Today has been a good day. I've had plenty of smiles. I went over to a friends house to drop off some items she needed and two other friends were there practicing their line dancing. I got to watch then was asked to join in, dancing made me smile. Then my daughter called to say she was back on American soil and headed for home, another smile, really big smile then while fixing something for dinner I looked out beyond my kitchen window and low and behold for the first time in two years since I moved in here there were children playing baseball in the open feild across the street, smile number three. I have remarked too my husband there aren't children out playing like in our old neighborhood and today it was like a scene from my childhood when we all played outside till Mom called us in for dinner. I feel good!

Gone But Back For Now

I know it has been a very long while since I have sat down and posted anything. I had great intentions but somehow I let those intentions fly right on by. I have been thinking lately that there are so many things I want to share with my children, like my growing up years and memories of them and wishes for their future but my girls don't like sappy. So maybe if I start writing like I am writing a book or keeping a diary it won't come off as sappy. Today I met up with a friend from Tupelo who has also found her way back north and we went to see"Julie and Julie". I really enjoyed it being the foodie I am. Little things in the movie brought forward so much of my culinary school days and my sheer love of cooking. I actually was able to feel a bond with Julia at the end when she saw her published work for the first time. Thoughts came back to when "Celebrating Hospicetality" came to fruition. I know it wasn't my work alone but remembering the long 3 years it took to get it published, the work meetings, recipe testing, eating, eating and more eating, editing, spell checking made me feel so proud to have left my own little mark on the culinary world. Sometimes I feel I am really special. Somedays life is really good! Everyday since last Thursday has been an adventure. I have been given the chance to see if I can really cope without the TV. Answer: yes. I have listened to the radio, my IPod (thanks Jess), read books I have been piling up and just enjoyed the silence. My husband on the other hand has found it a little harder. He needs to watch the news and is so used to putting on the TV as soon as he gets up. He also puts more than one TV on at a time. He does need to remember it was his idea to cancel the service but if you get his version Direct TV was really at fault. I guess I should tell this story from the beginning. In August of 2007 we moved into our home and needed to find a TV provider. We chose Direct TV. We called, checked all the packages made our choice, asked for the monthly price said okay then when the first bill came the war started! Hidden Fees! or should I say we didn't read the fine print. My husband called said he would only pay the price we were quoted and then throughout our two year agreement we met with shut offs, letters to higher authorities and unpleasant feelings. Well this August we could get out and chose a new provider. My husband called to tell them that at the end of our contract we were cancelling. They figured otherwise and shut off one of our four TVs the next day. When we called to asked them to turn it back on we met with you have two accounts, no we didn't, then if we turn it back on it will extend your contract another two years so my husband said cancel everything. Called new provider can't come till end of this week so we will be without the "box" for 9 days. I'm doing okay as I stated before so I guess this was also a way for me to get back to my good intentions to blog!

Isn't It Spring?

Outside my kitchen window it isn't looking very springy. I really beleive I suffer fron SAD and for this reason I feel I need to move back South! Instead we are headed north and west this weekend. Off to Vancouver BC for a conference. I was hopping for warm weather but now it looks like STL will be warmer. Oh well I will get some girl time and catch up with friends I haven't seen in a year. This past weekend was full of Spring surprises! I thought I was going to spend a very quiet and childless Easter when on Good Friday the sun came in full blast. Two of my daughter's organized "Operation Easter Surprise". Ally flew Jessi in from Charleston to surprise me and it was wonderful. Ally was coming over for dinner and before she was due to arrive Gene called and asked her to stop for a bottle of wine. When she came in I asked her if she picked up the wine and she said she left it in the car so she went out to get it . I was typing on the computer, Gene was fixing a pre-dinner snack and as I look up there stands Jessi. I let out the loudest scream and as they all guessed I started to cry! They video taped it and were so proud that they were a success! We had a wonderful visit and I realized I am so blessed to have such wonderful daughters. I have gotten back to the day to day now that the events are over but they will always be inmy thoughts. I can't wait to share the story with my friends I see this weekend. I just now finished making cupcakes for a Bridal Shower Ally is helping with at her job. They taste great and I decorated them in Spring colors to lift everyone's spirits. She'll be by later to pick them up. Now it is laundry and packing. I will try not to pack when Idgie is around, she trys to pack her ball in my suitcase and when she realizes she has to go to the kennel she'll sulk. Yes dogs sulk!, well she does.

Today I decided to start as some would say journaling. I always thought that meant I needed to sit down each day and express my feelings for the day but I really just want to "talk' using words about my life so far. These thought will probably be random and not follow a time line. Different thoughts, sights and rememberance will fly through my brain and I will write about those things. I think this will be more for me than for anyone else. Maybe someday those in my life will find it interesting.