Mis Escritos Y Pensamientos

I love to cook and bake. I prefer cooking over baking, except for making homemade bread. So, I thought I would spend some time talking about one of my favorite past times.

First - Obviously there are a few cake mix cookie recipes out there. I believe that the one I have is by far the easiest way to make cookies, so here we go..



You need:
1 Box Lemon Cake Mix
1 Container of Koolwhip
Lemon Juice
Powdered Sugar

What to do:
Pour the cake mix in a bowl, and mix it with the container of koolwhip until it is dough like. Then add about two drops of lemon juice and mix. Add more drops if you want more lemon flavor. After everything is mixed up, roll the dough into balls about an inch and a half in diameter, then roll in the powdered sugar until it is coated. Place on a cookie sheet and in the oven at 35oF until the bottom is starting to turn brown.

Wa La! Yummy Lemon Cookies!

Next time, I'll talk about my current favorite main course.

Have you ever felt like you were on a road to nowhere. This was a common feeling in my family. As we were growing up we would often get in the car and "go for a drive." The phrase I remember hearing the most came from my dad. "I wonder where that road goes." So, down the road we would go...off to discover the path on which it would lead us. Sometimes, after endless turns and hills, it would feel as if we were actually on a road to nowhere.

It seems, at times, that my paths in life are really just roads to nowhere. Sure, God might have directed, "Take this road," but as I've gone over hills and around corners, always expecting the destination to be right there, it begins to appear that I'm really on the road to nowhere. Confusion sets in, and I begin to question God.

"Why am I on this road? I'm just wasting time. Where is the end? Am I there yet?"

A few days ago, I spent some time traveling up and down dirt roads. I was with a disaster relief team, looking for people in need of assistance after a tornado had touched down the week before. The day had been a long one, and as we turned down one of those other "roads to nowhere" my mind turned to heading home. Again we saw the telltale signs of the damage left behind by the tornado. We passed a house with a large tree down in the yard and a man sitting on his front porch. Turning around, we pulled into the driveway and introduced ourselves. The man's name was Dennis.

Dennis had been home in his basement when the tornado had hit. He had been there with family members, and even though his house was still standing, it was becoming increasingly evident that it had moved. Foundations were cracked, and doors didn't shut like they used to. We talked with Dennis and listened a lot. Although it had already been a week since the storm, we were reminded how disaster affects people for a long time afterwards. He was still visibly emotional. As we listened to Dennis, I prayed, while my Dad talked.

As far as we know, Dennis doesn't know Jesus. We shared with him about forgiveness and how God loves him. When we handed him a Bible and a tract, he shared that he wasn't much of a reader. I looked back as we pulled out of the driveway, and watched as Dennis picked up the Bible and tract we had left and was beginning to look at them.

This road to nowhere had actually led us to somewhere, or should I say, someone. We weren't expecting to meet Dennis that day, but God led us to him. So, when it seems like you are on a road to nowhere, just keep going. If God has put you on that path, there is a reason for it. It may seem like a road to nowhere, but there is a destination to be reached, and just maybe, a Dennis to share with.

I'm one of those people who likes to see what I was doing a year ago at this time. College graduation this week, was one of those times that really brought back those "year ago" memories. I think back to my graduation, only a year ago, but so much has changed.

1. Last year, my grandpa was at my graduation. I remember that he didn't stay long for my party, because he wasn't feeling well. This year, he couldn't be better, because he's home.

2. Last year, I was moving home without a job, and no prospects for any type of future in the career world. This year, I'm back at home, having moved away,and returned again. As far as career prospects go...well the future is still wide open, although now, I have a year of office experience as well as a year of experience teaching at the college level. That pretty much blows my mind.

3. Last year, I was beginning a long journey of healing from past hurts. This year, God has brought be so far, and continues to grow and heal me.

