Grateful and Thankful - A Wonderful Thanksgiving!

Well, Thanksgiving has come and gone way too quickly. 

The four-hour car ride with our little dog, Popcorn, on my lap as my husband drove, was filled with laughs. My daughter’s boyfriend brought along a comedy show that was perfect!  We laughed and I can't tell you enough how much I enjoyed the ride!  Even the rest stop was fun, if you can believe that! We walked the dog and bought some good snacks to enjoy through the second half of the journey!  The time passed quickly, and as we neared my son and his girlfriend’s apartment, I could feel my heart smile even wider.  Sharing the ride with my daughter, who is the most thoughtful, loving woman you could ever meet and her caring, loving boyfriend, was a perfect way for my husband and I to enjoy the journey, but now we were nearing the part where we would all be together!

I sent my son a text that we were a few minutes away and as we rounded the bend into his apartment complex I could see him and his girlfriend walking through the parking lot to greet us.  After six long weeks of being apart – I just wanted to hug him close.  With tears of happiness, I soaked in and cherished that hug so much.  I didn’t want to let him go. If I could have hugged him down the steps and in the door, I would have…but it would have looked silly to the rest of the universe!

They had a delicious lunch waiting for us.  I kept looking around the table, being sure to take that mental picture I always write about.  With everyone’s schedules it is no longer easy having everyone together.  This was my moment.  It is imprinted in my mind and will always be alive in my heart.

I wish my extended family, my Mom, brothers, nephews, nieces and great-niece, along with my Aunts, cousins and friends could all be together, but logistics make that impossible.  So, instead, I would treasure this time to devote to just my immediate, amazing family.  I will look forward to everyone else posting pictures on Facebook so we may at least share the day in cyber space!

But, back in my son’s apartment, we were laughing and enjoying being together!  I just kept looking over at my son and daughter and thinking how fast time goes by.  How was it possible that they were all grown, adults, forging their own paths?  Sometimes the minutes of our lives pass slowly, but I have found that no matter how slow the minutes, the years’ pass in a blink.  My son in graduate school…. my daughter a teacher…. I am so proud!!  Their choices in spouses - excellent!!  

Thanksgiving dinner was approaching.  We heated the food, which had been so lovingly prepared, and set the table.  I must admit I will brine again!  The turkey was amazingly good.  The dinner ended with cupcakes baked by my daughter and a cheesecake baked by our hosts along with other treats.  Delicious, sweet, wonderful – the desserts were as perfect as the entire Thanksgiving meal.

The rest of the weekend flew by and through all the events, a wine tasting, shopping, playing games, watching television, talking; I tried to appreciate every moment we were together. During the last few hours of our visit, we toured the campus where my son is studying for his PhD.  It was a beautiful day, more like spring than close to winter, and as we walked around the campus, I knew our time together, this time, was inching to a close.

Saying good-bye is not easy.  Maybe if I closed my eyes and wished really hard it would be Thursday morning again and we would just be pulling into the parking lot?  It didn’t work.  It was still Saturday, late afternoon, and we were packing up and heading back home.

As I hugged my son I flashed back to when he was a little baby.  I remember one particular night, he wasn’t sleeping well and I was rocking him in his room.  It must have been about 2 or 3 in the morning.  I had him on my shoulder and his little head was turned toward me as his eyes were finally fluttering closed.  His profile is etched in my mind.  I remember thinking then that some day this little, precious baby boy would be a man, would be taller than me, with wide, strong shoulders, and now, here I was being hugged goodbye by this tall man, with wide, strong shoulders.  A really good man, a man I am so proud of every minute of every day. 

As we drove away, I looked in the back seat to see my beautiful daughter.  I know how precious life is, and on this Thanksgiving holiday, I am so very thankful.

A Brining Disaster!!

It looked so easy on the cooking channel!  You just take your turkey, place it in the brining bag, add whatever brining recipe you choose, seal the bag and refrigerate. The turkey will marinate and then, after it’s cooked, it will be the most succulent, delicious turkey you’ve ever made!  It sounded so simple, and I found the brining bag on the aisle of Bed, Bath and Beyond and it was free with my $5 coupon!  How could I not brine - ?

While I was working at my part-time job yesterday, my wonderful daughter prepared the brine according to the directions on the brining bag box.  The ingredients sounded wonderful, molasses, kosher salt, sugar, garlic, maple syrup and lemon juice.  When I arrived home, we cleaned and dried the turkey and opened the box, which held the special brining bag.  It was a huge, strong bag!  My husband gently placed the turkey in the bag for me, as it, the turkey, weighs a ton.  (We earned a free turkey from our supermarket and therefore it was incumbent upon us to purchase the largest free bird possible.)

