Recipe of the Week - Corn Casserole

 With trying to finish up with class this semester, I have not been writing on my blog but now that it is done it's time for me to catch up.  I've decided to end the month of April with a recipe.  This recipe is for corn casserole.  Something similar popped up in one of my Facebook groups.  I forgot to save the link but it lingered in my mind.  I found this on the "12 Tomatoes" website and it sounded good. I decided that I would try it this past Sunday and really enjoyed it.  And like most comfort food, it's better the next day!  And I will admit that in my 30 plus years of making casseroles, I have never used Ritz crackers as a topping until now. Now I have learned what I've been missing!  Yum!  Hope you enjoy!

Corn Casserole

1 large stalk of celery, chopped

Half of a yellow onion, chopped

Half of a red pepper, chopped

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

11oz can shoepeg corn, drained

14oz can french cut green beans, drained

10.75 oz can condensed cream of celery soup

8oz Sour cream

Salt and pepper to taste

1 sleeve Ritz crackers, crushed

1/2 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350. Mix together celery, onion, red pepper, cheese, corn, green beans, soup and sour cream. Mix well and season to taste.  Pour into an 8x8 pyrex. Combine the crackers and butter and spread over the top of the casserole. Bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes.

Someone pointed out that my meal matched my plate.  Love that!

One More Project Left for This Class

 My week will be a busy one.  I have one more project left in my current class and then I'm done until next fall.  Yes, I am counting down the days until it's over!  This one is a group project, which can be tricky trying to coordinate everyone's schedules and get it done.  It's really not going to be as hard as I first thought.  It's just a matter of doing it.

As you know, we have had to write paper after paper about the film Up. We have been doing wellness assessments on the main character, Carl.  While these papers have had their usefulness in some ways, it has been a very frustrating process.  And I know from my meeting with my group yesterday that I am not the only one who feels this way.  We've only gotten two out of the six papers back. And no one has gotten any feedback at all. For someone who has never done an assessment in his life, I have no idea if I'm doing it correctly or not.  Of course, there is no set way to do assessments, but it would be nice to know if what I have been doing is heading in the right direction. 

Anyway, we have to come up with a strategic wellness plan based on the overall assessment for Carl.  It won't be hard because we can use our previous papers.  It will just be time consuming this week. And I'll be counting down the hours until it is done.  The sooner the better!

That is all. 

Quote of the Week

 Looking to build my tribe here in Greensboro! 

A Reason for the Household Inventory

 I try to work on my household inventory at least once a week.  It doesn't always happen right now with work and school, but I do try. Oddly enough, it relaxes me.  One of the reasons that I do this is because it brings back good memories to me.  I remember the first time I read Aunt Sara's household inventory.  And if you knew Aunt Sara, you will appreciate that it was in that sweet first grade teacher handwriting that she had.  It is unmistakable. But it fascinated me to see what was listed and put many pictures into my head. It was helpful to Mom to have it while she was working on Sara's estate. Several of the inventories I did since then were also helpful with some estates and I am proud of that.

One of the main reasons I believe doing this kind of work is important is, for many people, it's an important historical document.  Seeing how people lived during a certain time and the things they had in their homes is a very interesting part of history. You get a pretty good sense of how they lived.  You learn the kinds of pieces they used.  And, with the ones I do thanks to Aunt Sara's example, you will learn where things came from.  My household is a combination of many family pieces and I believe it is important for future generations to know their history.  And I truly believe that the importance of things like this will come back into fashion for upcoming generations.  Many things will disappear in the world, but family legacy is something that should be in the forefront. At least in my opinion. 

So, hopefully one day long into the future, someone will look at my work and, if nothing else, enjoy reading what I had in my house and get a sense of how I lived.  That is all. 

Going through the bedroom stuff

 I have finished up what little there was to go through in the guest bathroom and now am moving on to the bedroom.  This will be a pretty large task because my bedroom is stuffed with things all around LOL This will be a good opportunity to get it better organized and to get rid of some things.  And mostly that will be clothes.  I will hold onto clothes until they fall apart.  If it's wearable and still has some life in it, I will keep it.  But I know that there are items that I do not wear and no longer fit.  Those need to be donated to someone else who will benefit from its use. I can handle that.

