unconstitutional, & ridiculously compliled you have ever tried to absorb!” “

“P.S. a real Mexican would shudder & say no-no-no. But I don’t like their chili either.”

Meat

Ground Beef (regular) Browned in skillet (alone first)

“           “        (course grind)

Bulk Sausage

Canned tomatoes-crushed with potato masher

Onions-diced and sauted-oleo

Green peppers-“    “       “-oleo

Green chilies-popped in oven-diced

Mushrooms-chopped fine and well browned

Garlic-Fresh-thro garlic press

Cumminos (spice sparingly)

Mild chili powder (2 cans we sent) for flavor

Hot chili powder-to taste

Sugar and salt-to taste

Optional-(all adds flavor)

Canned mushroom soup or gravy

Tomato juice-Lea and Perrin or A-1 sauce-Red pepper-can of tomato puree

Various other tidbits & nick nacks & odds and ends to numerous to mention.””   

Happy eating!

.

Food has always been a big part of my life. The following recipe was given to me by Alice. This was one of her son’s favorite meals and since he was my new husband at the time, it was with great pleasure that I cooked it for him.  Although, having been born and raised in southern Arizona, this was not the way I learned to cook enchiladas.

Enchiladas

2 cans-cream of chicken soup

2 cans-cream of mushroom soup

2 soup cans of water

1 can chopped green chili (small)

3 or 4 cans tomato sauce (8oz)

½ can of el pato sauce (more or less to the taste)

Combine and heat until warm (do not boil)

Method

Brown 2 lbs. ground beef with

1 tsp. garlic salt

Drain and set aside

Dip corn tortillas in hot grease to soften (or heat in microwave)

Dip tortillas in sauce. Put a little ground beef and cheese on tortillas, roll and place in baking pan. Pour sauce over the tortillas, top with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees until cheese melts.

Ole`

 This last recipe, also for enchiladas, is from Charlie. He is as handy as a pocket on a shirt. He even has a possible box. I asked him one time what a possible box was. He told me it was possible he was going to need something out of it. I told him I’d had one of those for years, it’s called a purse. Mine weighs approximately 28 pounds and has everything that anyone could ever need. It is also the size of a small suitcase and causes me to walk lopsided. I finally learned to change shoulders every so often so I can straighten back out. After my spinal surgery this spring, my surgeon advised me not to carry a purse. Okay. Now I carry my driver’s license and debit card only. 

Lance carries my purse.

Here is Charlie’s recipe for:

White Enchiladas

1 pkg shredded cheese

1 # meat (hamburger, chicken or turkey)

1 can chopped green chiles

1 can cream of mushroom soup (small)

1 8oz cup of sour cream

8oz picante sauce

1 pkg flour tortillas

Brown meat in skillet Pour out any excess fat add picante sauce and simmer until well combined at same time, make white sauce, In sauce pan put green chile, sour cream and cream of mushroom soup. Add enough water to make it pliable and not stick. Bring to a slow boil. Roll meat mixture into tortillas and place in a 8x11 pan. Pour white sauce over top. Bake in 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes or until sauce thickens on top. Add cheese on top and melt.

I put extra onions on top before I put in oven the first time. I use aluminum pans so if I don’t want to wash it, I can just chunk it.

I have to say I like his logic. I often have felt like just “chunking” something. I have actually tried both of the enchilada recipes. Oddly enough they are both quite good considering that they both use soup. I have nothing against soup but I had never thought of them being a staple for Mexican cooking. 

 Until next time.....

Happy eating

 

When Life Gets In Your Way

                                               



Sometimes life gets in the way and keeps you busy with other things that you'd rather not do. Like spending time in the emergency room twice. Having to face the prospect of physical therapy for 16 weeks. And having one of your fur babies need the services of a veterinarian for 2 days in a row. That has been my downside of my life for the last few weeks. Hopefully a medication change has made my desire to rearrange my face one piece at a time, history.

The first ER visit was because of a series of events. If I had that day to do over, I certainly would. It all started fairly normal, until the mailman arrived. Let me assure you now. This was not my regular mailman.

I saw him struggling on my front porch to put an over sized package into my small mailbox. Do you see a problem here?  Sadly I didn't. I opened the door and stepped out offering my assistance to the person who was delivering my mail that day. I really don't think that he deserves even the title of mail man and you'll see why in a minute.

Anyway back to my tale, I offered to take the over sized package from him so he could get the rest of my mail in my box. I guess there is some unwritten rule he was following by not handing me my own mail. By this time I had laid the package on the handily located bench right beside the mailbox. So my hands were empty. My Boston Terrier, Laci, picked the moment that I was attempting to take the mail from him, to bolt out the front door. She pushed me off the porch onto a patio that my husband built out of pavers. I managed to give myself a concussion, ripped all the skin off the side of my face and wound up with a broken elbow and a broken wrist. The person delivering my mail, left me lying on the patio, didn't call an ambulance, didn't try to see if I was still alive, and was actively kicking at my sweet Laci, who loves everyone. My next door neighbor chose that moment to come home and actually helped me to get up. Called my husband Lance at work to come home, and was going to help me find Laci. At that time another neighbor brought my Laci back to me.


In case you were wondering. No I never said anything to the post office about the person who was delivering my mail that day. Several people have asked me why I didn't turn him in. I always said, what for, being a complete jerk. I don't think he broke a law by not helping me. But I was certainly glad to get my regular mailman back.

This was the beginning of a very long 3 month journey.

The second time I fell, this time with no help from Laci, was in the back yard. I blame Lance for this one but really he had nothing to do with it. He had mowed the yard earlier and was inside the house taking a break. I was going to the garage to get something for dinner out of the freezer. I had healed from the previous fall and was doing well until the moment I stepped off the walk, to go around the BBQ, and wound up stepping in a hole that was camouflaged as grass. Yep I fell again. This time I bit through my bottom lip, tried to break my nose and actually broke my upper denture. On a Saturday this time. My lip needed 4 stitches, my nose, thankfully, wasn't broken and I had another concussion. Lance found me this time. He was a lot calmer than I was. All I saw was a pool of blood with no idea where it was coming from.

The third time, I guess you could say, was the charm. I fell in my home right before I got into my bedroom. This time I thought I'd break some of my ribs and a hip. I didn't go to the emergency room for this one and my doctor is very upset with me because of it. She didn't even know about the second visit. So she ordered x-rays of both hip and ribs. It's official broken ribs.

This week, Laci decided she'd try to test my nerves by coming in the house with an eye that was almost bloody it was so red. I had been at physical therapy that morning and she was fine when I left. I have no idea what had happened so off to her vet we went. It turns out she had a scratch from something so he fixed her right up with all the necessary drops and gels to get her healed. The next day while I was in the shower she decided to break one of her toenails so that it was hanging by a thin piece of her flesh. Thankfully, her mom didn't pass out on her. I once again took her to the vet, we now have a standing appointment with them, and he clipped the offending toenail off. Put a large white bandage on it and sent her home.

Frankly I'm afraid to leave the spot I'm sitting at because it actually seems a little safer here. I still have joy in my life and I'll let you in on it with my next post.



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