After he placed the turkey in the bag, my husband went in the other room leaving my daughter and I to add to the brining liquid to the turkey.  My daughter held the bag open for me as I gradually added the liquid, cup by cup.  As the bag filled, we kept close watch as according to the directions, the bird was to be fully covered. 

Suddenly, with the bag ¾ full of brine, the bag just caved in!  One end of it uncontrollably flopped to the side and gallons of the brine cascaded all over the kitchen!  The counter, the cabinets (inside and out), the silverware drawer, the stovetop, underneath the stove, especially the floor, all were covered with the sticky, salty fluid!

I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, so I started laughing hysterically.  My husband ran down the steps to see what was going on and stepped fully into an inch of brine that was flowing over the tile floor!  With a look of horror I will keep in my mind for years to come, he started screaming how everything was covered in salmonella!  My daughter had to be sure her blackberry, which she had been holding in her other hand at the time of the explosion, was functioning, so she left the room. 

Luckily, we had just finished drying a load of towels so we gathered as many as we could, along with an entire roll of paper towel and cleaned the mess.  My husband had to pull the stove away from the wall so we could clean beneath it.  The silverware drawer had to be emptied as brine had worked its way in to each compartment; spoons, forks, knives, nothing was spared.  After about 25 minutes of disinfecting, drying, and cleaning, the kitchen was pretty much returned to normal, but the bird was still sitting in the bag.

My husband told me HE would hold the bag this time and so, once again, we began filling the bag with brine as we luckily (we thought) still had plenty brine left.  The turkey was about ¾ covered when I thought it needed just a little bit more.  Being out of brine, I decided adding one measuring cup (which is equal to 4 cups of water) could be added and it would be just enough.  So, I began to add that last cup while my husband continued to hold the bag. 

In an instant, an instant I tell you, the bag once again flopped down and with a splash and a flood like you could never imagine the brine, once again, gushed all over the entire kitchen.  The flooding brine covered even further this time.  It washed over the entire stove, filled the floor, once again invading every cabinet, drawer and crevice.  My husband was covered, from his chest to his socks with the brine and he was not happy. 

Once again, I started to laugh as I truly felt I was in an episode of situation comedy.  If only we had taped this entire ordeal, we would be a hit on youtube!  My husband did not appreciate either the humor of the situation or my hysterics.  He was beside himself and didn’t know where to run first!  He continued his salmonella mantra while getting even more towels out of the laundry basket!

A half hour later, so this is an hour since we started with this “simple brine”, we were finishing up cleaning the kitchen, using our steamer to be sure the floor was disinfected.  The turkey was still sitting proudly in the bag, with about an inch or two or brine, seemingly laughing at us.

We gave up.  We sealed the bag and placed the turkey in the refrigerator.  I finished cleaning the counters, having to even wash the liquid soap dispenser and the dish detergent bottle.   Before going to sleep we carefully flipped the bird in the bag so the other side would marinate overnight in the measly two inches of brine. 

The turkey is now cooking.  We rinsed it off this morning and drained the remaining brine down the drain.  After seasoning the bird with what smells like an amazing basting recipe received from a Williams Sonoma email, the turkey has now been cooking for 4 hours.

I must say, it smells amazing.  Just like Thanksgiving…

Have a wonderful holiday everyone!  And to all my friends and family, thank you for all the love and support you give me every day.  To all my blog followers, both in and out of the United States, I am thankful to you, too, and hope you continue to enjoy reading AWomansRoom.blogspot.com! 

It is people that make this life worth living.  Thank you all so much for being such wonderful people, such dear friends, and such great companions.  I love you all!

Retail Lunacy!

It’s early on an oddly warm November morning.  The manager of the store who happens to be my dear friend and I are working hard, unpacking shipment and putting new merchandise on display for our customers’ shopping ease and pleasure. With Thanksgiving coming this Thursday many early birds, (pardon the Thanksgiving expression) are getting a head start purchasing their Holiday gifts, decorations and wrapping paper.  The store is ramping up, the music is playing happy holiday tunes and everyone is busy enjoying the early holiday spirit!

