Simple Pleasures

Things have certainly been rather tumultuous here for the last twelve days; what with my retina surgery and Lucy's broken hip. I am glad to report that both Lucille and I are on the mend.

So, today after breakfast at Denny's my hubby and I went out and purchased some beautiful Mums and Kale to put in the planters on the front porch. Sometimes it is the simple things that help keep life in perspective. Between running back and forth to doctors and hospitals things have become quite helter skelter around here of late. I am a person who enjoys order and things have been anything but orderly!

Today I resolve to try and put things back in perspective and take one day at a time. A healthy breakfast, and planting some beautiful flowers is a good start. Do you have things that help you keep your head on straight? Watching a ball game? Playing a piano? Painting? Whatever it is, don't forget to take time to do something for YOU. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in doing things that we fail to take a deep breath and just enjoy a few moments. Laughter is the best medicine and I hope something makes you smile today!

My doggie Buddy, makes me smile every day. He is the sweetest, most loving animal and really doesn't demand anything of me but a little love. What a joy! Studies have shown that petting a dog or cat can lower your blood pressure, and I believe mine goes down when Buddy is around.

My hubby has a great hobby that keeps him in balance. All work and no play makes for a grumpy hubby, so I am most happy that Kevin has taken up carving. He is quite good at it and has done some really beautiful work. He carves gun stocks, plaques and figurines and is now working on carving beautiful leaves on my kitchen cabinet doors. He has a new web site where you can see some of his work. The address is: hardwood-designs.net. Have a peek and let us know what you think!

Well fellow bloggers, I need to get moving before I have to go back to the hospital to see Lucy! Hope I will have some travel news to post soon. I have a couple of adventures planned including a trip to Atlanta and a Holiday Pops Concert with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in December. We will also be heading back to beautiful Okaloosa Island for Thanksgiving this year!

Here's a great recipe to start off your Seasonal Baking!

GINGER COOKIES

4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
4 tsp ground ginger
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups shortening
2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup molasses
3/4 cup coarse sugar

In a medium mixing bowl stir together the flour, ginger, soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Set ASIDE

In a large mixing bowl beat shortening with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds to soften, gradually add the 2 cups granulated sugar; beat until fluffy. Add eggs and molasses and beat well. Add half of the flour mixture and beat til combined. Stir in the remaining flour with a wooden spoon (mixture is quite stiff).

SHAPE into 1-2 inch balls, roll in coarse or granulated sugar; place dough balls on ungreased cookie sheet about 2 1/2 inches apart.

BAKE in a 350 degree oven 12-14 minutes or until light brown and puffed. DO NOT OVERBAKE! Let stand 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

These are soft and chewy and keep well in tins or plastic containers. They also freeze very well!

Enjoy!!!

Youth and The Young At Heart

I remember hearing many times that "youth is wasted on the young." I don't know if that is necessarily true, but I do feel sometimes that we rush through our youth trying to get to the next "goal", not taking time to enjoy the small milestones and accomplishments.

Some of you may wonder why the name "Okaloosa Girl" or exactly what an Okaloosa is.
Okaloosa Island is a small strip of powder white sand along the beautiful emerald green waters of the Florida Gulf Coast. It is the place I go when I want to feel like a girl again.

My hubby had a tag made for me this Summer while we were on Okaloosa Island. It is a large ocean wave with "Okaloosa Girl" written across it. My daughter took one look at it and said, "Mom, you are not a girl! Why not Okaloosa Woman?"
I laughed and said, "Because when I am in Okaloosa, I feel like a girl!"

It's true. When I go stand by that beautiful emerald green water on that powder white sand, something magical happens to me. My husband noticed it the very first time we visited there. I take a few breaths of that salt air, and it is like my spirit is whisked back to the very first time I saw the Ocean and smelled the salt air. I was sixteen years old the first time I saw it.

My Aunt had invited my sister and I to join her at her vacation home in Ocean City, Maryland. I can vividly remember coming up over the rise of the bridge across the Bay and seeing the ocean spread in front of me. It was an amazing feeling! Suddenly I knew that this "ocean" would always be where I would feel most at home.

I had grown up on the banks of the Potomac River in Maryland and had always spent a lot of time on the water, but this....this magnificent ocean, was something like I had never experienced. I was instantly invigorated.

I was lucky enough to live in Ocean City for 15 years after I was married. I came to know the many moods of the ocean, and loved each and every one of them. The ocean always drew me to God...it was so like Him. It is so deep, so mysterious, so much is hidden below the surface. It can be smooth and calm one minute and raging the next minute, and you never know when it will change. It is always there!

Like I said, I have always loved the ocean but something truly magical happened the first time I crossed the bridge to Okaloosa Island. Suddenly I was transported back...back to being a girl again. Thus the name "Okaloosa Girl." When I am there on the Island, I am suddenly years younger. My creative side comes out again and I begin to paint and write and "live." My husband loves the "Okaloosa Girl." She rides wave runners and goes crabbing like a little girl. She laughs more.

Someday, we will retire to Okaloosa Island. I look forward to those days with great anticipation. I will never grow older there, just better. Some might tell me it is unwise to move to the ocean when you are growing "older" and might need a little help at times. But I have a feeling that there, on that beautiful island, I won't actually grow older, but better.

RECIPE OF THE DAY

Here's a nice light meal that will make you feel like you are at the beach even in the middle of Winter!

You may use a hot dog roll or a flour tortilla for this "roll".

1 Small Lemon
1/4 cup mayonnaise (may use light mayo if you like)
2 TBSP chopped green onion tops
1/2 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
3/4 pound chopped cooked shrimp (get your grocer to steam them for you
at the store, and save time!)
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
4 white/wheat hot dog buns (or tortillas)
4 Boston lettuce leaves

1. Grate 1/2 teaspoon lemon rind from lemon.
Squeeze lemon to measure 1 1/2 tablespoons of juice. Combine lemon rind
juice, Old Bay, mayo and green onions in large bowl. Add shrimp and celery,and
toss gently.
2. Top each bun with 1 lettuce leaf. Spoon shrimp mixture evenly onto lettuce
leaves...Serve immediately. By the way they have GREAT SHRIMP on the Gulf Coast!

Yield 4 Servings....Calories 220