Have Your Cake and Eat it Too

I was just sitting thinking about that phrase. The idea of having something and eating it, but still having it. The thought that you could eat or use something without sacrificing it. I was thinking about it not so much in the philosophical sense as is the actual physical, eating, sense. I was actually wishing for a never ending chocolate chip cookie, or maybe a never ending pizza slice. Did you ever wish for something like that? Something you could eat, that would maybe change into another thing you could eat, without having to get up and get it, would never make you feel full and gross, never make you fat? The penultimate lazy man's foodstuff? I get like this sometimes when I am craving something, but not really hungry. I don't even know what it is I'm craving, because when I actually start mentally listing things I could eat, I don't want them: crackers? nope, candy? nope, cheese, chips, chili, chimichangas? nope, nope, nope, nope! Somebody help me! What is this mysterious food I am craving? Will I have to settle for "eating around a craving" for the next few days until I discover what it is I actually want? Like Templeton, the rat at the fair, eating a bit of everything? The thought of it makes me a little bit sick...and full.

Did You Pod That?

I've been doing a lot of thinking about ipods lately. I got a shuffle last year for my birthday after seeing one on my brother-in-law Tom. His is silver. It is so tiny! Mine is neon pink, a nod to my inner seven-year-old ballerina. I change the songs about every three months or so, but I find I do have a core of songs that stay. I think you could tell a lot about a person by what they have on their MP3 player. On mine, for instance, there is about 8 hours of music. What does that say? I think is says that I like the idea that I can carry that much music with me, or maybe that I like to have a wide selection. There is a section with 70's and
80's music. That brings back some of the best memories of my childhood. There is a section of quiet stuff. Most of these songs come from movie soundtracks from my adult years. That is not to say that the songs are new, no, they tend to be standards from the oldie old days. Right now, "When I Fall in Love" is playing. This is from "Sleepless in Seattle", one of my favorite movies. There are also a couple of Broaway soundtracks on here. Everything on my ipod is something that makes me happy. I listen to this stuff and it makes me feel good and gets me going or, relaxes me. I think it's really great to be able to carry that around with me. Anne

God is No Dummy

When God created man, He must have known that we would be so imperfect. After all, He had all kinds of rules for us to follow that are supposed to save us from ourselves. The Old Testament rules about cloven hooves and all being now mostly obsolete, but the Ten Commandments are so basic and right to the point, He had to have known the kinds of things that would drag us down. My biggie is the whole covet issue. Covet is an old word. One that confused me as a youngster. I knew it wasn't cover(Why would you cover your neighbors goods?), but what did covet mean? The nuns quickly disabused me of the notion that it meant steal. Why repeat that again after "Thou shalt not steal"? I couldn't fathom the stealing of a spouse at the age of 6. What even is a spouse anyway? So, the dictionary defines covet this way: cov·et
1. to desire wrongfully, inordinately, or without due regard for the rights of others: to covet another's property.
2. to wish for, esp. eagerly: He won the prize they all coveted.
–verb (used without object)
3. to have an inordinate or wrongful desire.
OK, that explains the meaning, but definition #2 doesn't seem so bad. I did sort of covet a really cool dragonfly kite a guy had at the park today, but not enough to run up and grab it and run. Are there different levels of covet? I don't think God thinks so. Anyway, back to me and covetting(?). Mostly, what I covet is time. What I mean is the time that others get to spend with the people that I love. I think the proprietary feeling I have for my loved ones is usually healthy, but sometimes, I really don't like those folks that actually get to spend life with the people that are close to me and that I feel I should get to spend more time with. The biggest example I can think of here is my sister and her friend Karen. I have only met Karen a few times, and Margie assures me that I would get along with her very well, but I don't know. Every time I hear of another occasion or even just a regular day, that Karen gets to live with Margie, it kind of digs at me a bit. Now, this is dumb. Margie lives 200 miles away. We talk on the phone and e-mail often and see each other as busy life allows, but how much do I expect? Well, that's the thing, see. It isn't about what I expect, it's about what I want. The truth is, I don't get as much time with my sister and her family as I would like, so I begrudge the time Karen gets.
This is covet. There is really nothing that I can do about it. What, I should tell my sister that she can't have any friends 'cause it makes me jealous? Nope. I hope that these feelings don't make her feel bad. I don't want them to. I guess it just shows how much I love her. As long as I don't punch anybody, we'll all get along just fine. Love you Marg. Anne

