Friday, January 29, 2010

The Homecoming

Grace in Small Things for Friday Jan. 29th
62/365

1) Was given an office of my very own! For the past two weeks I have been sitting/sharing the reception area. Upon Boss from Ohio visit, I was given a larger than life room (no windows but what the hey!). I have not had my own space in a ling long time. Remember when I shared a 10 by 10 room with the Smart Alec's and the Hunk?

2)Text messaging.

3) "Me lady" (have not come up with a nick name for her yet) buying my lunch at the China King. (I love Chinese Buffets!)

4) It snowed this afternoon and is still snowing. It was a delicious anticipation all day long. I do not work at Biscuit Bucket tomorrow - can enjoy the weather.

5) The computer came home today. I have a new hard drive. It means I have lost everything, all my programs, all my documents, all my music, all my pictures. But - I backed up the pictures long ago! Yea! Bonus GiST - the stick (what do they call those things?) that I transferred six years of pic's to!

Grace in Small Things

Number 62/365 Thursday Jan. 28

1) Ohio Boss (guy who strung me along for five months and then hired me) in town for a visit.

2) Another vivid dream about long ago.

3) A gift left on my desk - a discarded coffee mug saved by the Dumpster Diver extraordinaire!

4) Received a great e-val from Heather Be Thy Name!

5) Found the snack food Bugles at the Dollar Tree! Yum! comfort food from my younger days.

January 27, 2010

Grace in Small Things Number 61 of 365

1) Sharing Baked Ruffle Potato chips

2) Sharing my Ruth Montgomery information.

3) Thank God for Walmart and the fact it is right across the street.

4) A chicken biscuit given to me for breakfast! - (my GiST certainly has a lot about food...)

5) Leaving the egg salad sandwich I made for lunch in the car (very cold outside like a refrigerator) and thank the lord I did that because the sulphur smell about knocked me over! I would have hated to stink up the office.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Tuesday and I am still Julia Childish

GiST's 60 of 365 January 26th

1) Walked the Mall and met half the tenets and chatted about "things".

2) While looking up Biker Shows I went onto Face Book and had a great chat with Coochie (from 'the good old days'.....we agreed on that).

3) Heather Be Thy name was a no show for my e-val. Thank God, my Julia Childish was wearing off by then.

4) Finished book number 7 of the year, "The Widow's Curse" by Phillip Depoy. It was a wonderful find! A new mystery personality, this one named Fever Develin. Great easy fun read.

5)Got home in time, after being forced to take some computer classes at Biscuit Bucket about being held up by robbers and how to suggestive sell - an odd combo,to watch the UK game. Dang it if they didn't get beat and it made me sad. I felt it coming with about three minutes left. But, better now and get it over with. Better to loose now than in March (if you know what I mean!).

Make me more like Julia Child

or GiST's Number 59 of 365 - January 25th

1) Hearing Flock of Seagulls on Muzak. A real trip down that old '80's memory lane.

2) The sky was so dramatic on the ride into town. Black and turquoise with a cold front pushing in.

3) I made a tuna sandwich (because I decided not to go into town the day before and buy peanut butter) and it reminded me of the tuna sandwiches I had to endure as a child that my Mother made. She loved butter on her sandwiches (all of them) and so whenever she made one for us kids.....oh jeez. But the memory of those tuna and butter sandwiches opened up a door in my mind that had been closed for awhile.

4) When I awoke that morning I prayed that I would be enthusiastic about my new job at the Marketing office of the mall. I asked God to help me be more like Julia Child, as portrayed by Merryl S. in Julie and Julia. Enthusiastic and full of energy! And he listened!

5) While at work at the Mall, L. said some very irritating things, but I must have had some left over grace from my "let me be more like Julia Child" prayer and I just was very kind to her thinking she was having a bad Monday morning. ("I am sooooooo holy" as my little Bridget use to say after going to church...lol).

Number 58 of 365

January 24th - Sunday's GiST

1) Was planning a trip into town to buy things and then stopped myself. I really didn't need to buy anything! Cool.

