I know, I know...I'm the worst blogger ever. I haven't written regularly, and I haven't tagged a single entry to expand my readership. I promise - when things calm down, I won't be such a slacker with this.
I've been reading a lot lately about confronting sources of negativity and how to dissipate the bad vibes. I've been letting things get to me that shouldn't. I've been allowing myself to get stressed out over things that aren't really a big deal. Worst of all, I've been letting people treat me badly without doing anything about it. A couple of people who play fairly major roles in my life (and who, thankfully, are not inclined to read my blog) have been saying some really nasty, hurtful things to me and about me. Some of those things may be true, but I believe that people should not intentionally set out to hurt each other. Therefore, some of those things could have been said differently, with a little more tact. The things that aren't true, of course, didn't need to be said at all. In both instances, I can't figure out how to confront these sources of negativity without acting out of hurt and anger. I know that's not the way to deal with things, so I just haven't dealt with them at all.
If anyone has any advice, I would some input.
Thursday, July 31, 2014
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
Recipe - Delicious Pineapple Muffins
These are so good! My suggestion - use fresh or high-quality canned pineapple, add a little extra juice to the batter, and add extra pineapple.
Ingredients
Directions
Ingredients
Original recipe yields 16 muffins
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease and flour muffin pans, or line with paper liners.
- In a large bowl, stir together 2 cups flour, white sugar, baking powder and salt. Drain pineapple, reserving 1/4 cup juice. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and pour in the reserved juice, egg, milk, and 1/4 cup melted butter. Mix just until blended.
- In a separate bowl, stir together the cinnamon, brown sugar, 1/2 cup flour, and 1/4 cup melted butter to make the topping.
- Spoon batter into muffin cups, then spoon crushed pineapple over the batter and sprinkle with the cinnamon topping.
- Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted in the crown of the muffin comes out clean.
Monday, June 9, 2014
To Dread, or Not to Dread...That is the Question
Alright. Since I've decided to spill my guts in a public forum, I will ask your opinion about the most daunting decision in my life right now. (Don't laugh at me - this is serious.) For many years, I have admired people with dreadlocks. I love them. I think they are beautiful and fascinating, and I want them. However, I work with someone who says I can't have them because they're "not my culture." This comment, as rude and ugly as it was, peaked my interest, and I decided to Google "white people with dreadlocks" just to see what came up. I learned about the history of dreadlocks on Wikipedia, saw some pictures of dreadlocks gone wrong, and encountered many forums in which this topic was furiously debated. Perhaps the most ignorant and hurtful opinion was expressed here. Thankfully, I found a rebuttal to this letter and learned that most people do not share that ignorant, hurtful opinion.
While I want to be able to express myself and display the confidence I have gained over the past few years by making this dramatic change to my appearance, I still need some external validation. In other words, I want to know what you think. Here are a couple more links just in case you need more information before expressing your opinion.
http://www.dreadlocktruth.com/faq
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dreadlocks
While I want to be able to express myself and display the confidence I have gained over the past few years by making this dramatic change to my appearance, I still need some external validation. In other words, I want to know what you think. Here are a couple more links just in case you need more information before expressing your opinion.
http://www.dreadlocktruth.com/faq
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dreadlocks
Sunday, June 8, 2014
Friendship
Well, summer has begun, and every child in my preschool class will go to Kindergarten this Fall. This is an incredibly emotional time for me because I know what they will have to face in "big school." From bullies to cafeteria food, teachers who shouldn't be teaching anymore to crazy bus drivers, and homework to missed recesses, my babies have many years of tough times ahead of them. As I watched their little faces while they sang during our graduation program, I wondered how many of them will still be friends when they are in high school, and I thought about how comforting I find it to be around the people I have known for practically my entire life.
Last weekend, I visited an old friend who I hadn't seen in almost fifteen years. We spoke on the phone prior to my visit, but we hadn't spoken for a year before that. It wasn't that we had a falling out or anything; our lives just sort of veered apart, and neither one of us really made an effort to keep in touch. She and I met when we were nine years old and have been friends ever since. We've both put ourselves through a lot over the years, and I think we can agree, we were craving the comfort of venting to someone who wouldn't judge us for our mistakes and who wouldn't get all maternal on us when giving advice (sorry, mom). I was afraid it would be awkward to see her because people can change a lot in fifteen years. I was worried about what she would think of me and whether or not we would talk the way we did when we were younger. Once we started talking, though, we couldn't stop. We stayed up until 4:30 am, slept for a few hours, and talked for hours more when we woke up. It was like we had never been away from each other, except for the fact most of our conversations were about what had been going on in our lives over the years. I didn't realize how much I missed her until I spent that time with her.
This visit got me thinking about all of my friendships and what friendship really means. As we know, friendship in preschool can be a fickle thing. One minute, two children are playing nicely together. The next minute, one child is tattling on the other because she said, "You're not my friend, and you can't come to my Chuck E. Cheese party." Friendship with adults can be just as fickle depending on the participating parties and the foundation on which the friendship is built. I look at my friends' Facebook pages, and I notice some of them have hundreds, or even over a thousand, friends on their "Friends" list. I have to wonder, are they really all your friends, or are they just people with whom you want to share a picture of your dinner plate each night? Are they people who will pick you up when you are down, will they kick you when you are down, or will they even notice when you are down?
