ONE HUNDRED OF THREE HUNDRED SIXTY FIVE

Grace in Small Things
March 8th

1) Home early from work (BB) b/c restaurant/retail store dead.
2) Joe at Motorcycle place. Something about him and motorcycles that sets my heart on fire.
3) Picking up a Zac Brown CD for my Amazon business and saved 35%!
4) Met the evening custodian lady and she was s trip.
5) The Prop. Mgr. confiding some very personal stuff to me and I realizing "He likes me! He really likes me!"

Almost 100

99/365 March 7th
Grace in Small Things

1) Birds chirping outside!
2) Cheap car wash on way home.
3) Hope of a "Old timer Sig-Ep" reunion this summer. (can you say hairy Buffalo?)
4) Seeing a white butterfly outside and both I and the cat saw it at the same time. we both ran (well, he hopped, three legs you know) to the window.
5) UK beats Florida on Senior Day.

Ninety Eight

March 6th. Saturday 98 of 365

Grace in Small Things

1) Flip flops.
2) Joe sold Mercedes for Cash.
3) Wine in a box (I do sound like a lush don't I?)
4) U of L beats Syracuse (#1 in Nation) on Senior Day and the last game played in Freedom Hall. Great way to turn out the lights.
5) Getting library books/CD's/DVD's back to library on time - remembering to get them back on time!

Friday Finally

Grace in Small things Number 97/365

1) Going into Biscuit Bucket to pick up weekly check and have people wonder who that sophisticated woman is checking out the schedule. Lol.

2) Orange flavor vodka

3) Catching a mistake at work regarding a mailing for an up-coming expo before it became a really big deal!

4) Finding a cache of stamps and (because of Mom's stamp collecting hobby) knew how to soak them off the envelope and re-use with some glue (hahaha) (am I one of the reasons they are going to be 9 billion in the hole this year?)

5) OH - IT'S FRIDAY!!

You Say it's Your Birthday, It's My Birthday too - yea!

March 4, 2010
96/365 Grace in Small Things

1) I'm 57 and I don't care
2) Lunch at Olive Garden - Ms. Introvert's treat.
3) B-day card from my daughter.
4) Got to watch Survivor - the real thing, not on the computer.
5) Meeting with the Teen Board and we got make-up tips and skin care guidance. And a bag of goodies. Very cool.

Anne Rice Reference and didn't even know it

Grace in Small Things Wednesday March 3, 2010

95/365

1) Birthday wishes on Face Book
2) Coming home to unexpected packages in the mail!
3) Listening to Candi's four part Zombie dream! (holy smokes!!)
4) Taking to Rita about an opportunity at Sunny Shades.
5) The Hobbit referring to Heather-Be-thy-Name as "Queen of the Damned" that made me spew the water out of my mouth. "And we are the Damned!" she told me in case I didn't get it. (You have to know the Hobbit....)

March 2, 2010

Tuesday!! 94 of 365
Grace in Small Things

1) Finding more money in bank account than expected
2) Bridget got a new job in a more established restaurant in Louisville
3) Bandaides ... having bandaides on hand (no pun intended)
4) Connecting to my MP3Suites subscription on the new hard drive! It's still good!
5) The purple shirt I purchased matches the purple in my Christian Dior blazer.

Overheard....

The Mall offices are situated along the long hallway to the public bathrooms. There are times when we open the door and let the frigid air from the structure bathe our over heated offices.

This allows us to hear the coming and going along the corridor.

"I'm Tired of Being Discriminated Against." I did not react in any visible way when I heard this declaration drift into our offices as the accusers made their way to the rest rooms.

I felt them as much as heard them pass the door way as I turned (my back faces the door) and sneaked a peek at who had uttered this statement.

Two young women, one pushing a baby carriage.

I turned back to my desk, my work, my computer and caught the eye of the Long Suffering Ops Secretary.

"Try being black," I muttered to her.

"Try being female, old-middle aged, and fat" she uttered back.

We both cackled.

There's Got to be a Morning After

Grace in Small Things
Number 93 (I think) of 365
March 1

1) First Birthday card arrives.
2) Chasing the cat around the yard so I can deposit him into the house for the day so I can go off to work and not worry about him. Man, he's fast for a three legged cat!
3) Yoga on DVD.
4) Subsequent sore muscles
5) Joe home from New Orleans/Memphis trip.

Would You Like To Swing On a Star?

It has been a long time since I have written a real entry. I will be the first to admit it's been easy, in some ways, to just jot down a daily list of gratitude's. I will be the first to admit that I am rusty at "sharing" or journaling.

My days became an endless repetition of the day before. I get up, I put on a uniform not only on my body but on my person and go to work. I come home, I sleep, I read, I let the house become a wreck, I cook, I go to bed I get up....

Then I finally land a job! No, not a job but an opportunity! It is the job I wanted to have, the career path I expected to follow when I graduated from college. Instead, I deviated and began a career in sales. Life was good, most the time.

Then I got "old".

I thank my lucky karma that I connected with this VP who took a liking to me, even though there was no way in God's green heaven that he could hire me as the Director.

In time, he offered me what he could. I jumped at the chance and as I answer the telephone, make copies, push through the account payables and have them returned for some nit picky reason, and at the end of the day I fall on my knees and thank God that I have landed where I have landed.

I love every minute of it and in time I hope to have the experience to become the Director or move on to some other industry.

But right now, I am enjoying every humiliating copy/fax/"answer that phone please" day.

Sunday Edition of Grace in Small Things

Number 92 of 365 (frankly, I've lost count)
February 28th

1) Rearranging living room.
2) An additional article in the paper about the Bridal Expo!
3) Moleskine-esque notebook that it always with me.
4) Organizing the garage (I was a busy girl with Joe on his trip)
5) Lotion that kisses the skin with a "healthy glow", but it stinks to the high heavens.

Saturday - The Best Day of the Week

Grace in Small Things
#91/365 Feb. 27th, 2010

1) Anti Lock Brakes - you don't need 'em until you need 'em.

2) 411 on cell phone. Complete with address. Thank God.

3) Finding misplaced W-2's after the damn Turbo Tax rejected them b/c I did not have Bridget's AGI from '08.

4) Being able to check out DVD's and CD's from library.

5) Watching the first three episodes of Survivor thanks to CBS's web site (use to be Hulu but I guess the almighty advertising dollar trumps that)

Great Balls of Fire!

It's Number 90!!
Grace in Small Things - Friday February 26th Edition

1) Vitamin D Milk - I forgot.