What a Good Day

Today was an unusual day. It was fun and maybe it's unusualness (is that a word?)is what made it that way. I went over to the senior center that Mom works at and filled out an "application" to help her in the Meals on Wheels kitchen on Friday mornings. I met Debbie, the lady in charge, who gave me a tour and invited me to all the free coffee I want. Too bad I can't drink coffee anymore. She showed me all around, tipped me onto the good parking spots, and even threw out a tentative offer for a paying sub position in the future. Thanks to Mom for her hard work, as I know this offer had to be on her merit.
After that, I went to see my dad and collect Margie's cat to take to her in Red Wing. I had a nice chat with Dad, who is stuck at home in his pj's due to swelling from abdominal surgery ("none of my pants fit"). Poor Dad. We then stuffed old fat Polly into his carrier and I drove, with him yowling for the first half hour, to meet Marg in Red Wing.
Once there, we transferred the hefty beast out of the carrier and Margie put him on a leash in the Caribou Coffee parking lot for a quick waddle. Then back into the carrier for a nap, I hope, while Margie and I went for lunch.
We went to a place called Lily's that has charm, but the food didn't impress me today. I ate half a cup of soup and a few chips and we had a nice long talk. Loverly.
I came home via Home Goods, which is not nearly as fun to shop in alone as it is with a mom or a sis, so I ended up buying zip.
Hot dogs and corn for dinner. Time with the kids. Even a short talk via cell to Elizabeth, who is on a bus trip to New York! Overall, a very nice unusual day.
Anne

I Need More than Snow in March

I really don't care much for March in Minnesota, except for the 31st. I know that I live in a cold weather state and that I must expect no literal return of Spring, despite what the calendar says, but by this time of year, I'm ready for 50 degree weather and some buds on the trees. I guess my 11 years in Kansas City have led me to this. March there is Springtime. Here in Minnesota, we really can't expect buds until May and full tree leaf-out until the first part of June. Spring in Minnesota is a misnomer. We usually get a week of it if we're lucky. But, if you like the "In like a lion, out like a lamb" adadge, you really do get it here. A day or two of springlike weather usually pops out at the end of March, only to be snatched back by the hands of winter for a snowfall,or two, in April. Looking outside today, you'd think it was January, cold and snowing. But, like all Minnesotans, I know it doesn't last forever and the "snow gone, birds come back" season will soon be upon us. Please God, I am so ready. Anne

Tastes Like Onions

I had lunch today from one of my favorite local places. It's called the Taste of Scandinavia. (Click on the post title to see their website.) When we first moved to Vadnais Heights, and for a long time after, it was just a tiny little pastry shop. I used to bring Sylvie there quite often for a cookie or a fancy pastry on the way to the park. We would take our treats in their little white bags and sit on a bench or in the grass and eat them and feel we were doing something very Euro-chic. Sylvie usually had water in a sippie cup with hers and I probably had a bottle of Willard's water. (That's what we call the flavored fizzie water from Walmart, courtesy of my mom.) I guess the sippie cup and the water from Walmart probably ruined our ability to look Euro-chic to others, but we were good with it. Anyway, the place is now a full fledged cafe' with hot food, specialty breads, fancy coffee, and yes, they still have the pastry. Today I had their swedish meatballs. They are probably much more authentic than mine and very tasty. They come with mashed potatoes (real ones) and lingonberries. The berries are whole, not sauce, but I find them to be too sour. I prefer good old Ocean Spray Cranberry sauce myself. Again, smashing Euro with the good old Midwest. I enjoyed my lunch heartily, but now my mouth tastes like onions. I love onions, but I guess I would prefer that they didn't linger around inside my mouth. Now I have to go brush my teeth. Anne

Free Books

I watched one of my favorite movies tonight...again, "You've Got Mail" with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. It's at least the third remake of a movie done back in the 40's called "The Shop around the Corner". I have all three of them and I love them all. The latest one is about a small bookstore owner and her fight against a large chainstore and it's owner. The trouble is, she is in love with him. She falls in love with him before ever seeing his face, through the wonder of email. I love books and I love reading. I love it so much that I have my 10 digit library card number memorized. How many people can say that? I love to go to bookstores and look at books, then put them on hold at the library. Because, aside from reading, I love free. I think the US free library system is one of the greatest inventions ever. Thank you Andrew Carnegie. I also really like to support local businesses, even if they are slightly more expensive than the big guys. I have really come to appreciate customer service in my middle age. Don't get me wrong though, a really big book store with a cafe' in it is thrilling too. I think that as long as libraries and book stores are busy in the middle of a Tuesday afternoon, there is still hope for our society. Anne

I Love the Internet!

I am having so much fun with this blog! The frustrated secretary in me loves moving things about and finding new ideas to put in it. I haven't utilized 1/20th of the things I could, but that's ok, room to grow is exciting. I love the internet. I have a few friends who haven't succumbed to it yet and all I can say is, "You don't know what you're missing!" I know there is a lot of crappy stuff out there and the internet makes it easier to get to, but if you're the type who generally avoids the crappy stuff, you can do it here too. There is just so much available that is fun, enlightening, and enriching. I'm so glad that my husband works with and is so into computers. My life is being improved because of it. Of course, not everyone is lucky enough to have their own, personal, in-home IT guy. That must make accessibility more difficult. My father-in-law has proven that no one is too old to learn; he just started internet banking! I hope you like it Dad. Just like anything new, there is a learning curve, but it sure is fun when you crest the peak and can start the "WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!" of the downhill side. Anne