Simple Things...

Yesterday afternoon was the party with the new folks in my little mountain community (Friday's post).  I waffled for the better part of the day about going, then decided at the last minute that I had to go since I'd bought a beautiful Christmas Cactus for their housewarming gift.  I considered keeping the plant for myself and just staying home, but I knew I would feel guilty every time I looked at it.

And as usual, once I got there, I had a perfectly good couple of hours--except for the 15 minutes I was cornered by a woman who desperately tried to convert me.  Honestly, I just don't know what it is about me that compels people to "save" me.  From what?  Do I look like I date Satan?  Hang with the demons down the pub?  I'm fairly certain it's my Buddhist tattoos because there's nothing else that identifies my philosophy--I certainly don't expound about it, unless asked.  Luckily, I managed to escape and evade, and actually enjoyed myself.

Though, here's a goofy thing:  As I mentioned in the earlier post, this couple recently moved here from Florida.  On Friday, the guy got a job offer he couldn't refuse and now they're moving to Albuquerque as soon as they sell the house.  The party went from a house warming to a farewell. 

Life.  You just never know what's gonna happen from one moment to the next...

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The weather today has been stormy and dreary and frankly totally wonderful.  A most excellent Sunday, to my mind.  I finished the second part of a long chapter in the serial last night, but I want to do some tweaking before I post it.  I was going to work on that today, but with the weather, adjusting to the time change and my cozy nap with the boys this afternoon, I just couldn't be bothered.

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A week or so ago I made a trip to Costco.  I was only going to dash in and out as I just had a few things on my list, but as I'm making my way down an aisle, a display catches my eye and I come to a screeching halt.

I was born in Alaska, on Kodiak Island, in the middle of the Bering Straits.  It's a amazing place to be from.  Now, I might be a victim of advertising, or a sucker for good product branding, but there was no way I was going to pass this by...

The mix is whole wheat, oat & honey, egg whites and sea salt.  That's it.  And the Red Raspberry syrup?  Oh man.  It's tart and fresh and as natural as going out in the backyard at your grandmother's on a Summer's day to pick the berries right off the bush.

Late this afternoon I took the boys down the road for a walk between rain squalls, then on the way back I pondered what to have for dinner.  The Kodiak Cakes popped into my head.  It just seemed like the right thing for such a gnarly day.

And it was.

Is there anything better than a pancake cooked to perfection on a cast iron griddle?  Well, yes, but only one thing better:  a pancake with red raspberry syrup.  (Sorry, no photo...I was too busy eating).

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So, I went to a welcome/farewell party, wrote a good long chapter in the serial, read my book, took several walks with the boys, had a perfect Sunday nap and cooked a truly excellent breakfast for dinner.

Sometimes it's the simple things that bring the most joy...