2) Finding the lost money in the microwave - don't ask, just rejoice with me.

3) Boat show is a success! All 11 boats in the House!

4) Chicken Pot Pie, the ultimate comfort food for me. Even thought it took me several hours to make and I was chowing down after 8pm - it was worth it.

5) Recipe's scribbled in notebooks (Rolo cookies - yesssssssssssssssssssssss)

February 25th - Was that Thursday?

Number 89 of 365 Grace in Small Things

1) Not having to be at work until 8:30A. It feels like sleeping in after my other job(s)

2) Having a scheduled two (2) hour meeting that we rushed through and were out in an hour.

3) Butterfinger Blizzard.

4) Walmarts 1% charge for check cashing.

5) UK spanks Southern Carolina (at home) and moves on to 27-1.

Number 88

Grace in Small Things

1) While walking the Mall doing something or another, some survey that takes me to the merchants, I was handed a bag of goodies from the Amway lady I helped out the day before giving her info about the Home Based Business Show. And oh my, what a bag of terrific goodies it was. I shared with the Long Suffering Receptionist(Op's Secretary (the one who really runs the Show).

2) The downloaded pictures from Saturdays Bridal Expo were fantastic and we laughed and laughed watching them on a slide show.

3) (This is why I was walking the Mall)- Handing out thank you notes to the merchants for their generosity for the Bridal Expo.

4) Joking around with Maintenance.

5) Rolling Stone magazine. (thank God I had it to waste 29 minutes...waiting and waiting and waiting....)

Great Expectations

Number 87 of 365
Grace in Small things
Tuesday February 23rd

1) Lady comes into Biscuit Bucket wearing a UK T-shirt and I ask "UK?" we are in Tennessee (albeit six miles from the border, but still) and she hides her shirt by closing her jacket and pulling it tight. And then I say, "I'm from Lexington" and she hugs me. (she had been at the Vandy hospital with a family member and just threw something on! Horrors! We just had beat Vandy at home! "What was I thinking!" she said)

2) Both Heather-Be-Thy-Name and the Introvert were not at the "office" today. I was so free!!

3) Made two e-mail connections for the Home Based Business Show we are setting up, My goal is 20 attendees (exhibitors).

4) Finished book #8 of the year, "Reversible Judgement" by Turdow, only took a month!! No more lawyer books. Obviously, they no not truly grab my imagination, thought at one time I loved studying law and toyed with the idea of changing my major. I'd have been a nut case by now, given my penchant for overlooking details.

5) The Property Manager for the Mall, AKA "Big Guy", came out into the reception area and sat on our ratty 1970ish couch and asked, "So, is it what you expected?" And I said, "Is anything?" and he nodded his understanding and then smiled and laughed (I'm certain he was thinking about marriage and kids - he is only 35).

Sreaming Mean Red's

Grace in Small Things
Monday, Feb. 22
#86/365

1) Sunday paper coupons
2) Getting outside for lunch break
3) Finding (Joe finding) my lost cell phone
4) Singing the praises of being a list maker (I could not function with out my lists)
5) New York Times at the library

Sunday

GiST - Number 85 of 365

February 21, 2010

1) Pancakes with jelly (According to my Mother, you have Sunday's free from your Lenten 'give-up')

2) To the gym - smelly man gym, OMG!

3) At BB one of the dishwashers (young, very young) came our and was flirting with the cashier (very young) by bugging the hell out of her. She asked him, "Leave me alone, go bug Mary!" and he replied, "I can't. It won't bother her, she's too happy." Ha ha.

4) Being able to complete Bridget's taxes on the computer in minutes - well, almost.

5) Realizing that the Marketing Director, I am the Asst. Mtk. Director, has no sense of humor. It came to me in a flash that it is the connection that we are missing. I crack a joke and she smiles and gets it. She is not mean or a Cruella or anything at all like that. I just had a revelation that she does not see much humor in ALL THINGS, like I do - most the time. At least 75% of the time. Oh hell, most the time.

Bridal Show

Grace in Small Things Number 84 of 365

February 20, 2010

1) Wedding Day Cup Cakes for me!!
2) Free Auntie Anne's Pretzels for customer appreciation day.
3) My Nikon DSLR
4) Being able to run from the JC Penney Court to the bathrooms and back. About 1/4 mile. I thought I might pass out, but thank God I had my tennis shoes on.
5)UK beats Vandy and I made it home in time to watch! (B-Double-E-Double-R-U-N, Beer Run Beer Run)

Rings a Bell

February 19th (why does this date ring so familiar? Is it the late Geo. Harrison's' Birthday?

Anyway......

GiST Part 83 of 365

1) Pay Day always a good day.
2) Meeting Big Fish's wife, a German.
3) last minute details for Bridal Show fall into place (meaning I have to go beg stuff for the SWAG (hahah) bags from the tenants)
4)Not having to go into Biscuit Bucket tonight!
5) Joe comes to the dress rehearsal and my heart goes flip flop. Always takes me by surprise in a good way.

What Day is This?

Number 82 of 365
Grace in Small Things - Thursday, Feb. 18th

1) Find out the Property Manager is a graduate of the college I once started an education attending (I was majoring in FUN) and he his Uncle (OMG how young is this KID?!!) and I were good friends. And his Uncle is one of my Face Book friends. Now he is my FB friend too.

2) Seeing Sarah when I dropped into Biscuit Bucket this morning. I miss her. She is a good girl....we laugh about her being the daughter I never had and if I did I would have smacked her around...(it's funnier when I say it to her).

3)The days are becoming longer. today was sunny and warm.

4) Skunks announcing it is almost spring - P U Pepe LePew.

5) Ability to shoot letter to President of my home town bank b/c I am mad!

Where Was I?

Number 81 of 365

Grace in Small Things

1) grilled Chicken for lunch
2) Snagging another Boat Show exhibitor
3) Time magazine
4) Working with one of my Fav's at Biscuit Bucket, Candi
5) Almost having cake at BB but it was gone when I got there, a good thing b/c of my Lent give-up.

Fat Tuesday

Number 80 of 365
Grace in small Things

1) Cup of coffee from the Security office that could make your hair stand on end. Yet, it was good.

2) UK beats Miss State in overtime. Call me. (makes more sense if you saw the game, follow UK basketball and it was three days ago).

3) Joe and I worked out at the gym. Finally.

