Taking Time To Play

"We don't stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing." 

-  George Bernard Shaw

"You're never too old to do goofy stuff."

 -  Ward Cleaver

"It is a happy talent to know how to play." 

 -  Ralph Waldo Emerson

My family and I took a little time out to play this past weekend.

We took a drive through rural Ohio and visited an Amish Bakery.  I love their pretzels!  

Cooking Failures?

"This is my invariable advice to people: Learn how to cook, try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless, and above all have fun."  -  Julia Child

Have you ever had a  colossal failure in the kitchen?  I have had many...but two come to mind first.

When I was a teenager, my mom asked if I could make meatloaf for dinner.  Sure.  The recipe called for one cup of chicken bouillon.  I had no idea what that was.  I looked in the pantry and found a little glass jar that said chicken bouillon cubes. 

My Word For 2016

Choosing a 'word for the year' is similar to a New Year's resolution, but way better.  A word for the year points me in the right direction.  It is a little whisper of guidance during times I am stuck and wonder what to do next...oh, I will  (insert my word).

There is also no failure with a word for the year.  If I forget, I try to remember next time...it is always ok to begin again.

Gifts

'Each moment is a gift, that is why it is called the present.'

I remember counting down the days until Christmas when I was little.  I could hardly wait.  When Christmas finally arrived it was the biggest present that held my interest.  Whatever is bigger is better, right?  

How things change as I get older.  Now I could really use a few more days before Christmas.  The time is flying by with so many things to do. 

Gratitude

'We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude.'  -  Cynthia Ozick

'Don't take anything for granted - not one smile, or one person, or one rainbow, or one breath, or one night in your cozy bed.'  -  Terri Guillemets

I started juicing every morning (well, most mornings).  I took my first sip of juice yesterday and then out of habit reached to turn on the TV, but something stopped me. 

Instead of filling my head with the morning news,

Dorothy's Sunflowers

"There is no such thing as an ordinary life."  -  Mark Twain

"There are only two ways to live your life.  One is as though nothing is a miracle.  The other is as though everything is a miracle."  -  Albert Einstein

The  sky was blue and the wind was blowing the day I picked to visit the sunflower field.  As I made my way through and around the sunflowers, I felt like the pictures I was taking were the same pictures I have taken before, same angle, same composition...nothing new...just ordinary.

Buttons

"Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory."  

-  Dr. Seuss

I found a great book entitled Collected: Living with the Things You Love.  (You can see it here on Amazon.)  It is a book full of collections. (The toaster collection is worth a peek all by itself.)  The photographs are gorgeous.  

Pancakes

I haven't made pancakes in years.  

I still haven't.  

Did you know you can buy frozen pancakes at the grocery store? :)

Fall is here.

I haven't raked any leaves yet, but I am sure I will soon.  

Thank you for stopping by.

Have a great day!

Michelle