This girl likes to have fun, if you hadn’t picked up on that yet, but “playtime” has had to be toned down these days.
From the time I was small, playtime revolved around hiking, biking, horseback riding, camping, fishing, and/or any fun activity out in the wilderness.
Over the years I’ve walked marathons (running them is silly), played softball, and at one point even played a game of tackle football in a muddy field, no joke. I was fast, light, and could take a hit!
Sitting where I sit now, with a rainy day ache in every single place that I injured myself over the years, playtime has had to become a bit less aggressive.
I traded my outdoor adventuring for online gaming outdoor adventuring (don’t judge), as I’ve no desire to collapse from trying to do things the way I used to. Not only that, but the embarrassment of being hand carried off the path by some young, strong, and handsome paramedics… no thanks!
I may not be a young spring chicken any longer, but this wise old owl has traded her adventure shoes for Meemaw slippers. Don’t think that this is just anybody’s game, no ho ho way! You wouldn’t think that rocking a baby to sleep would be so tough… until you have rocked them for an hour, while holding yourself in the most awkward and uncomfortable position. You’ll ache for days, trust me!
I guess you could say that my playtime has become selective now… I save up all my physical energy for baby, while I imagine, write, and virtually play online games. I also bake you virtual cookies each day, which I consider playtime, as well.
Sometimes, one must simply call it like it is, you know?
As per societies rules about routines and such, we all get up every morning, and obediently slip into our adulting patterns… day after day after day. Ewwwww!
Of course I’m going to try getting out of adulting, if at all possible… wouldn’t you?
So just remember, if you see me adulting… well, I’m possibly faking it!
First of all, I think that the prompt would have been far more entertaining if they’d asked about failures… just sayin! I could have had a glorious time picking out a hilarious mistake to write about, and who I thought was to blame, lol! Secondly, why should I write about one person, in particular?
If I could have it my way… oh, wait…I can! This is my website, so I get to do whatever I’d like, right?
Perhaps, I’ve become jaded over time, what with the daily struggle to survive, and all. Maybe, I’m just sick of always watching entitled furry fruit bags, strut around flaunting what they got, like it was the end all, be all!
The point is that I am feeling aggravated this morning, and WordPress, you’re NOT helping! I’m fairly confident in saying that these prompts being repeated year after year after year after year, tells me that WordPress has either successfully pushed my angry button, or successfully made me rethink why I bother answering the prompts, at all!
I’m successful sometimes, and a failure, at others… aren’t we all? Some might focus their attention on a musician, writer, actor, or other specific artist that accomplished great things, sure. But, what about the thousands of human hands and feet that make someone else so successful, like the workers in those wonderful car factories, or the farmers who work to feed them, the ones who build those houses for the successful people to live in. The list is endless.
Success is defined as what, I wonder? Let’s take a look…
suc·cess /səkˈses/
noun: success; plural noun: successes
1. the accomplishment of an aim or purpose.”there is a thin line between success and failure”
the attainment of fame, wealth, or social status.”her success owed more to hard work than luck”
a person or thing that achieves desired aims or attains fame, wealth, etc.”overall the fair was a great success”
2. archaicthe good or bad outcome of an undertaking.”the good or ill success of their maritime enterprises”
You see, I believe that every human being has the potential for being successful in whatever they pursue. Now, there isn’t anything wrong with using someone else’s success as your personal motivator, but the danger in that is an insidious and wicked villain, called Comparison. This villain often employs his friends, Self-doubt, Self-pity, and the worst of the gang… Covet! He’s a bugger to get rid of, because once he gets into your space, he assumes that he can stay for as long as he likes!
Honestly, nobody’s ever given me a free ride, on anything! I had to work til my fingers bled, study til my brain went numb, bear the beautiful, yet bitter memories of all my past successes and failures, and have lived most of my recent life, like a rabid Badger, just to stay alive! And, not once, in all those years did I think, if this particular person could go from rags to riches, then so can I. I learned early on that nobody was going to come for me… I had to get up, dust myself off, and walk on.
You know how I often say that when I write out all my grumbles to you guys and gals, by the end, I find that the answers were there all the time… I was just too grumpy to see them. Well, we’ve arrived…
When I think of the word successful, I think of Jesus. He succeeded in absolutely every single thing He was sent to earth to do. Perfect creation, perfect life, perfect example, and perfect prophesy fulfilling death and resurrection. I am successfully alive today, because of a Perfect Savior… now that’s sayin something!
Cookies?
I’m fairly certain that the ground is covered in chocolate brownie dust, not dirt, so the cookies should be safe to eat.
So, Eustace heard us talking about wanting one of those Tiny Homes, and now he’s taken it upon himself to learn construction. He says he plans to build us one, all by himself, though I’m highly suspicious of where this is heading. I think the camel just wants a space of his own, to be honest. The camel really should have his own private space.
While my actual Tiny Home Pipe Dreams will have to wait a bit, I’m not going to tell the camel that. I want Eustace to be happy, don’t you? If building something is his dream, then so be it!
Besides, I’m actually curious to see if he really will build something usable. Then I can suggest he stay in it by himself, just for a while… you know, just to break things in for us.
Once he stays in it, he’ll never want to move out, I think. Well, at least I hope that’s what happens. If I’m wrong about all this, I might have to accept his gift. Oh Lord, don’t make me go camping again… if my Tiny Home has to have wheels, can it please come with a full kitchen and bathroom?
If you’re going to dream, Dream big, right?
In this particular case, I suggest we dream Tiny… Tiny Home, that is.
Undoubtedly, most everyone has a mental list that they’ve probably carried with them since childhood, filled with possible adventures, achievements, hopes, and dreams. But, as most of us discover over time, that mental list morphs into three… would you, could you, or should you!