I also have several chests and trunks in the bedroom that I honestly have no idea what is inside of them.  That ought to be interesting. Whatever it is, going forward the chests need to be used for things that I do not use very often.  Perhaps seasonal items.  Simply because there is stuff on top of each and it takes a lot to get everything off to get inside the chests.  It's doable and an easy task but not if I'm looking for something that I will use on a frequent basis. 

I now use this chest of drawers to house my clothes!

This room will definitely be one of those experiences in which it is going to look a lot worse before it gets better.  I have to keep reminding myself of this so that I do not give up on the experience.  I can handle that.  One drawer at a time. 

The Wellness Wheel

 One of the assignments we had to do in the class I'm currently in is a wellness wheel assessment on ourselves. A wellness wheel, if you've never done one before, is basically divided into eight different categories and you are assessed on each category. In our particular assessment, we had five Likert scale questions in each category to answer about ourselves. Then we would fill in each segment of the wheel based on the percentages of our answers.  

Mine was a big bust.  I did not completely fill in any one entire section of the wheel.  And this really affected me.  I realize that this is just one particular kind of wellness assessment, but it really did do a number on my spirit.  I thought that my life was going pretty well and to look at a piece of paper and realize how much I am lacking in my life...well, that was not good for me.  Honestly, I spent about three days going through life like an automaton. I got extremely depressed about it. 

I could have gone back and redone the assignment and made myself look good, but I did not.  I told the professor that I chose to turn in my initial assessment and reaction to it.  The honesty was appreciated, and I got full credit for the assignment. Still, it has lingered in my mind and heart. So, I have decided to make a positive out of this experience.  The main reason that I am ready to be done with this class and this semester is that I want to take the time off to work on things about myself that I want to improve. I'm not a very well-rounded person these days.  I'm not sure if I ever was, but in my mind, I was at some point and I have let that go by the wayside. I want to get that back.  I want my life to have some purpose and meaning and fun and happiness in it.  It's been a long time. We shall see how it goes, but that is my hope anyway.

That is all. 

It's Her Or Me - Miss Saigon

 

I sat in bed last night listening to the original London cast recording of Miss Saigon.  It brough back a lot of good memories for me. This was one of the first cd's I ever bought in the early 90's.  And it's the 3rd Broadway show that I saw.  I had forgotten how really good this score is.  It's got some excellent material in it for most of the characters.  Lea Salonga is beyond brilliant as Kim.  Jonathan Pryce is amazing as The Engineer even though he would never get cast in the role today. Claire Moore plays the character of Ellen, the wife of Kim's former lover and father of her child, Chris. After Ellen and Kim meet and have a confrontation, Ellen sings this song alone in her hotel room. The song was rewritten with the lyrics "now that I've seen her" replacing every place "it's her or me" was.  I do not like that version.  I think the song has now been replaced entirely but that's another story for another time.

I like this version because Ellen is caught up in a situation that she had no clue even existed just days prior to her being in Saigon. She is faced with this other woman in her husband's life and the fact that he has a child. In this song, she is building up the strength to force her husband to make a choice.  I think it shows great depth of character.  I can see how the song could come across as making Ellen look like a selfish bitch, but with the right direction and portrayal, which I believe Claire Moore does, it's really a very powerful piece from an extremely vulnerable woman.

Enjoy!

Workout on the Heavy Bag

 In my quest to get into better shape and shed some of the weight I have gained in the last year, I decided that I need to look at the equipment that I have already that has sat unused for way too long.  For two people who didn't really use exercise equipment that much, Michael and I sure did accumulate a nice handful of it.  Technically, we should have been in very good shape for years.  Just like the house should be always spotless with all of the cleaning supplies everywhere!  But, I digress.

About 15 years ago, I bought a punching bag and stand. I had just started working out with a trainer. At the time, the gym I was going to was in Kernersville, so daily trips were not going to happen and I wanted to be able to keep up my routines at home. So, I bought the bag.  I have actually used it before.  It has just been a long time. Now it is out in the garage sadly hanging in the corner being lonely.  I need to change that.

If you've never done a punching bag routine, it's really a great workout.  It helps with technique and is great for cardio.  It is also an excellent way to let off some steam and get rid of stress. I used it a lot when I was catering LOL But it's time for me to get back into the garage and work up a good sweat. It will be a good way for me to get back into exercising regularly.  And it will be fun, too.  I've always enjoyed workouts on the bag and having a good time makes exercising so much more doable!