A tall, young gentleman arrived at the cashier counter and asked me if there was a particular Transformer action figure on hold.  He stated the name of the figure and told me it should be on hold for ‘Keith’.  After a bit of searching, my manager found the character on top of a display of Snuggies placed on the shelf behind the cash registers.  The man was thrilled! He smiled a big, wide smile and asked if any other stores in our chain had this same character.  Eager to help, we called one or two other stores; no one had any of the figures.  The gentleman, Mike was his name, then explained to us that this figure, which we sell for $5, was selling for up to $75 on Ebay!  He left his name and telephone number and asked if we would be kind enough to call him if any more of this particular transformer was shipped to us.  With that, he left, thanking us for our help.

For the next hour we continued to be busy, very normal for this time of year. While pricing a shipment of gag soap, soap that looks like any regular bar but suds to a bloody lather, a middle-aged woman appeared at the register.  Politely she asked if we had a particular transformer on hold for Keith.  I looked at her, startled, and explained that we had such a transformer on hold, but that a gentleman named Mike had already picked it up.  Her eyes opened wide and with a glare that can only be described as crazed, she began to berate me.  “Why didn’t you ask for ID?” she demanded!  “I don’t know anyone named Mike and that toy was for my son and I”, she exclaimed! Now, please keep in mind, her son was not a little boy, he was a grown man who wanted the toy to sell on Ebay.

ID, I thought to myself, are you kidding me? This is a $5 toy!  But knowing I couldn’t say those things out loud, I simply informed the woman that the only ID we require for picking up a toy on hold, is the knowledge that the toy is on hold.  With anger in her eyes, she told me her son had given distinct instructions that ONLY Keith or Regina were permitted to purchase the transformer.  I informed her that the only paper on the toy was a note that it was on hold for Keith, there were no further instructions.  She seemed horrified!  I then asked her how someone else could know the toy was on hold under that name.  She replied, (hold onto your hat), that her son was so excited to know he found one of these “valuable” toys that he posted its location on his Facebook status the previous night! 

Politely I responded that we sometimes forget the fact that Facebook needs to be respected for its broadcast capabilities.  I expressed my regret that the wrong person had picked up the toy but told her that we truly had no way of knowing Mike was not sent to pick it up.  (I mean really…if you want to keep something secret, it shouldn’t be posted as your Facebook status!)  She told me the loss of the toy was extremely upsetting to her and that I needed to fully appreciate the gravity of the situation! Gravity she said!  A $5 toy! OY!!  She glared at me, a full, harsh stare for about 45 seconds.  She then walked around the perimeter of the cashier’s desk and stood right inside the doorway.  Before heading out of the store, she glared at me for another full minute!  There was honestly nothing more I could say to help this woman feel better about what had happened.  I believed anything additional would just make her angrier.  I wanted to explain to this woman that there were things in life worthy of being upset about but this wasn’t one of them!  Instead, I went back to pricing gag soap, as if the clip, clip, clip of the pricing gun would calm the situation. After a minute or so, I turned around to find she had gone.

The Holidays are a busy, fun, wild time in retail.  The days fly by as customers and stock keep us on constant move.  Most people in our store enjoy the fact that the toys are fairly priced and that the children in their lives are going to love and enjoy them.  It’s a happy place and customers like the ‘Transformer Lunatic’ are, thankfully, rare.

So, happy shopping everyone!  Black Friday is around the corner – enjoy the hunt!  But hopefully keep in perspective that a toy is just a toy and its purpose is to make someone you love happy.  Remember, the loved ones are what's important, not the toy.  And try to remember that every retail sales person is someone's loved one.

Happy shopping to all!!

All My Children…We miss YOU!

We’ve endured almost two months now without our favorite soap.  Weeks without Tad, Jesse, Kendell, Zach, Ryan and Greenlee; it was not enjoyable.  My daughter and I watched clips of AMC on YouTube to help us “get over” the draught.  We watched times gone by in Pine Valley, stories with Myrtle that made us cry because we miss her compassion and humor. Her memory is certainly cherished.  We watched Palmer and Adam battling, then Adam and JR battling.  We cheered for Zach in his many acts of heroism and we admired Bianca for her strength. 

The Pine Valley family has been a large part of our lives, a fun diversion from the every day routine for decades.  It is a welcome form of entertainment that my daughter and I do not wish to do without.  There is no other television show that can recapture the deep, multi-faceted characters of Pine Valley for the simple reason that we have grown up with those characters, have followed their history and trials and tribulations year after year.  I remember Brooke and Erica as teenagers, rebellious, fun loving.  My daughter remembers Natalie in the well, and the entire Janet/Trevor storyline.  Visiting Pine Valley every day was a welcome escape from daily worries.