4) Fat Tuesday means this is the beginning of Lent. Decided against giving up alcohol, because I hardly drink anymore even though I write about liquor stores all the time. I am going to eat better, eliminate bread. Now that is a sacrifice!

5) Dental floss.

Monday Monday

Number 79 of 365

1) Winter Olympics the skating couples. Spectacular.
2) Driving down US79 all by myself! Everyone else afraid of a little snow and ice.
3) Board folding. I resisted, but it certainly makes a difference.
4) Making my lunch every morning and not slacking.
5) Wearing A new sweater.

Added bonus .... more drama at the office.

Valentines Day

Number 78 of 365

1) Spaulding Donuts! My God! Why didn't someone tell me they reopened on Winchester Rd.! (in Lex)
2) Watching airplanes at the airport (duh)
3) ...... with the Grandkid
4) Grand babies with flavored chap stick.
5) MP3 hook up in the car. No one told me!

February 13

Number 77 of 365

1) Spending the whole day with Joe!
2) Liquor Barn gift card. And hell, just Liquor Barn!
3) Bouquet of flowers from Walmart that was beautiful (for my Mom)
4) Seeing Harold and Liz.
5) Micro soft office from RJC for home computer b/c he needs it! Yay! (new hard drive and all my programs are gone!)

Number 76

Thank God it's Friday

1) Drama in the front office. Would not have missed it for the world.
2) Working with a Barney Fife type (did I spell it correctly?)
3) While the cat is away the mouse will play. Kind of felt bad about it later.
4) Great American Cookies.
5) A night off. Good Lord how I look forward to them.

Great God Almighty I've Lost Count

Number 75 of 365
Feb 11th
Grace in Small Things

1) Chocolate covered strawberries.
2) Old Hippie couple dancing by the demo album machine at Biscuit Bucket
3) Thank you note from an 11 year old.
4) Betty Crocker cake in a box.
5) Eye pencil sharpener.

HUMP DAY

Feb. 10th
# 74/365
Grace in Small Things

1) Grapefruit sectioned to perfection
2) Clearing the air
3) Nailing two exhibitors for the Boat Show
4) Securing some pretty fantastic gifts for the Bridal Show
5) Valentine Cards

February 9th

Number 73 out of 365
GRACE IN SMALL THINGS

1) Woke up with a million idea's swimming around in my head.
2) Glad I learned to drive in snow while living in NE Indiana
3) UK beats Alabama
4) Lost my debit card in a parking lot and someone turned it in!
5) Thought the under belly of my car was busted, but Joe told me it has been busted since living in NE IN and he tried to fix it with super glue and a cracker box.

Monday Blues

GiST 72 of 365

1) Snow falling in thick flakes.

2) Doing the Mall Walk and making connections.

3) Drove home in the snow and did not have a wreck.

4) Left work early because of snow.

5) A dollar store across the street.

Number 69

GiST February 5th

1) Paid all the bills! Feeling of relief and accomplishment

2) Decided to take a trip "back home" tomorrow.

3) Today everyone was asked to wear something red in honor of American Heart Day (I think, I did not read the memo too closely) and while searching my sparse closet I found I had ironed my red shirt that week-end!

4) Nothing like a Friday night in a Military town.

5) Happy people at the liquor store.

Feb. 4, 2010

Grace in small things
Number 68 of 365

1) Had meeting with a group of High School students who make up our "fashion board" and I honestly have to say, I was impressed with them! Several are home schooled, one is in the ROTC program, and one is a boy!! (smart bastard).

2) My lunch all week has been baloney sandwiches. I'll say no more.

3) Driving like a lunatic, passing the Mennonites driving their tractors and taking corners on two wheels I clocked in to work on time, with 30 seconds to spare.

4) Pay Day!

5) Joe walks into the office and my heart goes pitty pat, after all these years.

February 7

Number 71 of 365
Grace in small things

1) Cell phone camera

2) Spinach souffle

3) A birthday party for an 11 year old.

4) Driving on streets so familiar. Memories on every corner

5) Versailles

Out of Order

Number 70 of 365
GiST
February 6th

1) Valvoline Instant Oil Change

2) A field of black birds who all together bagan to fly away to another closer field and it looked like a black wave.

3)Tree along I-65 that looked like they were dusted with powered sugar. (snow)

4) Wonderful feeling of being OTR listening to the radio and my mind coming up with incredible ideas! Realized I do my greatest thinking behind the wheel listening to the radio.

5) Louisville

# 67

Grace in Small Things
February 3rd
Number 67 in a series of 365

1) Hersey Kisses with Almonds
2) Having two jobs.
3) Driving down C'vill's main drag at 1015pm and it's like a ghost town!
4) Austin Peay's radio station and no commercials. Old R&B songs.
5) Post Office self-service counter (may have already praised this)

Number 66

Grace in Small Things - February 2

1) $6.99 Great Clips Hair cut

2) Free shelves for garage. Good things come from the left overs of tenants.

3) UK beats Ole Miss.

4) Coconut rum (have I mentioned this before?)

5) Smart Alec's in the office. One asks if Property Manager is in. "No, he will be back tomorrow". One turns to the other, "I told you we should have brought our sleeping bags".

Grace in Small Things - February Edition

Number 65 of 365
February 1

1) Amazon account getting back in gear now that my competition has obviously run out of product. Where as I on the other hand have access to plenty of it!

2) Feeling more at home/ease at the Mall office.

3) Foot snuggies.

4) Another old friend emerges on Face book. This one sort of bitter sweet.

5) Dinner in a box - Jambalaya with polish sausage from the back of the refrigerator. Whipped it up in a matter of minutes (about 30) and it was delicious. Bowl licking delicious.

Last Day of January First Month of the New Year

gIst #64

1) Going into work at Biscuit Bucket (which I am working part time 15 or so hours per week b/c Mall job pays p-nuts) and knowing that Rita has been working that day because the stuffed animals are positioned in some compromising positions (her way of saying hello to me). (I'll get some pic's w/ phone if I can!!)

2) Learning that the little wheelie thing on the mouse makes the screen go up and down very fast (teaching an old dog new tricks)

3) Watching the segment on the play Our Town on CBS Sunday morning. At one point they took four young adults to the play. They got the message - even in this wired in age they/we live in - that you have to stop and look up and see the sky. To stay grounded. That all the tiny things in ones life make the masterpiece. Sort of like Grace in Small Things.

4) Dental floss.

5) Finding a bottle of Breck shampoo at the dollar store and remembering the Breck Girls of the 1960's - Didn't everyone use Breck at one time?