That is all. 

I love this little lamp

 This lamp belonged to my Great Aunt Billie or Granny B as she was affectionately called. It always sat in her living room. When I first saw it in the 80's (about the time I really started loving antiques) it was on a card table on the front side of the living room.  She liked to move things around and when I saw it again it was across the room on a chest of drawers. You just never knew with her!  Which is fantastic, by the way!

After she passed, the lamp came to my mother.  It was in our living room. I think it was by the chair that Mom sat in every night to make her phone calls. The shade came from Grandmother.  Mom bought it once for Grandmother's birthday and this is where it ended up.  It's a fun little lamp and I love it.  I think I need to rewire it, like I do with several other lamps. But it's so much fun to have and I cherish it. 

That is all.

The Medicine Cabinet

 

Yesterday, in between loads of laundry and writing a paper, I cleaned out the medicine cabinet in the guest bathroom. Yes, my life is that exciting! But that's where I am in my "one drawer at a time" project. It really was not bad just a lot of stuff. It really is amazing how stuff just accumulates...especially when it is behind the doors of a cabinet.  I often will shove stuff in there and say I'll get to it later.  Well, later is now LOL

This process did not take very long because, after all, it's a medicine cabinet but it was still full of stuff.  Cold medicine, allergy medicine, blood pressure cuff, cough drops, etc. The hardest part was finding the dates on everything and getting rid of what is out of date.  Amazingly enough, nothing was out of date and that's pretty good for me.  I will keep things until they're done but apparently, I've been keeping up with this rather well. I do have two open bottles of pepto but didn't feel like trying to combine them LOL

It's good to know where things are, especially when it comes to medication.  It's reassuring knowing it's there. Let's just hope I don't have to use it any time soon! 

Class Discussion Groups

 

We have discussion groups in every class that I have had in one form or another.  My current class is no different.  I don't mind the discussion groups at all.  Sometimes they are actually very helpful and educational. The major problem for me is trying to keep up with the conversation while there are so many other things we have to do for the week. Most of the time in these groups, we have to make an initial post on the topic and then respond to at least two other posts from classmates.  That is easy enough but often I will do that and then leave it alone because I've done the required work for it.  I don't necessarily like that I do that, but when I've got several papers to work on, it happens.

I try to go in each time I log on to do homework and respond to someone's post or reply to responds on my post in an effort to have some kind of flowing conversation. I also will respond to someone's post that has not been replied to yet.  I think that it is important that everyone in class feels heard.  Even if I respond with something brief like "I agree" and then say back to them what they have said. At least they know that someone took the time to listen to their opinion.  Being heard is important at any age.

I do wish, though, that the instructors would actually divide us up into smaller groups for discussion.  When you are in a class with twenty plus people, trying to keep up with what everyone is saying just ain't going to happen!  I think that if we had smaller groups, then it would be easier to keep up with the conversation. But that's just me.  Still, overall, I have enjoyed the groups and often surprise myself with my own insights.  Just shows that sometimes I'm actually picking up on things we have learned and that is good.  Well, time to go contribute to this week's discussions! 

That is all. 

Coloring

 I need more coloring in my adult life. I am not an artistic person when it comes to drawing and painting and such.  But coloring I can do. Whenever I see a coloring book, I am often taken back to many fun times of childhood when engaging in a coloring book would take up whole afternoons.  They definitely could be a good babysitting tool for Mom and Grandmother. Sometimes I would be coloring alone sometimes with friends.  We could spend hours laying on the floor with our coloring books, lost in another world of wax color magnificence.  Oh, those were the days.  

Before trying to keep your crayons in the box they came in became a thing, we kept ours in an old cigar box in our toy closet. Most of the papers had fallen off of the crayons. So, sometimes with the dark colors, you had to test them out to see exactly what color it was. A good reason to always have a piece of scratch paper nearby to test it out! Then sometimes we would get new crayons for birthday or Christmas gifts. A box of 24 or 64 or 128.  And sometimes we even got the fancy built in crayon sharpener.  Heaven!

