Good Food Goes a Long Way!

I’m home sick today, and watched Oprah with Celebrity Chef’s. Well, where the heck have I been? Curtis Stone is adorable! Okay, give me a man with an accent and I’m putty in their hands. Actually, the show was very interesting because I had a conversation yesterday with a few women at work about cooking and eating habits. They do fast things, such as fast food, and all three don’t really cook for the family. I’m pretty surprised at the growing number of women who don’t cook. Of course, being me, I had to give my opinion and received the response that I don’t have children so I don’t understand the need to do something quick. They said they don’t have time and it’s easier to pick something up when running around. I say, “That’s just instant gratification and poor time management.”

If anything, it’s easier for me, single with no children to order out all the time. I have no one to cook for, no one to impress with looks, so I really don’t need to eat healthy, right? Wrong. As I’ve gotten older, I realize the importance of health. I don’t need to be a size four with 6-pack abs, but I am trying to get back into my size six again. Health is so important. I'm not saying we shouldn't enjoy the fattening foods every now and then.

Cooking isn’t necessarily my forte, but I try to find quick healthy things (sometimes pre-packaged) and usually eat something every two hours. Everyone can make the time,and find healthy foods, it's whether you want to put in the effort. Here are a few quick snacks/meals that I eat.

• (2) Flaxseed waffles, Activia and a banana
• (1) Smart and Delicious tortilla, (1) apple, Swiss cheese, Splenda and cinnamon. Put the slice of cheese on tortilla, slice and add the apple, put in microwave for 30 seconds and sprinkle with cinnamon and Splenda.
• (2) slices of Flaxseed bread, butter spray and Organic peanut butter
• In a container, add lettuce of your choice, sprinkle blueberries and Blue Cheese on it and throw in a can of tuna, or meat of your choice and bring a packet of Light Ranch dressing.

Do you have a quick healthy snack or meal you make? Stop on by and post it. Let’s help out all the men and women out there who could use some quick ideas.

To Zachary!

Quiet by nature
Boy child I've known
Grown up so quick
Miss when he was young
Picked as a catcher
Baseball he's thrown
Sports talent is magic
Still calm with his tongue

Fans fill the stands
When he's on the field
Hand gestures are cryptic
Unable to steal
Expanding hands
Baseball deal is sealed
The Cross town Classic
South Side keeps it real

Congratulations, Zachary for making the baseball team! Who knows, some day you might be playing for the White Sox! I'm proud of you.

YAY, Mr. Carlos Ruiz Zafon

I was on Amazon ordering books, and while I searched for another to get the free shipping, I found Carlos Ruiz Zafon has a new book coming out in June. (Insert Bea doing happy dance in her office.) His new book, The Angel’s Game has some of the characters from The Shadow of the Wind returning. Even Carlos Ruiz Zafon’s website is awesome, and The Shadow of the Wind is one of my favorite modern books and responsible for my blog name. If you can’t get to the site right now, the below is from his home page.

“THE ANGEL'S GAME is a tale of lost souls and literary intrigue; a book steeped in the world of writing, with references to Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Great Expectations. It is about the demons a writer faces; but also a page-turning mystery and a love story set against the creaking mansions and mysterious alleyways at the dark heart of Barcelona.”

I better finish up Mr. Timothy by Louis Bayard and The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb before my shipment arrives, or at least before The Angel’s Game. Now go out, support a writer, buy a book and Happy Reading!

Thank You!

I’m the kind of person who gets bored and tired of the same things, so I embrace change whether it’s specific to me or widespread. This came to mind as I thought about our new President, the upcoming budget, and changes in my life. On Friday, I said good-bye to my boss. She took a position in Boston within our company, and as we were talking I told her if my counterpart position opens up I’ll move to Boston in a heartbeat. I wasn’t surprised I'd consider moving there since nothing is holding me here or anywhere. Most of us don’t love the jobs we have, and if you have a boss you don’t get along with it makes every work day excruciating. Well, I got along with my boss, and the change that looms over our office as to who the new boss will be isn’t one I welcome with open arms.

My writing has also changed in the sense that it has become so much a part of my life now. For a long time, I stopped writing unable to get back into the groove because of the reaction and non-reaction I saw on a writing forum I belonged to. As a new writer, you rely on the experienced to guide you and help build your confidence. This forum happened to be more of an empowerment for those running it, a bragging area for the somewhat successful writers and the need to bash other writers who they felt didn’t deserve success. I made friends with many from that forum and hope to keep those friendships going, but for my own good couldn’t remain there. It took me awhile to wise up and move to another forum where they give great critiques without punching you in the gut and also praise for your writing strengths. It’s time for me to say, “Thank you” to The Writers Block for accepting and encouraging me. Because of you, I’ve submitted my work to a few places with plans to enter upcoming contests.

My blog has also helped me keep writing a part of my life and ‘you’ readers have been a support for coming back and reading my thoughts and poems. If it wasn’t for you, I probably wouldn’t post as much on my blog, so “Thank you” to all those who drop by either once or several times to read my ramblings. I truly appreciate it.

Thank you for the things you say,
or the things you don’t say when
you come my way. It’s nice to know
you stopped by to read my writing
not expecting Elizabeth Barrett Browning.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend and have a safe week!