January 30, 2010

GiST Number 63 of 365

1) Could have slept in if I wanted to. But, was up at 530 am. Couldn't waste a moment of my day off.

2) Snowed all night and the morning was silent and breathtakingly beautiful.

3) A small cat paw print on the front porch.

4) Spending all day with Joe.

5) UK beats Vandy.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

New Years Resolution - 2010 Style

While reading Elizabeth Berg's book last night I ran across a passage that has attached itself to my mind and will not leave.

And I am paraphrasing, "A Navajo Indian told his Grandson, 'Inside of me I have two wolves fighting. One is the bad wolf, lazy, inconsiderate, mean and without compassion. The other wolf is good, generous, willing and kind'. The grandson asks, 'Which wolf wins?' and the Grand Father replies, 'The one I feed.'"

This is my hope, that when ever I find myself in a situation I will try to ask myself, "which wolf am I feeding?"

Far too many times I am feeding the wrong wolf these days.

This must change.

I carry around a small notebook to write down the GiST observations and feelings I encounter on a daily basis. I find that I am searching out the good. Sometimes it is difficult and I have to reach really deep to overcome the depression I am immersed in. But, I am prevailing and on certain days I am happy. And because I am on the look out for such small and often overlooked events, I am climbing out of this dark stupid hole I have stepped in.

Happy New Year one and All.

December 30th

GiST 34/365

1) Next day mail delivery service from USPO (even though they piss me off most the time). I refuse to go to the small PO in Tiny Town because of Lurch, the counter person, who is very impersonal (mean) and charges me more for 1st class shipping than other PO's.

2) The most fashionable thing I own, Kate Spade sun glasses, given to me by my style conscious husband long ago (and have not lost nor have had stolen in over two years!) (lost a beautiful Channel pair on one of the cruises by leaving on the lounge chair - I'll never hear the end of it)

3) Finding $1 in change (two quarters, one dime, one nickle and 35 pennies) in the car, under the seat, fallen between the bucket seats and under the floor mats, to pay my fine at library so I can use the computer (mine is still very sick from Internet Security 2010 virus).

4) Out of the corner of my eye, as I was driving to Hop-town, I saw a horse in a field, laying on its back, rubbing itself in the grass with its legs straight up in the air! As I turned to get a really good look, he jumped up and began running joyfully across the field.

5) Finding a box in the cluttered bedroom that contained my favorite pens! A gold Cross pen presented to me as a Christmas present when I worked at WU. A wonderfully balanced pen that I received as a "major award" from the Dale Carnagie public speaking class (I was voted as the most moving speech that day). And the Schaeffer pen that Joe gave me as a surprise! I knew they were missing, and finding them was a burst of my own joy! If the bedroom had been a field, I would have jumped up and ran.

December 29th

Grace in Small Things 33rd edition of 365

1) Deciding that looking for "the cutest baby of the day" contest that I will hold in my head and announce the winner only to me is a perfect way to make the creeping crawling time pass by now that the Christmas rush/push is over and things are almost back to the vaguely boring routine at Biscuit Bucket.

2) Finding a beautifully designed simple white bowl at Goodwill for 59 cents.

3) How delicious it is to read a Eliz. Berg novel.

4) My blue and white Vitoria Secret bath robe that is a hundred years old and so comfy.

5) Laying on the couch with my legs entwined with my husbands and nodding out for a few minutes during the ESPN coverage of the UK game. He nodded out too, (we won by a million points).

Bonus # 6 - Having an anonymous comment on my "Love affair with Candy" entry about Blue Monday candy bars.

December 28th

Grace in Small Things 32/365

1) Christmas presents to yourself. Who knows you better?

2) Dionis Vanilla Bean hand lotion and Lip Balm (yup, that was my present)

3) Rita's wild plan for a business venture of which I am the partner (sounds like fun and a winner...time will tell)

4) A blissfully wonderful shower with lots of fragrant soap and foamy shampoo.

5) Finding a "fix" for my computer virus that seems to have at the very least, has me back on line at home. Thank you Public library and all the free diagnostic and clean up programs out there. (still needs a lot of work, but wiping out my hard drive is a distant horror....)

Long Time Comin' - (CS&N)

Grace in Small Things Deluxe version

Brought to you courtesy of the Public Library

December 23rd 27/365

1) Downloading Swing Music

2) My new bra! Makes me look like I have lost weight.

3) Phone call and e-mail regarding Mall position (still alive)

4) New make up from Kohls

5) My computer catching the Internet Security 2010 virus and shutting down. Making me rethink the amount of time I spend on the computer. Maybe not having a computer stealing my time is a good thing.
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GiST
December 24th 28/365
1) Cindy's cookies at work! Great since I forgot my lunch.

2) But wait! The break room is full of goodies too! Sugar overload. How sweet it is.

3) Beginning to clean out the storage unit in a fit of anger trying to locate the Mack Daddy virus killer software.

4) Behold! Finding the cache of CD's titled Jazz Masters. Wow! Some good listening there.

5) The fat baby dressed up in the Santa outfit including black Santa booties and Santa hat. Too cute.

6) Bonus item - the wrist jingle bells. Loved them. Hate to retire them for the season.
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GiST December 25th 29/365

1) Watching The Christmas Story ......all day long!

2) Christmas with the Grand Kids.

3) Baby Nash dancing to "Put a Ring on It" - too funny. That kid's got the moves.

4) Listening to B.'s story about the true meaning of what's important and what's just stuff/b.s/irrelevant. Brought me to tears.

5) Being a very good designated driver.
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GiST December 26th 30/365

1) Realizing that I have gained remarkable stamina being around people.

2) Listening to Crosby Stills and Nash while rolling down the highway.

3) UK insignia's everywhere on their way to Nashville. Felt like home.

4) Watching old games from the 1996 championship team on the road to the NCAA title.

5) Being able to stay up until 3am!
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December 27th 31/365
1) What a gorgeous sunrise on (count them) third trip back to Central KY in five days (I must be mad)

2) My sister noticing I have lost weight (did not tell her it was the new bra!!)

3) Poinsettia drinks - yummy yummy. Cranberry and champagne.

4) Family memories. Each person tells a story they have written (does it surprise anyone that my family is an army of writers) about a family memory. It was wonderful.

5) Another group picture of the grand kids - making memories for them to pass on (in time)

6) Bonus GiST's. Sweet potato casserole. OMG. Double marshmallows this time.