Take for instance, surfing… surfing, or any water sport, for that matter, could have been something worth trying, but not only has it now turned into a question of whether or not I should, but also aligns with the reality of would I even want to try it?
The answer, in this case would be that while I could have tried a number of open water sports, I wouldn’t have… are you crazy? There’s sharks swimming out in those waters, so I’ll stay on the boat, if you please! Not only that, but at this point in my journey, there’s no way that I should try it… not without breaking something!
I shall now try to write a new list of things that I could, would, and should try for the first time. It’s not nearly as easy as you might think. For example, there’s Karaoke, which is something I always thought I wanted to try. It is something that I can say I would try, and even go as far as to say that there’s no reason why I shouldn’t try it, but the trouble now is that I’m not sure I could! Perhaps what I should try for is the confidence needed to get up in front of people. Will I ever find the courage? Probably not, lol!
Before you start thinking that I’m just a coward, and am too scared to try new stuff, let me remind you of what I have tried…
Modeling, College degree, dog breeder, bird breeder, the entire field of equine husbandry, and horsemanship (dressage, vaulting, breeding, and showing), Mother, Bible Seminary, global travel (England and Ireland), camping, hiking, driving in a semi with my husband for 3 years, painting, pottery, ceramics, crocheting, sewing, becoming a blogger, publishing a book, and soon to be a Grandmother of 8 + my Godson, Peapod!
So, as you can see, I have always had a list, along with every other human being. Who knows how many more years I have left on this beautiful planet, but I don’t ever want my list to stop growing, not ever! I’m fairly certain that I’ve caught God writing on it, though He is rather sneaky about it… He absolutely loves to give me gifts and surprise me with things. I’m not gonna give that up, are you crazy? Don’t ever give up on your list, because that’s where God gives you purpose, my friends.
Don’t forget to try these new cookies for the first time…
I’ve had sort of a rough week when it comes to food, so I want to give a disclaimer, here. **All testing and results may vary, as I’m not certain if my skills, my stomach, or my taster were behaving properly!**
My baking adventures started out seemingly normal. I gathered up all my ingredients, recipes, and cooking tools…
And, yes, you heard me correctly when I said recipes, plural, meaning more than one…
You see, I found this recipe for a delicious looking Pumpkin bread, but then also saw a recipe for Cream Cheese Frosting. Unfortunately, I can’t have dairy. So, I had this notion that maybe Tofu might work as a comparable substitute for the cream cheese.
There’s a huge number of frosting recipes available using Tofu as a substitute for the cheese, so the assumption was made that it should be a success… right!?
Wrong!!!! I’ve never smelled something this vile in all my days, aside from Salmon, Slime, or that Vietnamese fish sauce stuff. Now, I don’t know if it’s just me, what with my health issues, or if it was truly that rank! I didn’t have the heart, nor the stomach to ask my husband to sacrifice his taste buds… so I tossed it! It smelled like a combination of playdough and that Paper Mache glue we used in elementary school.
I went ahead with the Pumpkin bread idea, opting for a simple maple glaze of my own creation. I’ve shared the bread recipe I chose, below…
Classic Pumpkin Bread
Homemade Pumpkin Bread is a favorite Fall recipe that’s loaded with warming spices and packed with tons of pumpkin flavor. It will make your house smell so good that you’ll forget you just bought a pumpkin spice candle! This delicious pumpkin bread recipe is super moist and both gluten-free & dairy-free.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices.
Beat eggs and sugar in a large bowl or stand mixer on medium speed.
Add the pumpkin, then slowly add oil and water. Beating well after each addition.
Add the flour mixture and beat on low until well combined.
Pour the batter into prepared pans, dividing evenly.
Bake for 1 hour or until the center comes out clean with a toothpick.
Let the loaves cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes and then turn onto a rack to cool completely.
Did you know that those plastic Ice-cream tubs work great for mixing bowls? Use it if you got it… that’s what I say!
Anyway, I followed the recipe verbatim (exactly as was written), except that I used Olive Oil. Well, I did also switch out the two bread pans for a single 12 inch spring form. (Some of the best places to find specialty cookware is Goodwill, believe it or not!)
It did have to be baked for 80 minutes, in contrast to the 60 minutes for two bread tins that the recipe reflects…
Voila!
Now, I must confess that I used my husband as my taste tester this week… don’t blame me, blame the Tofu! You guys, I couldn’t get that smell out of my head, or out of the apartment for the entire day. It was awful!
To be fair to vegans around the globe, I think that I may have an aversion to Tofu, along with the Salmon that I mentioned earlier. Memory has a funny way of messing with you, sometimes. And, many people use Tofu in a number of ways, swearing by it! So, if you would, kindly go easy on the Tofu community. Let’s just call this one Operator Error, and move on.
All that I did here as a substitute for the frosting, was to make a simple drizzle with 1/8 cup Maple Syrup (any brand will do), 1 cup powdered sugar, and 2 tsp of lemon juice.
My husband gave it 2 thumbs up, and if he likes it gluten-free, you will too!
As for me, maybe it was the Tofu, or quite possibly the Barium sludge I had to swallow the day before, but I don’t know if pumpkin and I can ever be friends again, seriously!
Next week should be far better, as I’m going to tackle a gluten-free, dairy-free, cinnamon roll, or sweet buns, if you like. I’ve never worked with yeast in gluten-free baking, so it’ll be a bit of a learning curve.
Hey, if you’re game, I am! Why, a young King David slew Goliath, with not but a stone and sling, so I am confident that I can challenge a loaf of bread, with not but Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 flour!
Gluten-free bread baking, here I come. Wish me luck…
Journey With Me! 