Thought for the day - I hate being sick

It's true...shocking I know, but I hate it.  And I hate being sick for several reasons.  One is, and this never fails, being sick makes me really miss Mom.  I mean, who doesn't want their mother when they don't feel good?  Luckily, some people still have that option if for nothing more than a phone call.  Me....not so much.  I try not to let it depress me, but sometimes it does.  Other times, I try to rise above it, using Mom as an example.  Whenever she was sick, she seemed to push through it and continue with her daily life.  It was rare, except after chemo treatments, to see her just laying around not feeling well.  I always thought that pretty amazing.

Another reason I hate being sick is my work ethic.  I really have to be bad off not to go to work.  I hate calling in sick because for one, I need the money, and also I just don't do it.  It's not how i operate.  I didn't feel great when I got up this morning, but I went to work anyway.  I could've called in and the other two people could have easily handled a Saturday at the bakery, but Bob needs a paycheck.  As the morning progressed, I felt worse and worse, but managed to greet each customer as I always do and make them feel welcomed.  Also, now that I have graduated and am only working part time, I don't have insurance right now and that really bites.  If this turns into anything more than a cold or sinus trouble, I'm in for a major problem.  That will get fixed eventually, but for now it's a scary place to be in.

So, I will do what I can to get over this as quickly as possible.  And of course, I had plans for tonight that I was looking forward to for weeks.  Oh well.....that's how it goes sometimes.  Can't have it all!

Cheers

An Old Family Photo - A Bivens Family Christmas

I love this picture.  I need to make a better scan of it, though, but still I love it.  It is from the early 1950's at the family home in Wingate, NC.  There are actually many other pictures from this day.  They hired a photographer to come and take family portraits.  I have some of the pictures somewhere and I need to find them.
Front Row:  Uncle Jessie, Mary B (Mom), Grandmother Bivens, Mrs. Price (Aunt Evelyn's mother)
Back Row:  Margaret Carroll, Jane B. Carroll, Grover Carroll, Evelyn P. Bivens, John A. Bivens, B.Y. Tyner, Mary Lee Tyner, Johnny Bivens, Billie Snipes, Quincy Snipes, Bill Laney, Q.B. Snipes, Dorothy B. Laney (Grandmother), Sara B. Orr, Jim Orr

Antique of the day - the collar box

I posted pictures of this on Facebook awhile back.  I found it in a box while I was cleaning in the garage one day.  It really is amazing all of the things I find out there.  Some I keep, some I let go of.  Either way, it's fun to look at these things and remember.  Anyway, this is a collar box.  At least, that is what I have been told and I have no reason to doubt it.  If anyone knows differently, just let me know!

This piece came from Isabel Wolfe, my cousin.  She was my Grandfather Laney's first cousin.  My Grandmother and Isabel were very close up until the end of Isabel's life.  In the mid 1980's, Isabel's next door neighbors convinced her to clean out her attic and have a yard sale.  Why Isabel listened to them, I do not know.  Anyway, she had her yard sale on a Saturday.  On the Friday night before, she called Mom and Grandmother and told her what she was doing.  She said that if they wanted to come and look through the things that night they were more than welcome to.  Of course, it was all for sale and she didn't just let them have anything because they were family.

This belonged to Isabel's father.  It is orange velvet with a sterling clasp on the top.  Inside, there is beautiful apple green satin.  Mom and Grandmother got several fun pieces that night, all of which they paid for.  I know that Grandmother also bought a brass lamp.  Mom got Aunt Nell's parasol and a butter churn.  The sale was a success and life goes on.  Still, I'm glad to have it.  I just don't have any collars to put in there LOL

Quote of the day

Kindness in words creates confidence.
Kindness in thinking creates profoundness.
Kindness in giving creates love.

                                                                           Lao-Tzu

Song of the day - Dream of the Forgotten Child

I was introduced to David Lanz's music by my best friend in high school, Tanya.  I'm a sucker for flowing piano pieces and this is a beautiful one.  I haven't yet mastered it on the piano, but I'm still trying.  I love to play his music and find it very relaxing.  Hope you enjoy!

Thought for the day

And here it is...a new week is beginning.  I am feeling the need to change my morning routine, but I just do not exactly know how yet.  I had thought about exercising first thing when I wake up.  It's ideal to hop out of bed and go for a walk or ride the exercise bike or hit the heavy bag out in the garage.  Well, at least I thought about it....that's something, right?  Then I thought why not get up and cook breakfast each day for us?  I love breakfast food and can eat it any time of the day, so why not actually eat it when breakfast is supposed to be served?  It's a possibility, definitely, but I didn't do that today either.  This is one of those days when the weather does indeed affect my motivation.  It's gray and overcast this morning.  We're expecting thunderstorms as well.  I actually do love days like this, but they do little for making me want to actually do anything productive.  Oh well.

Once I begin getting myself on a normal work schedule...or at least a consistent work schedule...I can incorporate some new things into my daily life.  Now, there's nothing wrong with my morning routine...coffee, crossword, email, internet, feed the cat....I just want to switch that up a bit.  Maybe not every day, but at least one day a week do things differently.  I also want to put some creativity back into my daily life.  I am finding myself truly missing creative arts in my life.  Yes, I watch stuff on YouTube...theatre stuff mostly...but it's not the same as doing something creative in real time.  And I'm not talking about anything major, I just need to take time each day to be creatively engaged in one way or another.  That could be anything from playing the piano (I'm so out of practice) to sitting down with a coloring book for 20 minutes.  Somewhere out in the garage, I have blank coloring books from my childhood that I need to fill in!! I just want something to make me feel connected to creativity again.  I can do that.

Anyway, that's my thought this morning.  I will ponder the things that I want to do in order to switch life up occasionally.  Until then, it's time for more coffee and another crossword.

Cheers

Recipe of the day - Crab Casserole

I found this recipe in my 1990 Wingate Baptist Church cookbook.  My cousin Edith gave it to Mom for Christmas that year.  I have found several really tasty recipes from this book and when I was looking to try something new, I started looking in the book and found this recipe.  Hope you enjoy!

Crab Casserole
1 lb. crabmeat
3 beaten eggs
1 tsp. prepared mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 chopped onion
1 can cream of mushroom soup
Dash of hot sauce
1 cup bread crumbs
1/3 cup melted butter

Preheat oven to 350.  Chop crabmeat.  Add all other ingredients except for butter and bread crumbs.  Mix well.  Place in 2 quart casserole.  Mix butter with bread crumbs.  Sprinkle on top.  Bake 45 minutes.  Cheese may be sprinkled on top as well if desired.  Serves 6.  (Freezes well)

*I used canned crabmeat because that's what I had on hand.  It worked well but canned crab gives it more of a dip consistency, so I served it over rice.
*I used stuffing mix instead of bread crumbs and that worked well.

Enjoy!