2) Instead took a luxurious bubble bath.

3) Then made some butterscotch brownies (because someone who shall remained unnamed ate all my semi-sweet chocolate squares!).

4) Had a weird strange virus during the night that miraculously was gone by 4am. Yuck and Thank goodness.

5) Cleaned the bathroom and kitchen and they were sparkling clean. Beautiful.

Monday, January 25, 2010

Number 57

January 23, 2010
grace in Small Things

1) Finding a quarter in the car for the cart at ALDI.

2) Joe selling an item to a friend and not backing down on his price. Usually Joe's motto is "buy high sell low".

3) Bought a bunch of tulips, pink tulips. Can't remember buying flowers for myself in a long long time.

4) Finished book number 6, God's in Alabama by Joshlyn Jackson (I have taken a stab at her name) and it was refreshingly good!

5) UK Beats Arkansas and goes on to 19-0.

January 22, 2010

56/365 Grace in Small Things

1) Changing Colors on JAHG and making the font larger and it was so easy. And I can change it back so easy too!

2) Getting "hipped" that there is a antique shop that I would love to investigate in town and fairly easy to find, though it is a little off the beaten track.

3) A free night! No work at Biscuit Bucket!

4) Fit into a pair of pants I bought way back in 2004 (I think) !!!

5) Watching Conan O'Brian's last Tonight Shows on TV. They are hilarious, irreverent and down right vicious. High entertainment. And then there was Pee Wee Herman!

Friday, January 22, 2010

January 21st

55/365 Grace in Small things

1) Seeing someone who looked quite a lot like Joe's brother at Biscuit Bucket and for just one moment I forgot he had passed away. But then I remembered it couldn't be him.

2) Making dinner and having a sit down with Joe!

3) I think I have the perfect biscuit recipe. Get a box of Bisquick (did I spell that right?) and pour a sizable amount into a bowl. Get some butter - must be butter - and slice off about a tablespoon or two and cut it into the Bisquick. Add sugar. I throw in about two tablespoons. The add the milk until it is a good consistency (I know, I know, but I do not measure when I make this - a good consistency is when it sticks together). I spoon drop it on a slightly greased cookie sheet (means I spray it with PAM or something like it) they are about the size of a hockey puck. Bake at 350 for about 10 minuets.

They look like hell, but OMG. They fall apart good. They are so good I think I may have already mentioned them in my GiST - oh well).

4) Getting out my earring collection (for lack of a better word) and being able to wear them again. Biscuit Bucket has very strict guide lines on what types you can wear. i wore some dangley ones last night while working there! Don't tell Heather Be Thy Name.

5) Fabulous and startling streak lightening on the drive home last night.

Number 54

January 20th Grace in Small Things

1) Strange dreams that stayed with me all morning. My mother as a young woman and myd daughter as a three year old. Strange but gratifying.

2) Attack of insomnia that allowed me to squeeze in an hour of reading.

3) Calling my daughter and having a good heart to heart.

4) Got my teeth into a good satisfying project.

5) Did not split my pants all day (??)

January 19th

53/365 Grace in Small Things

1) Grabbing a Sharpie that works.

2) Being given a bag of orange slices. Delicious juicy.

3) Muzak that is different from the soundtrack of Biscuit Bucket.

4) Writing down a phone number not knowing that I was certainly going to use it to find the drug testing place (no I did not have to study)! Thank God I had that number.

5) Goofing off at a meeting at Biscuit Bucket with my girl Rita.

January 18th

52/365 GiST

1) Lunch at Burger King - Love a Whopper.

2) What a rush meeting new people and "pegging" their names in my brain.

3) Beginnings are scary but exhilarating. New beginnings.

4) Finishing Book number 5 this year, the Art of Mending by Elizabeth Berg. it was Ok. My least favorite title I have read of hers.

5) Fog fog everywhere this morning and it is beautiful in its spookiness.

January 17th

GiSt Number 51/354

1) Found my light purple earrings on the floor after saying a prayer to St. Anthony, the patron saint of finding lost things. (i kid you not, this old Catholic voodoo really works).