I bought myself a few adult coloring books several years ago.  Let me tell you, those are hard.  I had gotten a few Christmas ones because, well you know I love Christmas.  That did not pan out at all.  The designs were so intricate that I just couldn't keep the crayon in the lines LOL Luckily, one day out in the garage...go figure...I came across my old coloring books from childhood.  Bingo!!  Those were perfect for me.  Not only did they bring back wonderful memories, but they were also much easier.  It's always important to feel some sense of accomplishment when coloring and this was my speed!

I have now spent several occasions with my old coloring books.  I will clear off space on the dining room table, put some records on, and take myself on a journey of artistic beauty. I cannot lay on the floor anymore and do it so the table works just fine for me! It's very relaxing and I do feel proud of myself whenever I finish a page. It's nice to reconnect with my past in a fun, relaxing way.

That is all. 

The Very Thought of You - Nancy Wilson

 Starting today with the smooth, beautiful voice of Nancy Wilson. I think she's one of the best vocalists of the all-time.  She's one of the artists that I regret loving too late to see her in concert.  Thank goodness for recordings and videos!  Enjoy her version of this Ray Noble standard!

Dating

 Now that I have been single for over a year and living on my own, and making it on my own by the way, I am getting the urge to really start dating again. I actually have been out on a few dates here and there and had a very nice time. And I would like more of that. I'm not ready to commit to another relationship any time soon.  I have had two very good relationships in my adult life and so if there's not another one in my future, I will be ok.  But I would enjoy dating.  And by dating, I mean not hooking up but actually going out on real, old-fashioned dates. You all know my love of the old-fashioned!

The dating I have done, and yes there have been second dates, were just that. Time spent doing things together and getting to know one another. Just spending time with someone doing something we both enjoy. Going out and having a good time.  It's been nice.  And a kiss at the end of the date was much more special because it wasn't going to lead to an impromptu hook up that usually ends with never seeing the person again.  Not always, but usually. 

Once I get through my current class, I will have some time to myself.  I would like to get out there and go on some dates and just enjoy myself.  I think I have earned that at this point in my life.  But is it rude to state upfront withe someone that it's just a date. I'm not looking for sex.  I don't want to offend anyone or make them feel like I'm not attracted to them.  I just don't want to start off that way.  I really want old fashioned dating experiences this time around. We'll see how that goes!  Wish me luck.

That is all. 

Quote of the Week

 In my search for a good quote for the week, I came across this one and it really resonated with me. I hope you find it inspiring as well! 

And it is Monday!

 

Here I am and it is Monday again.  I am glad I have lived to see another one!  I'm working a slightly later shift today, so I did sleep in some this morning.  I didn't stay up too late last night and managed to get around 8 hours of sleep which is good for me!  Now I am having my coffee, enjoying an episode of Behind the Curtain, a theatre podcast, and getting ready to start my day.

I am looking forward to this week.  There isn't anything in particular planned, but I am still looking forward to it. I had a really nice weekend. I managed to get things done and not be overwhelmed.  I wrote yet another paper, did laundry, cleaned, polished silver, etc. Typical weekend chores.  But I paced myself a little differently. I would sit down and write for a while then get up and do something and so on and so on. That way I did not get myself stressed over my assignments. 

My hope is to carry that feeling of accomplishment into my week. I want to be productive. I want to start finding that balance in my life that has been missing.  I talked about this in one of my group discussions for class. In order for me to have a good life balance, I need to incorporate a few more things to level the playing field. Being social is one of them.  Not that I want to go out every night, but it would be nice to get out of the house and spend some time with someone. Or even have someone come over and hang out.  Motivation to continue cleaning!!  Thank God for Lois, my next-door neighbor and one of my best friends. We get together every Sunday afternoon to visit and catch up with each other.  It's nice to have that each week and I would like more of that sort of thing.

We'll see how it goes.  In the meantime, I'm going to finish my coffee and enjoy listening to some theatre talk. That is all. 

My Eternal King - Jane Marshall

 I have not listened to this anthem in a long time.  In some ways, that is a good thing because that means I'm feeling good.  I normally listen to this when I'm sad and missing Mom. But today, I wanted to listen to it.  It's an amazingly beautiful anthem and deserves to be heard. And it reminds me of all of the good things about church. I miss that. One day I would like to have that back again.  Music will be my bridge back into church and one day I hope to find it.  That is all. 