We hope, along with so many others we know, that the stories of “All My Children” will continue on-line.  We search headlines looking for some ray of sunshine, some new fact that will allow us to feel positive about our favorite storylines continuing.

To the All My Children family of actors, please consider the history and the groundbreaking stories your show has delved into.  Please understand that millions of us are looking forward to the deep interactions and intertwined lives of your characters continuing.  We hope you take these factors into consideration when weighing your options to continue this drama. 

The decades that Pine Valley existed, the worthwhile stories it promoted, the escape it provided, cannot be duplicated.  Just as the strength of a long marriage is enhanced and made irreplaceable through the years of shared experience, this show is unique and irreplaceable through its years of existence. 

Our lives are full and of course we will continue with or without “All My Children”, but we certainly hope that as we grow older, we do so in your good company.

Watching Videos of Times Gone By

Yesterday morning, sitting comfortably in my favorite living room chair, the one in which I usually fall asleep, I sat and watched a DVD from 1987 with my husband, my mom, my daughter and her boyfriend.   The quality of the pictures, technically, was not the best, but the pictures are worth a million dollars.

Life changes so gradually.  Looking back I realize how completely different life was in so many ways, yet, in so many other ways, things are exactly the same.

Getting beyond the huge glasses, the wide shoulder pads, and the HUGE hair, the people, my family, many of those there, are no longer here.  In the videos, my Grandparents were helping my four-year daughter overcome her fear of balloons popping.  It was my daughter’s 4^th birthday party. She was as adorable as she is today.  She's always funny, insightful, and beautiful. Her being who she is makes my heart smile, always has, from the moment she was born.  My Dad was sitting on the floor, watching the Eagles game, a usual Sunday activity.  My Mom was busy setting the table and to be quite honest, I seemed a bit overwhelmed and even a bit harried and cranky.  I wish that old me, who was so much younger than today’s me, had looked around at all the people who were in the room and appreciated the moment.  A room filled with so much love.  I just wish, looking back, I didn’t take so much of what was there that day for granted. 

My Grandfather was one of the nicest men to ever walk the earth.  He was a quiet man, a hard-working man, and a gentle giant.  He always had a cigar in his mouth, even though it was rarely lit.  Even when he fell asleep in a chair, the cigar would remain on his lips, a real marvel.  His smile would light the room.  My Grandmother was an amazingly protective woman who took great care of her “Herman”.  In the video, she was showing my daughter that a balloon, although possible to pop and vulnerable, was actually pretty strong.  My Grandmother always spoke her mind, but her love for her family was all encompassing, all protecting.  She taught me to never underestimate the power a woman holds, her importance for keeping a family together.  My Dad, a funny, loving, caring, dependable, brave man who I miss every day, was right there, healthy and strong.  They were all there, all in the room, yet I was so busy with so many things.  Was I too busy to appreciate all the love that surrounded me?  I know I took for granted that because those present had always been there, they would continue to always be there.  Unfortunately, that’s not how life goes.

Day by day life changes and we don’t realize that as the minutes tick away, the years are flying by.   Everyone is both vulnerable and strong.   The generations gradually change and as my Mom says, we move up to the next layer.  We start off young, the children, running around, having fun, complaining to be sitting at the kids table.  Then we turn into teenagers, thinking about where we’ll be heading with our friends AFTER the family get-together.  When we’re young married couples, we think we know so much.  Then, when we have children, we watch them run around, having fun, and we follow, being sure they’re safe.  When they become teenagers, we see the look in their eyes and remember, wondering how we can continue to keep them safe.  Before you know it, we’re the middle-aged relatives.  All of a sudden, we're the ones telling stories of how things were when we were young – before IPods and cell phones.  We see our parents aging; we lose people we thought would always be there, some way too young.

Videos are priceless.  They not only remind us of who we were, they remind us who we really are.  Family history, learned lessons, love given, love received, all these things have given us strength and courage.  All these actions have given us the support and love we need to function, to be productive and add value to life.  

There are now new faces at family gatherings.  Faces that weren’t born yet in 1987, faces we hadn’t met yet, but all are vital.  For example, my wonderful son who wasn’t born until 1988 wasn’t in this particular video, yet he, like my daughter, is of top importance to me.  They are my heart.  Each member of our family, from the littlest baby to the newest family member added through love or friendship, is priceless.  Each of us individually, our quirks, our presence, add up to a whole that is unique yet evidenced in each family photo around the globe.  Every life is precious and means the world to someone. 