Sometimes I cry, somtimes I fly like a bird - (Boz Scaggs)

December 23 GiST edition 26/365

1) My music on the MP3 makes the long (well short comparably) drive to Louisville easier

2) Seeing hills!!!!!!!! (did not realize how flat this area is. Not as flat as NE IN, but flat)

3) Seeing a bona fide SKY LINE!! (Ah Louisville how I miss you and your lit up cathedrals)

4) Christmas shopping with Bridget (good thing? Ha!!)

5) Schimpff's Confectionery in Jeff. (OMG!)

December 22

GiST 25/365

1) Joe scraping the frost off my car windshield for me in the morning.

2) Having health insurance and RX coverage.

3) Salvation Army bell ringers and having an extra buck to toss into the kettle.

4) Rita bringing treats to work including bourbon balls - yummy.

5) ESPN's coverage of the UK2K last night. It made me proud to be a Kentucky fan and knowing that all across this mighty USA hundreds of thousands of UK fans were feeling it with me.

December 21st

GiST 24/365

1) Waking up very early for some me time.

2) Washed dishes sitting in the drainer. Ah, all is well on the kitchen front.

3) Bag of sliced oranges.

4) Rediscovering Bit-O-Honey (hated as a kid. Love as an adult!)

5) Being told a joke by an old lady at work...."Two old ladies in church listening to the preacher go on and on. One leans over and whispers to the other, ""This lecture is so boring my butt has fallen asleep", "I know", she replied, "I heard it snore twice."

December 20th

GiST 23/365

1) Excellent nine hour day at work where everything was clicking and the three of us working together were in a groove. Had 3 one-thousand dollar hours back to back and missed the fourth by less than 70 bucks! Darn..

2) The thrill of expectation of a snow fall.

3) Finding the misplaced Disney Reward card. Found it right where I hid it months ago.

4) Christmas party at Golden Corral.

5) Having that moment where I realized I was happy and taking note of the glorious feeling.

December 19th

GiST 22/365

1) Opening the front door and there is the Three Legged Cat waiting to come in after an evening of romping with his "girl friend" (TLC is fixed, girl friend may or may not be a girl, but I suspect she is)

2) Finally being able to use my "Sleeping with Alan Jackson" sales pitch and having it work!!

3) A tall glass of water with lemon slices.

4) Rita bringing me an Angus Burger from Cosco for lunch. Obviously she thinks I need to be fattened up (smile inserted here).

5) Finishing Thirteen Moons by Charles Frasier. Definitely one of the three best books I have read this year. I read it slowly so to savor every word. There was something magical to this book. I read Cold Mountain over ten years ago and I remember sobbing at the end. I had read reviews about Thirteen Moons and how it was no Cold Mountain. I suppose it would be like Martha Mitchell's second book if she had ever followed up Gone With The Wind.

Teaching an Old Dog New Tricks

GiST 21/365

1) Being in possession of an ice scraper.

2) Smiling at the sight of two girls posing on the trunk of the huge pink elephant that sits at the cross roads.

3) Finding my candle making stuff in the storage shed! Making a candle and failing. Finding a video on You Tube and re-melting it on the stove (vs. the microwave) and better the second time but still a wick failure! Lesson learned - nothing is as easy as it looks.

4) Flipping the heat on in the house.

5) Missing Survivor last night because I had to work, but knowing I can watch it on the Internet later today (maybe tomorrow).

Lunch Box

Brought to you by {W}rite of Passage

(Written in fifteen minutes!)

Grammar School Lunches –

You must know,number one, the school was a two room Parochial school that taught maybe sixty students in eight grades located in the living quarters of the Nuns of Divine Providence. We had no cafeteria and we ate at our desks during most the school year. Weather permitting, we went outside. I vaguely remember picnic tables along the south end of the yard.....only vaguely.

Anyway. Lunch was an important affair when taking place on the playground. When allowed outside the four walls of formal education, it was a mass sprint to acquire the best spots the play ground had to offer. The best being, sitting in the shade under the sliding board. This was not typical namby-pamby sliding board, but the mother of all sliding boards. I can close my eyes and still see it, still feel its cold metal under my hands. It was 10 feet tall (at least!), made of solid iron, its steps pitted for traction and worn silver by the millions of trips us kids took to the top of the magical tower. You could see the entire grounds from atop.

But the best of times was when the weather turned very cold and icy, so cold that the ground was frozen and ice formed on the blacktop. We would polish the board with wax paper until it shone and was as slick as snot. Then we would carry buckets of water from the water fountain and toss it in front of the bottom of the slide making a hazardous path towards the merry-go-round (which was like a monstrous tilt –a-whirl top!).

You would climb the steps to the top, crouched on your haunches facing downwards waiting to be shoved with herculean effort by those behind you to descend down, hair flowing behind you, hats taking flight, a steak on the the greased death slide, hitting the child-made frozen path and steer your self by keeping hold of your knees, as far as you could go careful to avoid taking out a first grader or some goof ball not paying attention. Many a child’s life hung in a suspended balance as they failed to fall sideways before sliding, at breakneck speed, under the crushing jaws of the Merry-go-round! We would scream , shout and cheer as we ran towards the bone crushing monster and stopped it moments from smashing in the head or obliterating the bones of the greatest slide of them all. Or at least that day.

Lunch? Everyday, without fail, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich lovingly folded in wax paper accompanied by a tiny bag of Frito’s and two cookies.

Lunch was wolfed down and the cartons of milk tossed back quickly in anticipation of that precious hour of bone chilling, death defying, bone marrow crunching, dare devil and double dog dare playground time after lunch.

GiST #20

1) My knock-off Movado Museum watch in motion again.

2) Releasing the unmistakable aroma of Gain detergent as I unload the dryer.

3) The self-serve station at the post office to avoid standing in the long long long long and then long again line.

4) The V-6 in the Sonata, vvvvvvvvvroooooooooooooommmmmmmmmmmm

5) Remembering it's garbage day and getting the container to the road before the truck arrives (5amish!! Can you believe it???

Number 18 Number 18 Number 18

GiST

1) Coffee - the nectar of life - first thing in the morning.

2) Ability to remove myself, if only for just a few hours, with a short journey/adventure to parts unknown.

3) A pen that feels just right in my hand and writes with a smooth flair.

4) Small towns without even a four way stop.

5) An Amish buggy tearing down the two lane highway! I have not seen such a throw back sight since leaving Ft. Wayne over two years ago. I knew the Amish/Mennonites had settled around this West KY area, but I had yet to see them. They are a fearless people.

