Year of Jubilee. . .PLEASE!!!

(I actually wrote this a while back on facebook. . .but it's well worth repeating. . .enjoy)


So, anyone been to one of the Orange County Libraries lately? I was just wondering if you saw my picture up on the wall? No, not on the Most Wanted board. You know that area where they put pictures of the "Friends of the Library." The ones who give money to the library system on a regular basis on a one time donation. They even have different levels depending on how much money you donate to them. Actually, I am not sure just which level I'd be under. All I know is that I've made "donations" of $11.25 and even $24.00 at a time to the well deserving library system. Oh, they call it "overdue fines," but I don't really care for that term, I prefer to think of it as a donation which would make me a "donor." 


Speaking of late fees and such, have you ever taken the time to do some math and figure out what you waste in a year in overdue fines, late fees, etc? I haven't, but I am sure it is much more than I care to think about. The library alone kills me every time. It is not that the fees are so much as they're only about .25 a day per book. The problem is that I check out 50 to 60 books at a time). . now THAT really adds up fast. Then if you consider overdue DVDs, and credit card payments, not to mention those pesty ATM user charges. . .WOW!! I was thinking that it would be great to have a time of jubilee. Like that "year of jubilee" in the bible where your debts are forgiven every seven years. Only I was thinking of something like when you turn say 50 (I just randomly picked that age. . hahahaha) you get back ALL the late fees, over due fines, etc that you have paid out so far. Then you could invest the money and retire on it. Cuz I hear that we're not gonna get much from SSI. You can't tell me that you wouldn't wanna get back all those fees you have paid out. And if not. . .easy come, easy go. . .or so they say.


Martin Luther once said:
"I have held many things in my hands and lost them all; but the things I have placed in God's hands, THOSE I always possess.". . . . .

 .. . . .and Those Are My Thoughts Exactly!!!!!

Until next time, please keep an eye on those late fees. . .

The colored mixing bowls. . .

Good Afternoon my friends 
(or friend . . as I am not sure how many people will actually read this),


I have been thinking and thinking of what to blog about. THEN I realized that it's just easier to blog about whatever comes to my mind. Today I just want to share about one of my favorite things.. . .or maybe I should say a set of my favorite things. Allow me to back up a bit.


A while back my  friend Sondra's Mom passed away.  She had lived a long and full life. So full as a matter of fact that Sondra was left with the daunting task of cleaning out her mother's very full house. Francis was . . .well let's just say a collector. . .of EVERYTHING. This task would be a lot for Sondra alone so I decided to give her a hand. She had already set aside the few items she wanted to keep for herself and her children. The rest she decided to give away rather than haul it  to her home in San Antonio.  I was blessed with a few special items myself.


Of the items I acquired that day my most favorite is a set of Pyrex mixing bowls. They are pretty old (my guess is from the 50's). There are 4 of them each one a different color. Are they worth money?. . .probably, but they are worth MUCH more to me than that. They are special to me for many reasons.


I think that old kitchen items hold many memories. Memories of a Mom putting time, effort and yes even love in to the meals they make for their families. I don't know how much Francis used these mixing bowls. . .Sondra says she didn't cook all that much. I know that she DID enjoy the idea of cooking though, she had like three book shelves full of cook books. I guess that doesn't make much sense. Like I said, she collected things. Heck, she also had about 25 slips and yet I don't remember her wearing dresses all that much.


 I am not sure if she bought the bowls for herself, received them as a gift, or just how she acquired them. .All I know is that I am thrilled to now call them my own. It was a special day the day  I opened Francis' bottom kitchen cupboard and started pulling out all the thousands of items she had spent years packing in there. Because, there in the back were those beautiful colored mixing bowls. The minute I saw them I knew that not only did I want them, but that I would spend years putting time, effort, and yes even love into making many meals and memories with my family and Francis' colored mixing bowls. 


Louise Brown once said:


"In the childhood memories of every good cook, there's a cozy kitchen, a warm stove, a simmering pot and a mom." 

. . .and those are my thoughts exactly!

Until next time . . .happy mixing, and happy memories.