The next time my family and friends are together I just want to be sure to appreciate that moment in time.  I want to spend quality time with every one there and be aware of how lucky we are, at that precise moment, to be together.  I don’t want to allow any of the cooking, cleaning, any of the work involved tasks to take priority over the fact that we are all together.  I want to be aware and appreciate - I also want to take videos for even as that moment is being enjoyed, it is flying by.  

I Wish I Could Sing!

Today, I was driving along on a beautiful, tree-lined road.  The sun was shining through golden, autumn leaves casting cool looking shadows on the sidewalk by the road.  Just then, the Jim Croce song, “Time in a Bottle”, came on the radio.  Instantly, I was transformed to another time and place, a place where I was much, much younger and my surroundings were very different.  Being that I was alone in the car at the time, I started singing with all my heart, really belting out the song while at the same time appreciating the power of the words.  After all, the lyrics have such special meaning considering Jim Croce died, tragically, so very young and so very suddenly.

As I was singing, I came to a red light.  Something drew my attention, pushing me to look over to the car on my right.  A young man was looking over at me, starring, the look on his face was actually hysterical.  His expression was one of disbelief, as if he thought I had lost my mind!  (Perhaps I had!)  Maybe he thought I was talking to myself, maybe he thought I was just a crazy middle-aged lady, whatever he thought I couldn’t even begin to imagine.  All I know is he was a lucky man.  He was lucky because he couldn’t possibly have heard me singing!  My windows were up, very tight.  After all, I may love to sing, but I was certainly not blessed with a beautiful singing voice, and subjecting the world to my voice is simply too harsh an action. 

My Dad, however, had an amazing voice.  He used to sing Frank Sinatra songs on Sunday mornings and I am not exaggerating when I say, to me, he sounded exactly like ‘Old Blue Eyes’ himself.  I would sit in my room and listen to my Dad singing while he was getting dressed for the day.  To this day I can hear him, loud and clear, in my head. Those memories still make my heart smile.  “All or Nothing at All”, “Come Fly With Me”, “Strangers in the Night”, and “What are You Doing the Rest of your Life” would be playing and my Dad knew every word and would sing out strong.  I really loved those times.  His strong voice, so clear and deep would ring through the upstairs.  If he was singing, all was right with the world.

Although I have my Dad’s love for music, I do not have the quality of his voice.  I heard myself sing on a cassette tape, once, many years ago, and could not believe that horrible voice was mine!  You would think it would keep me from ever singing again, but it doesn’t.  I’ll sing whenever I am given the chance, as long as I’m with those that care about me.  I would never subject strangers to my squeaking!  I love the XM radio in my car.  I don’t bring my IPod when I drive as most people do, as I love the surprise of not knowing what song is coming on next.  Each song is like a little gift, bringing back its own memories and feelings.  (At home I use my IPod, especially when I cook…I sing and stir and sauté and I’m a happy lady!)

I admire and am a bit envious of anyone who can carry a tune and wish I could do so.  But, whether I am off-key or not, I will continue to sing at any opportunity.   Whether it’s Carole King, Cat Stevens, James Taylor, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, the Beatles, or pretty much anyone, I will sing along.   I honestly don’t care who pulls up in the car next to me, who’s watching television in the other room, or what they think when they hear me, I will sing and enjoy. 

So, the next time you pull up to a light and there’s a lady in a car really getting into the music, stare all you like, but just let her be.  She may be a bit strange, but she’s having fun!  Perhaps just be happy, and maybe a bit thankful, that her windows are up! 

Too Late For Lunch ~ Too Early For Dinner!

Too late for lunch, too early for dinner

If I eat now, I’ll get fatter, not thinner

But hunger has struck like the clock at three

As I gaze in the fridge, longingly…

There’s juice and milk, pickles and butter

But nothing that makes my heart flutter.

So down one shelf I peek some more

Some yogurt, an apple, oh what a bore!

Then one shelf below, I start to shake!

A leftover piece of creamy cheesecake!

I try to ignore it with all my might

But cheesecake is a true delight…

Maybe just a sliver will suffice

Carefully I cut a super thin slice

Placed on its side the little piece sat

It looked amazing, (though a little flat),

My fork cut through with silky ease

My taste buds ready for my cake of cheese…

I closed my eyes; it was so smooth

Maybe being fat was a worthy move?

The creamy sweetness on my lips;

The calories heading for my hips ~

I savored each bite with blissful pleasure.

