Commitment

Commitment

"If you don't wake up with something in your stomach every day that makes you think, "I want to make this movie," it'll never get made."

-Sherry Lansing

What type of movie are you making?

Shredding and more shredding!

As part of my 52 weeks of Organizing my job this weekend was to go thru all my old financial records and any file folder hanging the drawer. A lot was able to be recycled without shredding. However, I had two big bags that needed shredding and I had an eager teenager at home waiting to make some extra money. Little did I know that it would take her all day and nine bags later!

I'll sure have to keep up on this task a little better. Mom is going to have to pay up today!

For this next week it's old party supplies from past kiddo's birthdays. Do we really need old clown and train plates??? Oh... but they have such great memories. But that's right, we have pictures! Donate they go to bless someone's child.

Valentine's Day Ideas

It's that time of year when our minds turn to chocolate and hearts! I saw a wonderful idea on the Internet that I had to share. It's a chocolate pinata!

The six or eight inch cake is made and filled with gourmet chocolates. You get the mallet and crack it open. Inside is yours to enjoy!

The masterminds at Serenade Chocolatire in Boston MA are the creators of this masterpiece.

You can order it here!

Ok... so I've dropped the hint! My address is..........................

10 Best Bakeries in America

In January Andrew Knowlton did a piece in Bon Appetit on the 10 best bakeries in America and a bakery in Seattle is listed!

Especially worth your dough here are the Macrina Casera ("of this house" bread made with a natural wild starter created from organic grapes) and the oatmeal buttermilk bread (ideal for sandwich making). 1943 First Avenue South; 206-623-0919; macrinabakery.com

He has obviously not been to Holly B's Bakery on Lopez Island in the beautiful San Juan Islands!
She has wonderful pastries and her own cookbook With Love and Butter which I had to purchase!

See if a Bakery in your area made the top ten list!

Support local and go buy a croissant today!

52 weeks of organizing

Where does the time go? I know I've said that a million times here on this blog but this time I really mean it! This week we are staring at February right before us and there's no turning back. How are you doing on your new years resolutions? Keeping them right in front of you? I know it's difficult to stay focused on them with everything else going on in our daily lives. I believe that's why I've been gone so long. One of mine for the new year was to simplify and get organized. I found a great web site here which focuses on organizational skills. At the beginning of the year we started the 52 weeks of organizing. So far I have completed a project every week and it feels good. It has consumed my weekends and I know once the weather gets better here in Seattle I won't want to be inside organizing. The list she provides is a great tool from writing the projects down and keeping track of them. I keep it above my desk so its a constant reminder of what I've completed and what's down the road.

Huckleberry Finn

Huckleberry Finn

The Controversy

You may have been hearing in the news recently about a certain publisher wanting to take the book Huckleberry Finn and publish it by replacing the "N" word with the word slave.

This is a timely discussion in our home right now because my daughter who is a junior in high school is now reading this book in her English class and it has sparked some conversations at our dinner table.

My thought is how someone take anothers book and rewrite it to be politically correct? Isn't that censorship? Shouldn't we be entitled to read these books and not be protected from something that may offend us? I personally think that we learn from history and this is a great opportunity to open the doors to some discussion at home and in the classroom.

Apparently, the publisher has a different opinion. The book has been banned in some schools because of the "N" word and they feel that if they replace it with the word slave then perhaps more young people would have the opportunity to read it in class.

My fear is that if we start this nonsense then where does it end? Will we start picking apart all books? What happens when you go to the bookstore? How will you know what version you are picking up and purchasing? Will we start rating books on the front cover like movies?

"Oh sorry... you can't purchase that book. It has inappropriate language in it"

My vote is to keep the books on the shelf as the author had written and learn from the books.

What are your thoughts?

Authenticity

"Somehow we learn who we really are and then live with that decision."

-Eleanor Roosevelt

Could this be the year that we really take a close look at ourselves and see who we really are

and be comfortable?

Isn't it time to show your true authentic self?