2) Went into Walmart in the midst of a rain shower and all the carts were wet. A young guy was pulling towels from a dispenser they had on the wall to wipe off the carts, and with a smile gave me his handful.

3) Made a house out of a $4 large plastic storage bin for the black and white cat. Th cardboard box we put out there for his residence did not survive the rain showers.

4) Being able to check bank balances via telephone (b/c the computer is still in the hospital, more like being held for a ransom).

5) Joe ironed my shirt for me.

Bonus Grace

6) My Dad with me while I am driving b/c he taught me to drive and I hear his advice all the time in my head just like he gave it to me all those many years ago.

Number 50

Grace in Small Things - January 16th

1) Using the computer at Joe's office.

2) Waking up at 130am because that darn three legged cat wanted something that couldn't wait and Joe and I talking for hours like we were on a sleep-over.

3) Getting my clothes lined up for my new job.

4) Having a good day at Biscuit Barrel because I realized that I really enjoy the job, especially now that I don't have to do it, I choose to do it. (make any sense??).

5) UK beat Auburn in a real nail biter.

Friday, January 15, 2010

Getting Caught Up (maybe)

Grace in Small Things 45/365 January 11th

1) Went on a guilt free shopping spree. Actually the guilt was just stalled for a little while.

2) Found a 15 qt. soup pot I thought I could not live without.

3) A bag of Pepperridge Farm cookies. White chocolate with macadamia nuts.

4) Bean soup made in the new soup pot. Some in the freezer for later.

5) My thick (horrendous) orange afghan that is so heavy and so warm that even a Zero degree night we stay cozy under its protective warmth.

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46/365 GiST January 12th (maybe)

1) Flirted with by two different guys at the retail store. Nice!

2) Cut my bangs over the sink and they look good.

3) Found a Bubble Tea recipe.

4) Worked four extra hours because Rita was indisposed (need the money).

5) UK beat Florida on ESPN and it was a nail biter.
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47/365 January 13th

1) Found two Moon Soap samples

2) Joined the local Health Club. They are so nice and enthusiastic that I could not help but be psyched up too!

3) Made my best batch of brownies ever and Joe took them to his employee appreciation lunch/cookout.

4) Finished book #4 of the year, the Liars Club by Mary Karr. It was pretty good but disturbing in that most of the children point of view books I have read of late all are centered around sexual abuse. It makes me cringe that all good memoirs and stories are based on sexual abuse because it sells. I shudder.

5) A thank you note from my sister Kitty.
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48/365 January 14th

1) Survived the assessment and once through the training circuit at the Athletic Club.

2) Thought I was expected at work at 11am and on a second thought called and found out it was 2pm! Three whole hours of free time!

3) Received my Organic Gardening magazine in the mail and made me think that Spring is right around the corner and then I got sad b/c I no longer have a yard (per se) to dig and plant around in.

4) Joe brought home some hot chili from the employee appreciation day and it was very good!

5) Fifty degrees and spring like.
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49/365 January 15th

1) Raspberry Chocolate hand lotion. I wanted to lick my hands all day.

2) Received a sample of Gevalia Kaffe in the mail and it was soooooooooooo good.

3) Coming home I spotted a legion of motorcycles all lined up at the corner gas station. Looked like a lot of people taking advantage of the spring like weather.

4) My building excitement over starting the job at the Mall on Monday.

5) The sock footie's that Heather-Be-Thy-name gave me for Christmas with the built in aloe. Oh, they are so nice. How does the aloe stay in them after a wash?

Monday, January 11, 2010

January 9 & 10

Grace in Small Things

43/365 - Saturday

1) Preference by Loreal. Youthfulness in a box.
2) The Food network and Mango & Mint & Orange salad. (and a little bit of sugar)
3) Another Saturday off! This makes one day per week end the last three weeks!
4) My fur lined boots bought at the now defunct Valu City. How oh how will I find boots at an affordable price again?
5) Catching snowflakes on my tongue.