A piece of heaven, a worthy treasure~

So when it’s too late for lunch, too early for dinner

And you’re in search of a treat that’s really a winner

Don’t feel guilty, choose your snack with flair

There’ll be plenty time later to hit the stairs!

Lottery Dream is Kaput!

Okay, so I bought FOUR tickets to the lottery the other day while so tempted by “the dream”.  I purchased two Power Ball tickets and two Mega Millions.  Out of all four tickets, ONE number matched.  ONE!!  Now, luckily, that one number was the power ball number so I will win $2 of my $4 bet back.  But, this is why I don’t play the lottery.  I don’t win!

The thoughts of what I would do with all the winnings have plunked into the waste bin of broken dreams.   Now, I suppose, the trick going forward is to decide what to do with the ideas that now sit, crumpled, in that bin.  How can I possibly ever achieve even one of those lofty goals? 

Aside from my desire to write, which hopefully some people enjoy through this blog, my dream of opening my own, unique coffee house is the most realistic of everything I wrote and thought about.  To be honest, I came very close to realizing that dream many years ago.  A co-worker and I had actually reached the point of meeting with some businessmen who were offering a coffee house franchise opportunity. The franchise was named Ebenezer’s.  In those days, Starbucks was relatively new and Ebenezer’s was going to take their premise, add entertainment and more food options (this was before Starbucks added other food options of their own), and Ebenezer’s was going to storm ahead in the coffee business. 

Unfortunately, that plan fell through when the woman who was going to be my partner backed out.  As the time of handing over deposits grew closer, she felt it was too much of a financial risk being that she was a single mother.  I understood, but was utterly disappointed.  I could not buy into the franchise alone at the time due to my own financial constraints, so the bottom line was, the business was not to be.

I suppose, in retrospect, that result was for the best since that franchise never did succeed, anywhere.  But the image in my head of MY Coffee House…maybe called Grounds for Discussion, or even just My Coffee House, is still a dream I hold dear. 

Until I can find a way to make that dream a reality, I will continue with my other heart-felt dream, my love for writing.  It is truly cathartic and another way of growing and learning.  Until my coffee house exists, and probably even afterward, I sincerely hope you continue to enjoy drinking in what has been percolating in my brain.  Some days my thirst for communication leads me to a bold, strong, French roast, some days it’s more decaf.  But, either way, I hope you always find it satisfying and heart-warming.

Have a perky day!!

Should I Buy that Lottery Ticket?

Decisions, decisions!!  There’s a long line in the local convenience store this morning.  The lottery might as well be a bazillion dollars, as any additional monetary help would be truly super right now!  As I watch the people in line, old men with deep wrinkles and red suspenders, young men in dusty work clothes, businesswomen in a hurry and moms with young children in their arms, the hope on all their faces is obvious. The dreams that live in all of us are strong and alive!

What would I do if I won bazillion dollars?  I’m standing in the middle of the bread and chip aisle contemplating that fact, as I seem to be heading into the line by an invisible push of hope and dreams.  If I won bazillion dollars I would first let my friends and family know they would never have to worry about money again. College loans, paid off; mortgages, gone; retirement set.  From there, each of them could then be free to do what they have always wanted to do, not what they have always had to do. 

My dream?  I’ve always wanted to own my own coffee house.  To own a welcoming, warm spot with lots of room for people to come in, enjoy some good, healthy food and rich, delicious coffee.  We could have speakers that would teach us about leading calm, productive, helpful lives; speakers that would inspire conversations about life, love, and happiness.  There could be music nights, poetry nights, a book club, even Weight Watcher meetings and recipe exchanges!  The atmosphere would be soothing and natural.  Each and every day I would not only get to know the “regulars” better but also I would be happy and fulfilled meeting new people every day!  What joy!

From there, after fixing up my house, updating my 70’s style bathrooms and putting in new flooring and windows, I would turn my sights to others.  With a bazillion dollars I could feed the hungry and shelter those who need help all around the world.  I would fund research so intelligent scientists, like my son, would be able to do all that is in their power to cure diseases like cancer and ALS.  I would invest in green energy and yes, I would donate to positive, progressive candidates who are more concerned with helping those in need than those who are not.

I was awoken from my revelry when the man behind the counter looked at me…"Ma’am", he said.  “May I help you?”

With that I realized my decision was made.  I was buying into the dream just like everyone ahead of me and behind me.

Hey, if you know me…wish me luck!  After all, we’re in this together!