I think about my grandmother's friends - she had the same friends for over 50 years, and they were wonderful to her. When I think of the times we all gathered at her house for one occasion or another, I remember seeing the genuine love and compassion they had for each other. She could really count on her friends to be there for her when she needed them, she was there for them when they needed her, and they spent good times together when nobody really needed anything. They participated in each other's lives as if they were family. Those are the types of friendships we need.
I hope my preschoolers will find the same comfort in old friends as they go through life. I hope that all of our lessons on friendship will stick with them, and most of all, that they have a clear understanding of what it means to be a good friend.
Last weekend, I visited an old friend who I hadn't seen in almost fifteen years. We spoke on the phone prior to my visit, but we hadn't spoken for a year before that. It wasn't that we had a falling out or anything; our lives just sort of veered apart, and neither one of us really made an effort to keep in touch. She and I met when we were nine years old and have been friends ever since. We've both put ourselves through a lot over the years, and I think we can agree, we were craving the comfort of venting to someone who wouldn't judge us for our mistakes and who wouldn't get all maternal on us when giving advice (sorry, mom). I was afraid it would be awkward to see her because people can change a lot in fifteen years. I was worried about what she would think of me and whether or not we would talk the way we did when we were younger. Once we started talking, though, we couldn't stop. We stayed up until 4:30 am, slept for a few hours, and talked for hours more when we woke up. It was like we had never been away from each other, except for the fact most of our conversations were about what had been going on in our lives over the years. I didn't realize how much I missed her until I spent that time with her.
This visit got me thinking about all of my friendships and what friendship really means. As we know, friendship in preschool can be a fickle thing. One minute, two children are playing nicely together. The next minute, one child is tattling on the other because she said, "You're not my friend, and you can't come to my Chuck E. Cheese party." Friendship with adults can be just as fickle depending on the participating parties and the foundation on which the friendship is built. I look at my friends' Facebook pages, and I notice some of them have hundreds, or even over a thousand, friends on their "Friends" list. I have to wonder, are they really all your friends, or are they just people with whom you want to share a picture of your dinner plate each night? Are they people who will pick you up when you are down, will they kick you when you are down, or will they even notice when you are down?
I think about my grandmother's friends - she had the same friends for over 50 years, and they were wonderful to her. When I think of the times we all gathered at her house for one occasion or another, I remember seeing the genuine love and compassion they had for each other. She could really count on her friends to be there for her when she needed them, she was there for them when they needed her, and they spent good times together when nobody really needed anything. They participated in each other's lives as if they were family. Those are the types of friendships we need.
I hope my preschoolers will find the same comfort in old friends as they go through life. I hope that all of our lessons on friendship will stick with them, and most of all, that they have a clear understanding of what it means to be a good friend.
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
It feels like the first time...
I guess that's because it is...I mean, it's my first time blogging. I was inspired to start this endeavor by my friend, Carly, and by my mother. Carly has her own blog about her experiences preparing for the Susan G. Koman walk in which she will participate this Fall. Carly is an amazing writer, and her voice comes across much like I expect mine will - genuine, funny, and slightly sarcastic. Her willingness to share the ups and downs of what could be considered a very personal experience is what motivated me to open up to the world. Check out her blog at www.carlywalks.blogspot.com.
Though the motivation came easy, I'm very shy and thus hesitant about sharing my thoughts. I have plenty to say, but not enough confidence to say most of it out loud. That's where my mother comes in. She is amazingly adept at stroking my ego and quelling my fear. She also keeps me grounded while encouraging my ambition. She tells me that I can't always look at the world through rose-colored glasses and that life won't always be rainbows and butterflies, but she still makes me feel like I can do just about anything I set my mind to.
So, here I am. I want to share my view of the world. I want you to recognize that life is a series of fleeting moments, and that you'll miss something wonderful if you just float through it with your eyes closed. I know I don't want to miss a thing, and I don't want you to, either. I hope you enjoy looking at life through my rainbow-colored glasses and maybe get a pair of your own someday.
Though the motivation came easy, I'm very shy and thus hesitant about sharing my thoughts. I have plenty to say, but not enough confidence to say most of it out loud. That's where my mother comes in. She is amazingly adept at stroking my ego and quelling my fear. She also keeps me grounded while encouraging my ambition. She tells me that I can't always look at the world through rose-colored glasses and that life won't always be rainbows and butterflies, but she still makes me feel like I can do just about anything I set my mind to.
So, here I am. I want to share my view of the world. I want you to recognize that life is a series of fleeting moments, and that you'll miss something wonderful if you just float through it with your eyes closed. I know I don't want to miss a thing, and I don't want you to, either. I hope you enjoy looking at life through my rainbow-colored glasses and maybe get a pair of your own someday.
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