Help to QUIT SMOKING

Pickles, YES pickles. Dill or Sour, Kosher or Christian, pucker-perfect P-I-C-K-L-E-S. Low-calorie, packed in vitamin C, No fat pickles. You won't get scurvy on this regime. Pickles are inexpensive and can even be purchased singly at the deli. No need to add a side of pastrami on rye, just go for the pickle.

When I needed surgery for a crushed vertabrae, Dr. put surgery off until I quit smoking and he said to do it cold-turkey. I had tried to quit numerous times, trouble was I knew I didn't really even want to quit. I had used patches, gum, hypnosis, anti-depressants, you name it, all to no avail. My longest quit lasted a mere 30 days. 40 years of nicotene abuse had me beat. Or did it? I had found during one of my quits that the sour flavor of lemon helped, but the extra sugar in lemon candy bothered me. I can only take so much candy in a days time and extra weight gain would be a real problem.

As would have it, the day I quit, my personal chef/husband had just 'put-up' a batch of pickles from the extra cukes we had received from a farmer friend. I had to taste and I realized that flavor of tart and sour and salty might just work. Not only did that sour bite stop my immediate craving, but I discovered it also kept my hunger at bay. I could easily pack up a few in a plastic ziplock bag to munch whenever. Sliced, I could surrepitously sneak one as needed.

Both of these recipes keep quite well in the fridge. Some great add-ins for either recipe: Crushed Red Pepper flakes, Pickling Spices, More or less Garlic, fresh dill heads, dill seed, mustard seed. Use your imagination.

One Jar at a Time Pickles

Fresh washed unpeeled Cucumbers
White or Cider Vinegar
Water
Garlic Cloves
1 Tbl Sea/Kosher/Pickling Salt
Clean Sterilized Glass Jar with Lid
Fill jar with cucumbers which have been left whole or sliced lengthwise. Add 3-4 garlic cloves to jar. Fill jar halfway with vinegar then remainder of the way with water. Pour liquid from jar into a pan. Add salt. Bring to a boil. Pour back into jar over cucumbers while hot. Refrigerate at least 3 days.

Can't get any Easier Pickles

1 Jar of your favorite Dill/Sour Pickles
When that last pickle is gone, pour the juice from the jar into a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Thoroughly wash jar and lid. Fill jar with cucumbers sliced, whole, or cut in spears. Return boiling juice to jar and top off with additional cider vinegar. Refrigerate several hours before using.

Woman in the Mirror

I saw the old woman today
and was startled and afraid

I saw the sadness in her eyes,
the wear and tear of life’s worry

I saw the old woman today
scowls and smiles, anger and laughter

permanently etched in her face
as though the sculptor’s knife was too blunt and swift,

all signs of youth dried and caked
amid age spots

I saw the old woman today
and I was startled and afraid

and she saw me
and she was startled and afraid

ADD?

Both my kids have attention deficit disorder, at least their father and I think so. I have finally decided it comes from me. I have trouble finishing anything I start. I have grandiose ideas about doing this or that, get started then, boom. Time to start something new. I started to write a book and in my head thoughts flow freely then I try to put it all on paper and start thinking about the hundreds of pages unwritten and I quit. Crocheting was going to be my money maker after I retire, but after 10 or 15 animals, I couldn't bear to start another. I have a bunch of blankets that I started but never finished. Its like the thinking and dreaming and planning are the best part. I have yarn galore, each selected for a specific never started project.
Back to the book, I think that was mainly a melancholy moment thing. You know, sad thoughts of the past, fear of the future, unhappy, scared, lonely, whatever other words you can think of to describe this sorry person I have become. The book? This is part of the first chapter. I just don't want to completely lose the thoughts.

The Broken Virgin

I held tightly to the plastic Virgin under my pillow. “Please, Blessed Mother Mary, make them stop!” I nudged my sister laying next to me and whispered “Colleen, are you awake?. “ “Yes.” “Don’t worry, they will go to sleep pretty soon. I know you’re scared…I’m scared too.” She said. We were always scared when mother and dad had a fight.. I clutched my statue more tightly, and willed the tears trickling down onto my pillow to quit and thought about my broken Blessed Mother. She glowed in the dark if you put her in the bathroom light while taking a bath. One day I held her so tight the pretty blue base that held her upright snapped off. Since then, I kept her under my pillow, close, for nights like this. She always answered my prayers. They always stopped and I always slept. I drifted slowly off to sleep. Summer nighttime noises started once again. The June bugs and the crickets, the whirring of the window fan, the bathroom faucet…drip, drip, drip.
.

The Coaster?

Charlotte loves the roller coaster. I never really liked them all that much. I don't like that feeling in my tummy when you're free falling. It kind of tickles, but kind of hurts too. After waiting in line what seems like forever, it moves so fast and then its over. Kind of like life. I remember being 8 or 10 and just wanting to be 12 or 14. When I was 25, I wanted the kids to be grown. Never satisfied. Up and down, high then low, slow then fast. Then its over. Poof, done. The good thing about the roller coaster though is you can get back in line, start over, and hope it's more fun the next time.

Let the Dream Continue

I am so up today. My machine is fixed and I 'sewed' out my first embroidery. It was just a practice piece but it came out great. I didn't have to do anything other than rethread the needle when the thread broke. And I have that problem solved too. Somedays are truly worth living. I also just read Michael's blog, sound like we have another brilliant granddaughter coming along. God I love those kids, I want to hug them so bad.

Oh, and I don't want to forget my first animeal. I created a darling bib/paci holder that looks like an elephant. I even have an order!! Now if only I could get the sew out for it in a pes format. I will post a picture tomorrow.

Today is good. Tomorrow just a dream. And it is coming.

Where do dreams go?

I have them, I've always had them. Some more outlandish than others, some were actually forseeable. A few even came true. But most just disappeared. Lost. They change from one year to the next, sometimes completely losing thier shape and texture.

But one of these I've had for a long, long time, years actually. It is shared with two people very dear to me.

My shop 'My Sisters and Me' or 'Three Sisters'. Colleen, Sharon and me. We've tossed it around a few times, but then the reality takes over. It would be a gifty, crafty, creative place. Perhaps geared to childrens goods, but more! Items that you know will make someone smile.

Both my sisters share the crafty touch. Sharon paints. and makes beautiful children's 'secrets' boxes. Colleen is a terrific seamstress, though age, arthritis and eyesight have contributed to less pattern work and more finish work. Her hand sewing is amazing, and she has patience to cover a wedding basket in hand sewn seed pearls. A weekend doesn't go by that we don't show-off our latest craft to one another. Family and friends continue to tell us we are wasting our talents working everyday.

So someday our shop will carry many of these items, Sharons boxes, Colleen's blankets and baskets and lots of other one-of-a-kind embroidered dresses. And artwork, children's artwork. Framed and mounted like professional stuff. Like the one above..... The specially created dressing box I made for Charlotte out of an old pink suitcase. So clever then. Most of these things you make once or twice, but never again.

Lord, please don't let me lose this dream.