44/365 Sunday

1) Biscuit recipe memorized from cook book at work and they were wonderful!
2) Finished third book of the year, Hot House Flowers" by Margot Berwin, checked out of the library on a whim and it was very enjoyable. Gobbled it up in two sittings.
3) Meeting two women at Biscuit Bucket and having a nice informative conversation on where to shop and save the sales tax on food (its Almost 10% in Tenn! Well I never!)
4) Watching UT beat the #1 basketball team Kansas. (very good for UK)
5) Having C. so excited for me and the new job. C. is a 22 yr. old college student at Austin Peay who is majoring in communications hoping to get a job in marketing. She has been an intern for a charity this last semester and has worked with the Mall. Anyway, I loved it.

Saturday, January 09, 2010

Grace in Small & Big Things

January 8, 2010 42/365

Small things first

1) Geek Squad - I was unable to successfully rid myself of the insidious virus that continued to take over my computer and operating systems. It refused to launch the Rkill program on the SD card. I could use the computer with Mozilla but I was continually bombarded with messages that my computer was being attacked by a virus and I needed to run their security scan. Man I could have killed someone named R myself. But, I am back at the library and my computer will be at the hospital for several weeks. Oh well, what can you do.

2) My CD played in the car. How soothing that something works.

3) Khol's taking payments at the customer service desk. Makes life easier and efficient.

4) Very slow at work so I went home early and watched Joe's favorite all time movie THIEF with him, even though I have seen it a hundred times with him, he never tires of it.

BIG THING

5) While leaving the Goodwill store (and the paperback book that I was hoping was still there b/c I was too cheap to purchase it last week and it was! another GiST actually) it was very icy in the parking lot and I was thinking that I needed to be very careful with my footing b/c I did not need to fall.......and I saw out of the corner of my eye a person to my left slip and fall. I turned as she began to scream and cry. I hustled over there (still making sure I didn't slip myself) and asked that age old dumb question "Are you alright?" Or course she was not!! I squatted down beside her, it was very cold, around 20 degrees, she had no gloves on and a short jacket and her head wrapped in a warm scarf. She waved towards the island, she had fallen next the curb that held the green space for a single tree and some scraggly grass, and gestured towards her cell phone, "My Granny, I was talking to my Granny". I picked up the phone and handed it to her. She concluded the call all the while crying and saying, "I heard something POP in my knee". By this time a kind gentleman had emerged from the Dollar General store and was standing by asking if there was anything he could do. I dialed 911 and handed the phone to her to explain her injuries to the dispatcher. She was 21, (thank God). Another lady emerged from a parked vehicle and was calling 911 also. I commented that I wish I had a blanket in my car for her, she was sprawled out on the pavement and it was very icy and snowy. The gentleman said he worked a the Goodwill and shot off for a blanket. He returned and draped it over her. In the background we heard the ambulance wail as it made it's way to the Shopping Center. I waved the EMS truck over to the island and when they got out of the vehicle to begin helping her I patted her on the shoulder and said something like, "You will be okay, they will take good care of you." She reached up and looked me in the eye and grabbed my gloved hand and thanked me. I was very moved, actually. As I returned to my car I remembered the tv programs I had seen about people rushing by other people in distress, at one time even a small child crying on the sidewalk. It heartens me that not only myself made a bee line to help this woman, but several other people also.

Humanity still lives and thrives in Clarksville.

And the EMS vehicles are very very fast.

Friday, January 08, 2010

January 7, 2010

GiST 41/365

1) Finally after five months I was offered a job at the Mall as the Asst. Marketing Mgr. I begin January 18th. It pays peanuts, but bigger peanuts than Biscuit Bucket. I am going to stay on at BB for a couple of hours a week. I love the discount! And I truly like all the people I work with. Well, almost all of them. I can not impose another loss on myself.

2) First snowfall of the year! If you can call the dusting we received a snowfall. But, I heard if you see a cat's paw prints, then it's a snow. I shake my head thinking of the snow falls of North East Indiana! First snow was eight inches. And no excuses from the Southerner! Be at work as usual! Only time snow was a factor and not a way of life was the Blizzard of '07 and the city shut down the roads to all except emergency vehicles. I have pictures somewhere of snow up to the windows. Now, that's a snowfall!

