Writing Reality

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Delayed Gratification

Today, I was going to write our holiday letter, but I’m not so sure that this will turn out to be that, yet. Although I’m much less the ehh… hmm procrastinator than my husband appeared to be. He a typical Cancer, Crab moving from side to side checking every angle kind of guy. Me, I like the heat or rather extremes including the cold weather ones, that’s what has appeared to where I seem to thrive most likely. It must be the Scorpio sign I’d been born under. I’m not impulsive. I’m just like, ‘Yo! Let’s get a move on here.’ Even if I don’t know the complete result. Most things my husband and I thought in unison on. I know so now, even going on year six of my widowhood. Such he’d said many years ago, “Hey. I called up our phone company and guess what?” He’d paused as I perked up like a yellow lab ready to get a snack. “Yeah?” He’d continue, “They got this thing called Fios.” I’d listen then say, “Should I get a cup of coffee?” He’d pause, “No. I alrea...

JodyLynn's Banana-Pecan Cake Recipe

JodyLynn's Banana Pecan Cake Preparation 20 minutes. Cook time 35 minutes @ 350 degrees Fahrenheit 2 1/3 cups flour 1/2 cup of Maple Sugar (Vermont) 1/2 cup of granulated sugar 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 medium ripe bananas (they can have a little green on their skins) 2/3’s a cup of buttermilk 2 large eggs or equal amount of egg whites 1 cup of pecan halves (you can use pecan pieces if that’s what you have in stock) 1/4 cup of Smuggler’s Notch Bourbon Barrel Maple Syrup ½ teaspoon banana extract 1/3 cup of coconut oil 5 tablespoons salted butter softened 2 Tablespoons Sour Cream Coconut oil spray 2 - 8x8x2 inch Square baking pans Start with the top five ingredients and the pecans and mix thoroughly. Then in a separate bowl mash the bananas then add the buttermilk, eggs, SN Syrup, banana extract, coconut oil, butter and the sour cream and beat for a minute or so till blended completely. Then gradually add the bowl...

Squash-Grain Casserole Recipe

Version shown with no sunflower seeds Squash-Grain Casserole Recipe---Jody-Lynn Reicher Way back for about eight years, we started doing Thanksgiving differently. Basically, I told my in-laws I would do the whole thing. Yet my mother-in-law lived 15 minutes away and she would be the host. She had a bigger home, she liked hosting at her home, and she had a dishwasher as we'd use her dishes and silverware for Thanksgiving. So here, I'll share one of the 26 dishes I'd prepared with the turkey and brought over to her home. Only the first of two here today, are ones I'd just started making for the first time this year. The first is a squash grain dish I'd ordered out when visiting Vermont in October this year. I had it twice and decided it could be prepared in various versions depending on the aim of who's eating it and if it were meant as a week's long side or as part of a holiday meal or going solo for the week and wanting to have a one dish meal that was b...

I Made a List

I'm uncertain if I actually made a list when I was age seven; however, it went something like this: "Dear God, Please make me as courageous, brave and strong as King David, but without the bad things like adultery. And I want poor people to have money. I think the rich can give it. Amen. Oh, and I'd like a dog, please. Amen again." By the way, after begging my parents since age four for a dog of my own, I received one for Christmas six years later. I'd pray some more. Humbly, bless myself and ask God to please wake me up in the morning with health and if not please take my soul to heaven to be with Him. Yeah, that was me, a baptized Catholic girl, aged seven with a Lutheran father and a Catholic mother. My mother was not keen on the Catholic Church. Four years later, I'd find out why. Why my mom would change churches and get us into the Church of the Nazereen before I was age seven and my brother before age nine. I can say the three of us truly enjoyed the Chu...

"Who's That Lady...?"

As I listen to my newly delivered Soul and Motown 1960s and 1970s CDs in my car. I'd received them for making a donation to public television. This was the music I truly dug as a kid. My parents I'd thought didn’t understand what I'd requested when asked what I'd want for a Christmas gift; however, I'm someone that allows reflection of attitudes even as a child. And what occurred was that I couldn't wrap my mind as to why my parents never bought me the records by the artists I'd listed on my Christmas list, neither had I inquired. Although we could afford buying me that for Christmas, as they'd tell me what I was entitled to ask for. Then they would give a surprise gift for each of us, and a group gift or two to share such as a plastic sled and/or a game like yatzhe. Going back to my vinyl record selection every year since about age eight was the same. As we awoke on Christmas Day we'd stay in our beds and open our stockings that were placed at the ...

Maybe its NPD...

... Or maybe its eyebrow pencil. As I picked the second title in my daily first read of the morning, the subject struck a personal chord. It was about emotionally unstable people, how they act, their relationships and so forth. I dove in head first on this one, as I could relate to a couple drama-queens that have been family members and have been friends. I've decided to steer clear of them. As I'm barely texting them, although that's a great option for a family member. Keeping them at more than 'arm's length', for my health. I do so, because like them, I have a ship to run too. In reading this article on Medium.com "7 Sure Signs of an Emotionally Unstable Person" written by Sean Kernan. The writer referred to studies from Cleveland Clinic, research from Rutgers University and the like. I read a few of the studies and medical articles after reading Kernan's piece. There was so much that rang true in my interactions with emotionally unstable peopl...