Number 17

Grace in Small Things 17/365

1) Awaking to the distant chords of The Nutcracker Suite playing from the television turned on in the living room and being overwhelmed with the image of taking Bridget, as a very young child, to the Louisville production every year.

2) Christmas lights glowing in the black darkness.

3) Joe ironing my shirt.

4) Bob's Old Timey peppermint candy.

5) The season finale of Dexter. Wow, never saw that coming, (though I should have).

Grace in Small Things

16/365

1) Being told by a second party how the first party brags about how wonderful/good you are!

2) Zac Brown Band.

3) Finding the perfect Christmas gift.

4) CBS Sunday Morning segment about Paul McCartney and the Beatles. (I'm a long time Beatle fan)

5) Joe bringing home a Courier Journal (Louisville's Pulitzer prize winning newspaper).

Number 15 - 350 to go!

Grace in Small Things

1) Small pocket notebooks

2) Honey made by local beekeepers.

3) My new friend Rita - Who has these little nervous tic's like Rodney Dangerfield

4) Joe coming home from a short trip to Central KY

5) My sonic toothbrush.

Grace in Small Things

14/365

1) Getting a paycheck every week! I use to get paid once a month! What a difference (in so many ways).

2) The scent of candles

3) The beautiful fleeting 4pm sun drenching the bedroom.

4) Babies with bows in their hair (little wisps of fine baby hair)

5) Vivid dreams starring friends from long ago.

Careful what you wish for

What seems like a long time ago, when I first "retired" from the Beverage Company I hoped that the next job I found would be less stressful.

I figured that I would take it easy for awhile. My father was very ill and I had been away from home for over two years and wanted to spend time with family. My Mom's 80th birthday party was planned for that summer and relatives from all over were coming in for the celebration. There was plenty of time "later" to look for a job.

I began to envision the career I would seek out. Less stressful meant I could leave it at the doorstep when I went home. I did not want my cell phone ringing 24/7 with problems I had to smooth over or find a way to resolve. I wanted a job where I could sleep soundly at night and not toss and turn until the sky began to lighten and soften from the blackest of night to the gray of a winter morn. I wanted to not bolt upright from a sound sleep when my subconscious remembered I forgot to download my orders the evening before because I got distracted. Or bolt upright from a sound sleep when I remember that today is the day I am suppose to turn in a lost equipment report which I have not even started. I wanted to not feel myself become worried senseless because I have upset a customer with some regulation that is outside my realm of authority and those higher up could care less. I wanted to leave behind forever the mini anxiety attacks being brought on by some Big Wig from Atlanta that was going to hop in my car and spend the day with me visiting the Bengal Camp. And on and on and on.

I wanted a job where I did not have to recall what I wore last week so that I would not wear the same thing twice to visit an account.

I rolled it over in my mind that wearing a uniform would be good. Very good. It would be heaven to not think about clothes!

And my wish came true. I iron my pastel button down oxford shirts and laugh at the absurdity of my never having worn much less owned such a shirt before. My apron with my name and lone star makes me ponder irony.

As I fall into bed and sleep soundly and without a single honest work related care in the world, as the frustrations of too much responsibility are replaced by the frustrations of ego...

As I wake at 330am in the morning after a deep six hours of sleep I also marvel at the power of the invisible hand coupled with the fickle finger of fate that can make a dream a reality.

This is Harder than it looks

GiST part 13 of 365

1) Pancakes with cherry preserves (more of the food theme)

2) E-mail from Gayle (hi G.!)with picture of childhood buddy.

3) Pumpkin spice flavored coffee

4) Making it home in time to see most of Survivor.

5) Finding a $5 bill!

12 of 365

Grace in Small Things

1) Lip gloss

2) Talking to Mom on the phone

3) Receiving first Christmas card

4) Having a nice conversation with an elderly lady in the line at the PO that made the 20 minute wait tolerable.

5) Chicken-n-Dumplings at work (there is a pattern of food stuff in my GIST's!!)

extra! Extra! UK beats UCONN in a thriller and I stayed awake for the whole thing!

GiST 11/365

1) For some crazy zen like reason, I enjoy ironing my cotton long sleeved shirts with the can of starch.

2) A pb&j for lunch

3) Reading an article on line about the lack of jobs and professionals taking retail jobs for the Christmas season and how the retail industry was remarkably improving because of it! Better customer service----hello.

4) A well deserved afternoon nap.

5) Fortune cookie "Your problem just became your stepping stone. Catch the moment."

Offical Kick Off of Write of Passage

Character.

Working with the general public all day long exposes you to the entire spectrum of personalities and character types. Serial shoppers , mean people, deformed people, challenged people, rude people, warm people, hyper people, people who allow their kids to run wild, people who are amused, people who are bored, people who just want to eat, people who just want to shop, people who want to eat and shop, people who hold purses for their wives , people who just hold purses , people who help their mates to the bathrooms, fat people, skinny people, people returning from cancer treatments at Vandy, people with no hair, people with too much hair, people with seeing eye dogs, people without an arm, people without sight, people without shame, people without compassion ,people who want candy, people who want pies, people who express gratitude, people who express impatience, people who want gift wrap, people who tell you how to do your job, people who are grateful you know how to do your job, people who want bows, people who want boxes, people who want an uncrushed box, people who want what is on the top of the highest shelf, people who like snowmen, people who are afraid of the weasel chasing the ball, people who look good in wraps, people who look short in wraps, people who ignore you, people who call you by name, people who smile, people who scowl , people who hum, people who talk to themselves, people who touch everything, people who bark at their children not to touch anything , people who look lost , people who are lost, people who rush to the bathroom , people who do not flush, people who line the commode seat with tissue paper and leave it behind, people who miss the trash can, people who refuse to touch the door plates and open with their elbows arms crooked like a doctor entering the OR , people who startle easily, people who enter the wrong bathroom, women who scream when seeing a man in the women’s bathroom, little boys in the women’s bathroom , sad looking little girls exiting the men’s bathroom, old folks on walkers, young folks in wheel chairs , broken arms in pink casts, broken legs in blue casts , crutches , canes, and XXXL “do you have anything larger” people, Tennessee orange , Alabama red , Florida orange and blue , Kentucky Blue, Austin Peay Red, Western Kentucky red, tall athletes, bus loads of retires looking for Horehound drops, basketball teams, volleyball teams, cheerleading teams, little league teams, coaches, People with books, people with newspapers , people with Bibles, people with brief cases , people with notebooks, people with lists , people in groups, people alone, people together, people kissing , people hugging, people kissing passionately , people rocking , people expounding on religion, people preaching politics, people talking about mission trips, men and women in fatigues, men and women in dress uniforms, people attending weddings, people attending funerals , people traveling , people passing through, people stuck, people yanking children by the arm, people with twins, people with four day old babies, people carrying baby carriers, babies laughing, babies crying, children running, children throwing tantrums, children playing in the toy department , children in Uggs, children in cowboy boots, children barefoot, children with a white streak in their hair (natural), children living with their grandparents , children visiting their grandparents, grandparents visiting their children, soldiers returning from Afghanistan, newlyweds, married 64 years, those who love, those who do not love, those who are affectionate, those who are chatty, those who are sour, those who are happy ,those who are sad, those who are lonely, those who are in a hurry, those who linger too long ,those who want something from six months ago ,those who want the last one, those who will not take the last one, those who wait until it goes on sale, those who don’t care what it costs, those who tell you how wonderful you are, those who tell your boss how wonderful you are, those who burst out the door shouting how rude you are, those who touch, those who grab your hand, those who tell you secrets, those who tell you dreams ,those who tell you “thanks” and not mean it, those who tell you thanks and mean it, those who dress like hookers, people who do not wash and smell bad, those on spike heels, those in combat boots, those in work boots, those who run out on the check, those who checks will not cash, those who return (used) merchandise, those who steal merchandise, those who argue about merchandise (that is clearly marked 25% off!!), those who want the manager, those who run out of gas, those who need a jump, a phone book, an aspirin, those who need a slap in the face, a course on etiquette, a bath, a kick in the ass, those who are too sweet, too young for motherhood, too young for fatherhood, too young for military service (they look like they are 12 sometimes), and then there are those who make you cry with their stories, who make you laugh with their witticisms…….