3) Made this heavenly soup called Ribollita from an Italian Cook Book I have laying around. Spinach, cabbage,pancetta, carrots, fresh basil, celery, northern beans, squash, tomatoes, sourdough bread and finished off with Pecorino Romano cheese. It was a taste explosion that defies description.

4) My Mother called to tell me that an old friend had published his second book and that she and I were included on the dedication page! How cool is that!!

5) Joe got out several of the old photo albums and we had a trip down memory lane looking at the trips to Ireland, Cancun, Dublin Irish Festival, and countless other adventures I documented with my trusty camera.

Thursday, January 07, 2010

Number 40 of 365

January 6, 2010

Grace in Small Things

1) Driving down Wilma Rudolph Dr. (the main artery of Clarksville) and hitting all the green lights! (Imagine hitting all the lights on Nicholasville Rd!)(during rush hour).

2) Slipping on a new pair of Playtex gloves to wash dirty dishes. How I hate plunging my naked hands into dishwater. Yucky! How I miss my diswasher.

3) Having a major argument with Heather-Be-thy-Name and not getting fired, even though I was told I could be fired listening to Rita talk about K. (WTF) (she hates her guts) and for bad attitude (because I have to be handled in a certain way 7am in the morning! Not barked at and reprimanded like a 4yr old!)

4) I called a lawyer's office for a consultation and was consulted by the secretary over the phone and given sound advice before seeking professional help, (thank you Martha). I am going to try and take on TransUnion over an incorrect and misleading report on our credit rating. I have tried to clear it up it to no avail and have submitted my 100 word challenge which does not appear on the report! I'm like David taking on Goliath. My sling shot will be my pen.

5) Found a signed 2nd edition of Come and Go Molly Snow, one of my favorite books. I feel a re-read in the future.

Wednesday, January 06, 2010

January 5, 2010

GiST 39/365

1) We have a black and white cat that has been hanging around for about three weeks. He/She (I truly believe it is a she b/c Three Legged Cat tolerates her) She sits on the window ledges and calls for TLC during the day and disappears at night. I know she is homeless and so skinny compared to Big Bad TLC. Joe tells me not to feed her that she will never go away. Last night I fed her and made a home from an old cardboard box and an old rough blanket I had in the closet. It made me feel very good to be taking care of this poor unfortunate. It is suppose to be very cold the next few days. TLC went crazy when we laid out a bowl of food! And I believe he checked out her house before she was allowed inside.

2) Joe found a rosary under the bed. Ted gave it to me years ago (2004??) after a trip to Italy. "What was Ted doing in Italy?" J. asked, "Seeing the Pope obviously!"

3) I sashayed into Walmart to pick up a few things and ran into three people I have met via Biscuit Bucket! It's almost unsettling to realize I am becoming settled in this small big town.

4) Made a batch of Chicken-N-Dumplings for dinner. Oh, how I love that dish!

5) In years past, many years, I have used any flat drinking glass that is handy when it was time to roll out dough for pie crusts etc. On a recent trip to Louisville/Jeff I found a wooden rolling pin at the Salvation Army that is old, "weathered" and perfect. I used it for the first time making the dumplings last night and it was divine! I have missed out on this unique pleasure for too long and wonder how I ever got along without it.

Tuesday, January 05, 2010

January 4, 2010

Grace in Small Things 38/365

1) Even though it was a long miserable day and not once did I jot anything in the tiny notebook, at the end of the day I forced myself to write down anything of merit that occurred and I ended up filling up a page.

2) Even though I have a cold that insists on not releasing me from its bondage and rears its ugly head all snotty day long, I have never lost my sense of smell or taste.

3) I wore my sapphire earrings today and they made me feel marvelous.

4) I finished my first book of the year, Juno and Juliet. I truly enjoyed it at the beginning but it began to weigh down in the middle and lost that smart ass sharp tone after the first quarter, I finished the book to a satisfactory ending. I had a bad habit last year of reading a book almost to the end and then tossing it aside, thereby totally ruining my book count for the year. (barely tied last years mark).