One Drawer at a Time - Den Update

 I am about halfway around the den at this point in my process. This room is different than the kitchen and laundry room because there really aren't many pieces of furniture that are storage.  There's a chest of drawers, a record cabinet/shelf and a desk.  Otherwise, things are just place around the room. But I'm still going through everything. Oh, it's also where I put boxes to fill up for donation or the garage etc. Still, I have enjoyed it and it always makes me feel better. 

I have not gotten rid of many things because, as I said, there are not a whole lot of drawers in the room. But I have gotten things better organized.  The chest of drawers was fun to go through.  There's a drawer with extra candles for whatever use.  I did actually have to throw a few of those away.  There were decks of cards, lots of Mom's jewelry and jewelry from other family members and lots of vintage linens.  It was fun to go through and see what could be saved and what could not. Some of the linens were well passed being remotely usable so they had to go.

Not my closet, by the way. Just an example LOL

Next up in the room is the closet.  Not looking forward to that one but it must be done.  It will be the first closet I've done in this process.  I hope that this does not overwhelm me and make me want to give up.  But it could be fun because God only knows what is in there! It will be a challenge, but I will rise to the occasion and power through it.  However, if you don't hear from me in a few weeks, send a search party!

That is all. 

Favorite Bette Davis Films

The other week I watched Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte.  It's one of my favorite films.  I am a big fan of Bette Davis and have several of her films in my collection. Here are my favorites of hers, in no particular order. If you haven't seen any of them, check them out! Descriptions are from IMDb.com

1. Now, Voyager

A frumpy spinster blossoms under therapy and becomes an elegant, independent woman.

2. Death on the Nile

As Hercule Poirot enjoys a luxurious cruise down the Nile, a newlywed heiress is found murdered on board. Can Poirot identify the killer before the ship reaches the end of its journey?

3. Whatever Happened To Baby Jane

A former child star torments her paraplegic sister in their decaying Hollywood mansion.

4. The Little Foxes

The ruthless, moneyed Hubbard clan lives in, and poisons, their part of the Deep South at the turn of the twentieth century.

5. Pocketful of Miracles

A New York gangster and his girlfriend attempt to turn street beggar Apple Annie into a society lady when the peddler learns her daughter is marrying royalty.

6. The Whales of August

Two aged sisters reflect on life and the past during a late summer day in Maine.

7. Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte

An aging, reclusive Southern belle plagued by a horrifying family secret descends into madness after the arrival of a lost relative.

8. All About Eve

A seemingly timid but secretly ruthless ingénue insinuates herself into the lives of an aging Broadway star and her circle of theater friends.

9. Burnt Offerings

A family moves into a large old mansion in the countryside which seems to have a mysterious and sinister power over its new residents.

10. The Man Who Came To Dinner

An acerbic critic wreaks havoc when a hip injury forces him to move in with a Midwestern family.

Moon River - Henry Mancini

 I was listening to some Henry Mancini earlier this week. I always love his music and Moon River is one of my favorites of his compositions. There's something very comforting about his music.  It's like talking to an old friend.  It brings up good memories of movies, cartoons, sitcoms that he contributed to. It's very soothing and I always feel better.  And it's just plain good music.  Enjoy!

Quote of the week

 Sometimes Erma Bombeck hits the nail on the head :)  A good philosophy to carry with me throughout the day! 

Only a few weeks of this semester left

 There are only a few weeks of the semester left and I feel like counting down the days until it is over.  This semester has been hard on me for some reason.  I think it's a combination of working full time, going to class and trying to run a household by myself.  It's just getting to me and raising my stress levels. I just need some time to destress and refocus my energies.  Energy?  What's that?  LOL

The class I'm in right now, in particular, keeps making me anxious and depressed. Not constantly, but those feelings are popping up a lot more in the last few weeks than I've had in the last year.  Not only am I frustrated that this class is based around an animated movie which makes me feel like we're being babysat (by the way, Up really is a good film. I'm just being difficult), I am so tired of all of these personal reflection questions we have to respond to and write one-page papers on.  I'm not in class right now to think about my personal life. Yes, I know that I should but I'm so tired of it.