How in the world could I make up stories about the character of the people I meet and greet in a typical day?

The reality is enough.

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This post was written in response to a writing challenge from {W}rite-of-Passage, a "...group of writers seeking a challenge, getting critique, and finding community."

10/365

GiST

1) Walmart having monitors on sale

2) Getting into a check out lane with no one in front of you!

3) Working a shift with Rita - who loves to gift wrap (yea!)

4) Finding a peppermint in my purse.

5) Finding "Tales of the Scale" at the Salvation Army store - a book written by a blogger who use (notice the past tense) to have a great blog called Lose the Budda.

9/365

Grace in Small things

Double header

1) Downloading the newest Neil Young.

2) Sirius Radio

3) Successfully selling Joe's golf clubs on Craigslist

4) Chocolate chip cookies recipe courtesy of Foodnetwork.com

5) Arriving two hours late for work because you read the schedule incorrectly and everyone covered for you and no one knew!

Second Week - GiST

8 of 365

1) Having a Saturday off!

2) Having a Saturday off and finding out UK plays UNC on TV at 11:30!

3) Living in central time zone.

4) UK playing awesome 1st half and I was jumping up and down and then they played a mediocre 2nd half but they WON!! Great game!

5) Finishing my first draft for (W)rite of passage.

GiST

7 of 365

1) Realizing I was watching a sunset and it was beautiful.

2) Not burning down the house. I remembered I had left the oven on earlier in the day when I rushed off to work! I had thawed out several chicken breasts and they had been in the refrigerator tooooo long and I thought I would cook them before leaving for work. Great ideas gone bad! Joe home at 330 and turned off oven! Chicken burnt to a black glob. That's what happens at 350 degrees for seven hours!!

3) Thin crust deLITE pizza from Papa Murphy's.

4) Money grams at Walmart - too easy and a Christmas discount.

5) The end of a trying day that was coupled with my out of sorts mood.

GiST

6 of 365

1) Andrea Bocelli singing "Because God Made thee Mine" makes me cry it is so beautiful and fills me with memories of my Dad singing the song to my Mom.

2) My MP3 - Andrea Bocelli and some other guy singing "Because we Believe" because it gives me chills (and brings tears to my eyes too, it's so beautiful)

3) That I made it to the gas station this morning before running out of gas. I cut it way too close this time - almost.

4) Unexpected trip to Trader Joe's!

5) Message on the answering machine regarding job at the Mall ????????!!!!!!!!!!1

Grace in Small Things

Five of three hundred and sixty five

1) Waking to the sound of rain.

2) Smell of brownies cooking. Yum yum.

3) AT&T cell tower finally (after seven months living here) turned on! Cell service in Tiny Town! Yessssssssssssssss

4) Employee appreciation days - 30% off the merchandise. That makes Buy one get one half price very sweet.

5) Getting a doctor appointment with a specialist immediately! Unheard of!

4 of 365

Grace in Small Things

1) Satisfaction that comes from completing a task! Even if it is only cleaning out the cupboards and refrigerator.

2) Libraries - thank you Ben Franklin for dreaming up the concept of a free library. With computers and DVD's, music CD's, old books - new books and everything in between.

3) Finding a four leaf clover.

4) A cute little boy pushing miniature shopping cart at Kroger (I go to market quite often..lol)

5) Hearing laughter and looking north and seeing the playground covered with children! Flashback to Ft. Wayne and a playground next to the Little Caesar's covered with a recent heavy snow and the seemingly hundreds of colorfully clad kids frolicking on the equipment.

Grace in Small Things

3 of 365
1) Christmas Carols on the piped in music to sing along with.

2) Finding exactly what I'm looking for in the stock room.

3) Two Amazon orders in one day.

4) Southern Comfort Egg Nog! (Hooray!!) at Kroger's. (boo Walmart).

5) Cat sleeping in my lap in yellow checkered blanket.

2 of 365

Grace in small things

1) Good laugh about cat sitting on the back porch of the new neighbor - who owns a dog!

2) Finally making the telephone call I have been creading for some time and it turned out OK.

3) Reading "just one more chapter" while lounging on the bed - just like I did as a kid in my upstairs bedroom with the pink walls and the deep burgundy rug.

4) Being told that I am #2 in sales for the week, #1 for the month. I modestly say that it is a group effort but inwardly my heart is doing the dance of joy.

5) Aspercreme - what a great invention!

Grace in Small Things

One of 365...

1) White fences of central Kentucky

2) Kentucky almost beating Tennessee in over time

3) My sister understanding when I shouted "You're like Cartman singing "O Holy Night"!! Who knew!" (talking about her prowess at Corn Hole!)