5) Running Mozilla Firefox on the computer since the malware that has taken over my hard drive has disabled Explorer.

Monday, January 04, 2010

Grace in Small Things

January 3, 2010 37/365

1) Breakfast of Country Ham, country bacon, biscuits and red eye gravy (my version w/o coffee b/c I had consumed all of it!), scrambled eggs and a big thank you to SIL Liz for the Christmas gift.

2) A long soak in the tub with my Mary Kay salt stuff also a Christmas gift.

3) Going to Bowling Green to visit Flealand with Joe. Found a great Coach knock off and spent most of the ride home examining it to determine if it really was a knock off or a reject! It's big, big enough to carry my Nikon with plenty of room to spare. I love it!!

4) Picking up a Courier Journal newspaper to read all about the UK verses UofL game from Saturday. (It was not a pretty game! Lot's of excitement and the best outcome. Being a UofL graduate its a no lose situation for me, but growing up 10 miles from UK I have been a life long True Blue fan, so there was no "throwing myself in the snow bank" Saturday afternoon). (Coach Pitino's comparison of UK and U of L fans. If UofL looses the state rivalry game they shrug and say, "We will get them next year". If UK looses the fans stagger out and throw themselves in a snow bank"). (very funny and sooooooooo true).

5) Wearing my chandelier silver earrings! Another Christmas gift and I love them!

Sunday, January 03, 2010

From My Computer to You

Have I fixed the virus without having to wipe out my Hard drive? Guess time will tell. I had to download this rkill program (at a romote computer, Joe's at work) to a stick and that did not work. So in despair I put my SD card in Joe's computer at work to download some pic's of the grand kids and the TLC (Three Legged Cat) and it asked if I wanted to download the program to the SD card - well, yea!

So, here is crossing my fingers that the "patch" or whatever you call it works. I was able to go back and restore my computer. (I have learned so much about DOS and the such these past 10 days)

So - TA-DA!

Grace in Small Things

34/365 December 31st, 2009

1) Dr. Scholl's gel inserts (need I say more).

2) Finishing Eliz. Berg's book and tying last years book count.

3) Puff's with aloe (I have a cold).

4) Alka seltzer cold plus knock off (I have a cold).

5) While driving home from working at Biscuit Bucket I was stopped at a road block (NYE) and instead of waved on like most the cars ahead of me I was given the light in the window treatment and asked if I knew my right head light was out, "Yes sir, I have a receipt here from VIOC where they replaced it in November1 I just realized it was out yesterday (lie, it was the day before) and I think I have a short". And as I pulled open the glove box and began to hunt for the receipt, and mentioning that I just got off from Biscuit Bucket, they sighed and waved me on saying "Get that taken care of." Oh, thank God!

35/365 January 1st, 2010

1) Scoop Away cat Liter.

2) Excellent buy on hot chocolate and mug at Biscuit Bucket.(next day found out it as a fluke! 70% off was incorrect. Hahahahahahah!!)

3) Hot chocolate with marshmallows for a night cap.

4) Full moon shining like a beacon on the ride home.

5) Looking for philosophical meaning each day - Thinking that every day you can find something to bitch about, to complain about. Making the decision that I would not do that. (I was standing outside the stock room door when Rita was on a rant about another co-worker that she has it in for. The door flew open and Heather-Be-Thy-Name emerged and dragged me backwards and got in Rita's face that this kind of gossip/back stabbing would not be tolerated! When she slammed the door she let me know in no uncertain terms that I should have nipped it in the bud - and in after thought I realized I had on two occasions instructed Rita to keep her voice down when trash talking K.)

36/365 January 2

1) Nettie pot (still have a cold)

2) Oatmeal with honey.

3) Suede gloves with fur lining (19 degrees outside).

4) Chili sauce from Viet Nam (about a 50 on the 100 scale!) in the chili.

5) A very nice chat with one of the young kids at work.