It is weighing me down right now.  It is causing me to lose focus and drive. I know that there are things in my life that I need to work on but I am so tired of constantly being reminded of it.  Mainly it's because there is not time for me to improve on anything right now.  Sorry, I'm either working or in class or trying to keep my home from not looking like Miss Havisham's. And it's really affecting me. That is one of the reasons I am taking the summer off.  I have no business trying to help others improve the quality of their lives when I'm being reminded constantly how poor quality my own is.  And I'm going to class to be made to feel this way?!  It's very frustrating.

I know it will get better.  It's just in the meantime that it sucks.

That is all. 

Sunday Dinners

 Growing up, we didn't have Sunday dinners. We had Sunday lunches. They were always around 1:00 or 1:30 p.m. because we did, after all, have to get home from church first and then start cooking.  The lunches were either at Grandmother's or our house. Sometimes we would have company over for Sunday lunch and sometimes it was only us.  Either way, it was a good time. The food was always good, or at least that's how I remember it. We ate Chicken Supreme (also called 3 hour chicken) more times than I can shake a stick at.  It's actually a pretty good recipe and I've made it a few times in my adult life.  By the way, you don't have to cook it 3 hours unless you like your chicken really dry LOL Bill, however, can't even stomach it anymore.  His wife found the recipe and wanted to make it and Bill put his foot down about that one. 

And if someone in the family had a birthday soon, then Sunday lunch often was when it was celebrated. Sometimes it was on Saturday night but sometimes it was at Sunday lunch. Then there are the special holidays that are celebrated on Sunday:  Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day. Those were special times around the dinner table. I had a few friends over this past Sunday for our annual Easter dinner.  Well, we ate at 3:00 so it really wasn't lunch or dinner.  More like our Easter meal!  But it was so nice to have people around the table. We had good food and good conversation.  And everyone contributed to the meal, which is good on a budget!

We all know that I love to set a table and use my dishes.  That is one of the reasons that I love to host. I take such joy in my glassware, china, silver, etc. that I love to share with everyone.  I love using it.  After all, I need justification for buying it LOL But it's truly that sense of friendship and family around the table that mean the most. And it made me decide that I want to do more of these kinds of things.  I can't afford to do it every week, but I might could swing it every other week LOL Just to have people in the home and having a good time together and sharing a meal. 

I talk a lot about how I love my antiques. It's because of where they came from.  My family pieces are important because of the family, not necessarily the piece itself. It's that feeling of warmth and comfort that comes with the memories of those good times that makes me really love using these things.  I want my house to be a place of comfort for people.  I want friends to want to come and just visit and eat together. It's important to me.  And, I do love to cook as you well know, so it's a win/win situation! But what is on the table is not as important as who's around it.

That is all.

My Christmas Album Collection

 I love Christmas music.  I always have. Growing up, one of my favorite parts of Christmas was getting to listen to our Christmas records. We were never without a record player in our house and it got used at Christmas more than any other time of the year. Later on, when cassettes and cds started to grow in popularity, one of the things Mom and I loved doing was getting Hallmark's Christmas album.  They put out some good ones over the years.  I still have some of those cassettes somewhere.

Christmas music is my happy music and I listen to it all year long. I don't subject anyone else to it because not everyone is into it like I am.  Also, it's something that I cherish and it's very personal to me.  Whenever I am not in a good mood or depressed or stressed out I will put on a Christmas record and just relax.  I also like to listen them while I'm cleaning and doing housework. I have all of the Christmas albums that Mom collected over the years and love every one of them.

Several years ago when Michael got me my first record player that I'd had in like 25 years, I started searching for Christmas records.  Our local used bookstore was always full of them. And they were cheap.  It meant that I would have to sit on the floor and go through the bins under the racks, but I didn't mind.  I found great albums and my addiction to collecting Christmas records was born.

This past holiday season, it was my goal to listen to all of my records and inventory them as I listened to them.  That was from Thanksgiving to Epiphany. I was pretty happy with myself because I managed to listen to my entire collection and get them catalogued. Or so I thought. The other day while I was doing some cleaning in my office I came across an entire container of Christmas albums that I neglected during the holidays.  Honestly, I was thrilled about it because I now had an excuse to listen to them.  Not that I needed an excuse LOL 

I am about halfway through the container of records and my collection is up to 230 Christmas records.  And there are more out there to be found!  But I've promised myself I will finish this container before I hunt for more.  I look forward to that!