4. Last year, in fact, this year last week, I obeyed God. I was completely honest with one of my best friends, telling him that I had a crush on him. He told me that the feeling was not mutual. This year, I am planning my wedding, to the same friend. :)

The lesson I know I've shared over and over is the one that I keep learning over and over. Por siempre Dios es fiel! Forever God is faithful. No matter what comes through the changing of time, good or bad, God is still God. In Him I can trust.

Last night, I went on a date. That last time I went on an official date I got engaged. I wasn't expecting this night to compare to the last date, but I didn't expect it to be as good as it was. See...,in my personal opinion, I had an experience last night that I had always wanted, but never thought I would experience.

I don't know if I'm making much sense. See, we went to the movies last night. I had never seen a movie in 3-D, so we decided to go see Monsters Vs. Aliens in 3-D. We got to the theatre, and let me tell you, I love 3-D movies. I thought that it would give me a headache, but it was pretty exciting. Yes, I get very excited about something as small as 3-D. Have you noticed how many movies are now in 3-D? I think that we've come to that stage in time that all of those old sci-fi books and movies portrayed. It is the era of 3-D.

Even better than the 3-D movie was the fact that Bert and I were the ONLY ones in the whole theatre. I had never had a whole theatre to myself before. It was pretty much amazing, and possibly the best movie going experience I have ever had, or ever will have. I think that it even beat out those midnight previews of movies, and the debut I went to in Memphis where the voice actors of the cartoon characters were actually there at the showing.

So, last night didn't beat that last date, but it definitely ranks up there with ice skating at Christmas, and having the whole rink to ourselves. If you haven't seen a movie in 3-D, go! And if you EVER have the chance to get a theatre all to yourself...take it! You don't have to worry about other people bothering you, or you bothering other people. It's pretty much amazing.

Some people like to correct the grammar, spelling, pronunciation, etc...of other people. I do that many a time. Heck, I get paid to do that, but what I do not appreciate is when people try to correct me in these areas only because they do not understand what they are talking about.

For some incredibly weird reason, my natural tendency is to write with a British English. I first discovered this when a teacher edited my paper in college. She said, "Well, this is right, only if you are in England." So, I "learned" to write the American way, which I don't know why I didn't learn in the first place. However, in my own writings, I still write the way that they do "across the pond".

The last sentence is one example of the British rules. American grammar requires that the period be inside of the quotation marks. British English has the period on the outside.

Another large difference is the spelling. Which way do you spell these words?

gray/grey
color/colour
theater/theatre
adviser/advisor
fairy/faerie

So, just because it may look wrong to you, doesn't mean that it's incorrect English.

If this blog were my child, I would be a bad parent. It is sorely neglected. However, inspired by my faithful cousin, I will make a valiant effort to be a better writer.

I was struck with some sad news today. http://www.connecttristates.com/news/news_story.aspx?id=289324

Obviously the infamous Four Corners was originally surveyed incorrectly. The monument is actually 2.5 miles away from the actual "four corners". Having been to this place, I hold to my belief that I actually stood in four different states at the same time, just as I believe that Pluto is a planet! See what reading the news gets you?

I have a dream...

and while I am for equality of all kinds, that is not the dream of which I speak. I want to write. Obviously, I am doing so right now, but that's not what I mean. I want to write. I want to be a writer. I have always enjoyed writing, but never was brave enough to put my heart on to paper, as a teenager, at least not so others could see it. I've been afraid of failure, fearing that no one would want to read what I wrote. Writing is a funny thing because, it's not just something that you do for yourself, but it's something that you do for others as well. I want to write, so that people's lives will be different after the read the words. I love to read, and the books I have read have shaped and molded me into the person I am today. I want to help people, the way the books I read helped me.

Unfortunately, there are some obstacles in the way of my dream. One of them is the fact that I have a horrible time finishing anything that I start writing. Even though this has been a problem in the past, I now have someone who won't let me quit when the writing gets hard. So, this is my middle of the year resolution. I WILL finish my novel before I get married. I will also start on the next stories that are in my head. I will also soon decide on the required amount of writing time for each week. I need guidelines and deadlines in order to write, but I can do it. That is how I will achieve my dream.

The End.