One of those days

Have you ever had one of those days?

I had one this week. First, it was Monday. Second, we'd gotten the kiddos to bed late the night before so they were sluggish getting going. (Okay, we were all sluggish, I'll admit it.) We had run out of good toasting bread, but I didn't realize in time, so decided to make do with a baggie of dry cereal during my ride to drop the kids at the babysitter. We made it to the car to discover that I'd left the windows and the sunroof open, and we'd had a shower or two during the night. A couple of trash bags and a towel to cover the seat later and we were on our way. I pulled out my first few bits of cereal, only to discover that it had gone stale in the humidity. It was going to be in the 90's that day, and my air conditioner was only blowing hot air. All of this, and it wasn't even 9 a.m. yet!

I have a job in healthcare, currently working with clients in their homes. One client's grandson had a little Magic 8 Ball he had gotten for his birthday. He excitedly asked me to play, so I asked, "Am I going to have a good day today?" You can only ask Magic 8 Balls questions that can be answered with a yes or no. I turned that ball over, and the little stinker showed me, "Maybe."

Wasn't that the truth? 

I could have let the number of things that stacked up against me in the morning set me off. I could have decided that the day was going to be horrible - hadn't it already proven itself? 

I didn't, though. A few years ago I was talking with an older friend who was planning to attend an outing. I told her I hoped she had a good time, and I've never forgotten her response. 

"I know I'll have a good time - I bring my good time with me!" She said.

I've thought of that response often since then. We can determine ahead of time that we are going to enjoy ourselves, or that we are not, and then watch that determination become a self-fulfilling prophesy. We can decide to reframe our mood, or our circumstance, or whatever the issue might be, with different words that help us to look at it differently. 

Is your child picky, or selective?

Is your friend/spouse/boss nagging, or persistent?

Is your day going to be horrible, or are you going to pause, take a breath, and reset?

For me, a good song on the radio coupled with the knowledge that the AC would be fixed the next day helped me to roll on with the day, despite the wet car seat. An afternoon iced coffee helped combat the heat, and believing that it is okay to cut yourself (myself) some slack, especially when high temperatures can make people do stupid things, let me finish the day with breathing room.

Next time you're tempted to growl at the day, remember to bring your good time with you instead.

C is for Cookie...and coyote...and Christmas in July!

Have you ever read a story with a dark, stormy scene and glanced out your own window, surprised to see sunshine? Well-written stories have the ability to transport our minds to different places and times. Writing stories can have that effect, too. To write a scene, you have to be able to envision it, to feel it and smell it. Sometimes that can be a difficult task, even when it's a welcome one. For example, it's 9 o'clock in the morning in Massachusetts, and already well into the 80s. My WIP is currently set about a week before Christmas!

One scene in the work-up to Christmas is all about cookies -- in particular, they are making Sour Cream cut-outs. In honor of bakers and eaters, and the shapeshifters that have become both, I thought I would offer the recipe I've used in the past for these. They seem to hold their shapes better than traditional sugar cookies do, for decorating. This recipe comes from a Betty Crocker Cookies book from the 1980's.

Sour Cream Cookies

1 C sugar

1/4 c butter, softened

1/4 c shortening

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

2 2/3 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 c dairy sour cream

decorators frosting

Heat oven to 425. Mix first grouping of ingredients, then add second group. Divide dough into 3 equal parts. Roll each part 1/4 inch thick on lightly floured cloth-covered board. Cut into desired shapes with 2-inch cookie cutters. Place about 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake until no indentation remains when touched, 6-8 minutes. 4-5 dozen. 

(As an aside, the cookbook suggests you use the decorator frosting prior to baking, but I've never heard of that and never done it. I believe that to be a miss-typed sequence!)

My favorite cookies are a chocolate chip cookie that made the rounds a few years ago as having come from a famous department store that, through some unclear communication, sold the recipe to a customer for an outrageous amount of money. As revenge, the story goes, the purchaser turned around and gave the recipe away to anyone and everyone so that the store would...somehow not sell anymore of these delicious cookies? I don't believe the story, but the cookies are delicious, even if they are a bit of work.

Department Store Cookie Recipe

2 cups butter

2 cups sugar

2 cups brown sugar

4 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

4 cups flour

5 cups blended oatmeal*

1 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp baking soda

24 oz chocolate chips

1 8oz chocolate bar, grated

3 cups chopped nuts

Heat oven to 375. Cream butter and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix together with the next group of ingredients. Add the chocolates and nuts. Roll into balls and place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake ~10 minutes at 375. Cool on rack. 112 cookies.

*measure oatmeal and blend in processor to a fine powder.

If you try either of these recipes, let me know how you like them! I'm always looking for good cookie recipes, so if you have a favorite, I'd love to hear from you, too. Leave me a comment or shoot me an email.