Category Archives: Reading and Writing

How Many Hooks Do I Need?

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One of my basement pipes decided to leak this spring. It happened  in my craft room. This is the craft room that I had semi-organized. In my life that means I know some of what I have and more of what I don’t have.

When the pipe leaked I had to dump everything into small containers and then into one big container to get them out-of-the-way. It was a big dumpfest. This week, after recently staying in a house with no clutter, I decided to tackle my basement clutter. It may have more to do with getting rid of an old buffet to make room for more clutter than decluttering. I have to move the clutter before we can see the buffet to move it to the curb.

One of the boxes was full of hooks and doo dads. I looked at all the hooks in dismay. I had just purchased new hooks for hanging pictures. It was money I apparently didn’t have to spend. I had many hooks in this heap.

I wondered how many hooks I needed. If I used all the miscellaneous hooks and nails etc. I would probably be very old.

I threw some and then I sorted and put them in a case with see through windows. I will label the drawers. If I need a hook I will know where it is. My hardware store is going to miss my hook business.

I did part with some, kept a few and let out a big whew! Now on to the broken jewelry mess.

Freedom to Vote!

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I voted yesterday. Usually I cast my votes without too much of a thought as to the privilege of voting. Yesterday I was casting my ballot in support of building a new school in my community.

This campaign for a new school caused some tension in my community. There were people on both sides of the issue that had strong feelings. The outcome was decided by our votes. I was reminded as I was voting that no matter what the outcome, if it didn’t go the way I hoped, I was lucky. I was lucky because I had the freedom to vote for or against something that mattered in my community.

Not only did we have the freedom to cast our vote we had the freedom to voice our opinions prior to the vote. We didn’t have to agree on the outcome. We could have varied opinions and they could be broadcast throughout our country without fear of reprisal.

I respect the fact that there are opinions different from mine. Occasionally those voices get heated and spew derogatory comments on some issues. Although I like things being respectfully presented we have to value those that present their differences in a more dramatic way. They can do so in this country as long as it is done without violence. They too have that freedom.

As I was walking away from voting I noticed the  people from many walks of life ready to cast their vote one way or another for something they believed in. We take that for granted as we do many of our freedoms. We may have many differences in our country and many different opinions but we still live in a great country where we can be passionate about something and have the freedom to voice that passion.

“I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” S. G. Tallentyre

Clumsy Cook!

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I am a clumsy cook. Most of my friends know that. Today I outdid myself. I decided to make scrambled eggs for lunch.

The first thing I did was venture onto my porch and snip away at the herbs that I planted in the pots this spring. There was one problem. I never remember what I plant. That is why I always stick those little plastic plant names with the herbs. I should mention I am not a herb connoisseur. You might have guessed that since I can’t recognize one herb plant from another except for chives. It had been a few days since I had snipped and one of the plastic dohickeys was gone. Oh well, I snipped anyway. I snipped chives and rosemary and whatever was in the last pot.

I walked into my house and a trail of herbs fell out of my hands onto the floor. Spill one.

My next challenge was to break the eggs into the bowl. I broke the eggs into the bowl but wasn’t ready as to  where I was going to dispose of the egg shells. I had to walk across the floor to the garbage and you guessed it, I dripped egg doo on my floor. Spill two.

I made the journey to the refrigerator only to find the milk was out of date. We had been vacationing so that was not surprising. Again it goes with my clumsy cook mode in the fact I didn’t check before I started cooking. I decided to use vanilla soy milk. I poured that into my eggs and started beating with my little hand-held whisk. I am so good at the whisk and I used so much force that I whisked some of the egg right out of the bowl. Spill three.

Next I chopped up my herbs and dumped them into the bowl along with some salt and pepper. I decided to be  a little creative so I opened a jar of pickled asparagus that I bought at a local farmers market. You guessed it, the top was on tight, I used a knife to pry and the juice flew all over. Spill four.

I chopped up a few spears of the pickled asparagus into my eggs. doused them with salt and pepper and again used the whisk the mix it up. That went well until I took the whisk out of the mixture. The whisk slipped from my hand and egg peppered my stove, my microwave and my floor. Spill five.

I heated the pan with a little olive oil and proceeded to pour the mixture into the pan. I was very careful but the egg mixture had a mind of it’s own and wanted to break my spill record so it spilled outside of the pan down the sides and fried there to leave evidence of my mishaps. Spill six.

Surprisingly enough the scrambled eggs with the unknown herb, the vanilla soy milk and the pickled asparagus was pretty good. I am sure the spills added to the flavor. Or maybe the universe knew that after all of those spills my taste buds needed to soothed by something good to eat.