4) My mother finishing up the grace before the meal by saying, "And thank you for food, friends and family...and everything that begins with the letter F" ... a one beat of astonishment at the table and then snickering and then laughter and then.."Football!" "Fruit"...etc. etc. etc. (though we were all thinking one thing...) and she clarifies, "Good things that begin with the letter F.."

5) Family together

All the time in the World

My hubs went to Memphis for several days beginning last week. Last Tuesday. The few days stretched into a few more and now he will return tomorrow. it has been like a mini vacation! Only I am the only one to feed and let the cat out in the middle of the night.

When he left last week I thought, Oh Boy! I can lay around and read as much as I want and eat what I want and no fighting over the tv programs!

The reality is this, I started a book I could not get into...Little, Big. I am just not much of a "fantasy" fan. I enjoyed the imagery of the prose (...His hat looked as if it had been in a fight....) but I could not for the life of me get interested in the story. I would begin to read and find myself asleep. So much for reading.

I made my current favorite dish, Chicken Pot Pie. I have discovered the joy of using my eight inch iron skillet as a pie pan! Golly gosh (this is how I cuss these days because of my career at the People Pleasing family oriented Biscuit Barrel and their three strikes you're out cussing policy)it makes for a flaky crust! I might buy another one just for fruit pies! Anyway, something happened to my broth. I'm not certain what I did, maybe not enough chicken stock and onions. I used the Barefoot Contessa recipe as a guide instead of just winging it. It did not have the usual "Hamburgers! that's good!" kick to it that it always has when Joe is around.

And I thought I would breeze through a project I have been working on, off and on, for several months on the computer. Guess what? Never looked at it.

What I have done is sleep a lot, eat a lot and not read a lot. Download a ton of music from the MP3 program and work a lot of extra hours. And not care a fig about tv. (Anyone watching Survivor? I love that guy Russel from New Orleans. What a peacock!)

And it all ends tomorrow. I have missed him. Life is sweeter with him around, if not more hectic and demanding.

Farmer in the Dell

Early to bed and early to rise makes a person healthy wealthy and just a plain old bore.

Actually, the damn three legged cat begins walking across my chest around 3am. And he is heavy! I am able to steal another 50 or so minutes of sleep before giving in and feeding that lard ass cat and then letting him out into the neighborhood which is his jungle.

It's 4am and I am awake. I like the very early hours. It's quiet and I feel like I am the only one awake....besides the farmers.

A lovely quiet. A delicious quiet.

I did a short four hour stint at Biscuit Bucket yesterday and not much happening of the unusual sort. A kid with a broken foot hobbling around on one of those foot boots, "What happened?" I asked as I have found people love to talk about their injuries, and since she was a young kid of about nine I added, "Did you kick a boy?" She laughed and told me she was going to tell everyone from now on that's what happened because it sounded better than tripping over her wiener dog.

The only other good action happened over by the Alan Jackson display. A young couple had taken the hat (Stetson knock off for $49.99. You too can look like Alan Jackson!) and she was taking a picture of him with her cell phone.

I swooped down on them and slipped one of the red and black cowboy ostentatious shirts with embroidery and snaps galore and said, "Here, slip this on, put the hat back on and hold up the back of the CD! " I was recreating the back cover. "Tilt your head down. You will look just like Alan Jackson." They loved it! "Are you sure we can do this?" I looked all around and put my finger to my lips, "We won't tell the sales person on duty what you are up to."

"Brilliant Face Book photo!" he laughed, "Now, who is Alan Jackson?"

They were not from around these parts. I laughed, they laughed and the older couple standing in the clearance corner laughed.

"You're next!" I called to them.

The older couple ended up buying several John Deere head gear hats.

I'm good.

In The Groove

I have about twenty minutes to kill before heading into work and I thought I would dust off the keyboard.

I meet the most interesting people on a daily basis at Biscuit Bucket. On the whole, very nice folk, but there are those who are a bit testy. I love hearing the stories that pop out of their mouths. The type of stories that you tell perfect stangers that you will never see again. Probably, you hope, never again.

It's my job to entice people to at the very least consider looking at our merchandise. I talk to everyone. Men or women, young or old, angry or sad. You just never know who will respond and in which way.

Headed on thier way out the door last evening I thanked an older couple for dining with us and that hopefully on the next trip they would look at our new Alan Jackson stuff! She turned to me and began to tell me all about her trying day. She went to town to find wall paper. Did I know they don't sell wall paper anywhere in this town?!! (It does not surprise me, the town with no used book store nor a Fresh Market). And that she went to Walmart because a friend had told her that she bought a do-hickey that you put around your pie edges and it prevented them from burning. No one had heard of such thing at the Walmart!!! The they went to the doctor and found out they both had high cholesterol!! High cholesterol!! And she can't take the medication! Fish oil pills! Can't take those either (try freezing them and then taking them! "Does it work? No burping back up the ...fish?" "Guaranteed!")

"Have a nice evening. Maybe you will find something nice the next time you come back in."

"I doubt it, he is tight as a tick! Never should have married him. Hummphhh" and out the door she went, a full five minutes behind him. He was probably revving the engine and restraining himself from tapping on the horn.

Everyday I have three or four encounters like the one above. People just spill their guts to me. I should write a book!

Autumn of your Life crisis

My dreams have been multi-faceted, richly textured, incredibly entertaining, all in living color as of late. My mother is young and handing my younger sister (who is a baby of about two) a Pez candy dispenser in the form of Bozo the Clown. My father, also young, is smiling from a passing car. There is my old grammar school friend, Flea, running down a dark street that is pocked with spectacular glass shards as he calls to me to wait for him. I run on pain free knees. I run very fast! I am weaving my way through a bistro, people gathered and laughing, waving interesting cocktails in shades of chartreuse and ruby. I carry a shopping bag. My cell rings and I step out onto a back patio to answer and enter a zoo with swimming dinosaurs and toothy snakes!

I awake, feeling the comfort of my hot-dog bun mattress bed, with my three legged cat lifting his head to gaze lovingly and beseechingly at me (because he knows its about chow time) and I think....

I finally understand! Mid-life crisis!

Since I can put a name on it everything falls into place. Only, I am well past mid-life! So, it's post mid-life crisis. Autumn of my life crisis. Maybe I can accept the condition I find myself in, the circumstances so appalling and so embarrassing...maybe it's time I just close my mind to the "what-ifs" and the "I should haves" to the peace of just being where I am and not fighting it.