Whether you are having a party or a cookout, the time has come for one final fling of the summer. Hopefully you live in the South where you can squeeze in another weekend cookout or day on the water. Since this is the last “holiday” of summer, then even here in the South, we must at least give the appearance of considering this our final fling of the summer.

How to spend the day or the weekend is the question that is on the minds of many people. At least it is on mine today. What to do? The day was began by a labor union that planned on the day being filled with parades and speeches given by leaders. Should I have a cookout that lasts all weekend long? Maybe take a daytrip somewhere? Just kick back and relax and enjoy the extra time with my family? Decisions, decisions, they surround me everywhere I go.

I have managed to squeeze in a few more days at work due to people heading off to the beach for the weekend. There are times that I wish I could join them, then I think of the crowds and remember how nice and quiet it will be at home. I can feel the stress rushing away as I type.

Although the boys will be out of school and my husband may be off work, there is still the chance that my oldest son will be called into work. Since I would prefer to avoid the crowds and simply relax, the decisions have been limited to a cookout or just hanging out at home. As I leave work today, I will need to have my mind made up. Or if I decide to just leave it all up to chance and not plan, I could pick up any items needed for a small family cookout or items to cook quickly inside. Then I would be ready for the weekend without breaking the bank with an elaborate trip or huge party.

Since the day is still young and the weekend is still a few days away, I think I shall ponder on this decision throughout my day. If you have not made up your mind how to spend the weekend, I suggest taking a look at a brief article on the history of the day which can be viewed at http://www.socyberty.com/Holidays/History-of-Labor-Day.229807. I know I personally will not be attending any parades or speeches given by labor leaders. Instead I will be sending up prayers for the families of all those that have helped change the working conditions in the past and for those leaders that will continue to improve conditions for the future. Then, I will enjoy my day with my family. I hope that you will take a few minutes to learn about the holiday and remember those it is designed to honor as you enjoy your day your way.

Today is the first day of my week long writing challenge. I am going to attempt to write 50,000 words in one week. Am I nuts, yes. Will I be able to do it? Well, we shall see. I am attempting to write 1000 words in thirty minutes this time to see if it is doable or not. If I can consistently write 1000 words in thirty minutes 50 times within one week, I will have the goal reached. Unfortunately, I’m not very consistent in my writing as of late. I am nervous that I’m not good enough and I also worry that there is nothing that I could say that anyone would want to read.

Is my time spent writing a waste of time or is it just something to torture those that I love? Well, it may indeed be torture for those that I love, but for me, it is a necessity. I have to write. If I don’t write ever so often, I find that I have these horrible dreams that never seem to go away until I start back writing. Some of them make sense but most of them are just so plain goofy that they are almost laughable. Can you imagine an entire city built in the trees? I apparently can.

Then there are times that I have dreamed that I lived just outside of an amusement park in a very nice home. Now that would be one that I would really enjoy. Can you imagine waking up every morning to the sound of people enjoying life and going to sleep each night with the glow of lights and dreams for a better tomorrow? Sure it might be hard to get on a good sleep schedule that would work with a regular job, but who cares. It would be fun anyway to at least try.

Then there are those dreams that put the fear deep into my soul. For instance, when you go to visit someone and you end up looking under their bed and this shoe is attacking you. No matter what you do, it just keeps coming after you.

As you can see, with dreams like these, it is much more desirable for me to write every day instead of letting my creativity take flight in my dreams. I can not imagine what would sort of dreams I would end up having if I never wrote again. But instead of worrying about all of that, I just want to try to avoid it all together by creating a writing habit.

A writing habit will allow me to get the thoughts out of my brain and into a file on my computer. It does not mean that anyone necessary ever has to see 99.9% of what I write. It just means that I have the option of writing for me and if any of it is any good, then I can see about editing it to share with others.

Now, I know what you are saying, but you made us read this. It isn’t any good, so why should we believe you. Well, the purpose of this post is two fold. One it is to show you that I can spew forth words at a rapid pace. The other is to share with you my plans so that I will have to be held accountable for what I am planning. If I have to share my word counts with you and show that I am actively attempting to form a habit, then I will be more likely to continue writing and allow that habit to form.

After the habit forms, then I will be able to have more material to consider what is sharable and what isn’t. I will be able to explore topics and even memories that are not something that I want to discuss with others but yet still need to get the thoughts out of my brain. Sometimes it takes just typing or writing something out to allow you to see things in a better light.

My sister in law swears that I need to see a counselor and talk about all the things that keep going on in my head. I think she must want to see me locked up somewhere. The only way that anyone else could possibly understand my brain is if they too are a writer. When a writer thinks of a topic or an event, they begin to play with that moment in time and see what would happen if this or that changed. They get to explore torturing those that have caused them harm without ever having to sink to the level of actually hurting someone physically or mentally.

If you could see inside my mind, you may see the harsh side of my pain and how at times I truly wish I could repay the pain that has been inflicted on me. Still at another time, you would see my kindness and how I wish I could help everyone that suffers in the world. Now, we know that neither is possible. I may be a momma bear when it comes to someone hurting my kids or my grandkids but I would also try to stop the pain for those that I love in a way that would not require my physically harming anyone. I’m not sure that I even have it in me. I also do not want to ever find out.

Instead, I want to help as many people as I can. In order to do that, I have to learn to help myself. I am attempting to create this writing habit in an attempt to help myself. Writing is my escape. I can go anywhere and do anything as long as my mind and fingers work in unison. I can take a blank screen and turn it into a home filled with laughter and love. I can take a lonely woman and sit her beside a bubbling brook and allow her worries to disappear. I can write 1000 words in 20 minutes.

As I work on my writing habit, I hope you will join me in my quest. I hope that you can find the encouragement to create a new habit of something that you have been wanting to do. A habit takes time and I know that it will not be done in a week. If memory serves me correctly, it takes at least 28 days to make a habit. I plan on taking this one week at a time and trying to keep at it for at least six weeks. If at the end of six weeks, I am still able to write each day and consistently put out a word count that is not something to laugh at, then I will know that I am making the write decisions for me.

We all have things that we want to do and often fear that our desire will not be enough to get it to become a reality. Whatever your desire, you have to take the first step to making it a reality. You have to put the fear to the side and take one small step after another until you give it a fair chance of working. Until then, you will never know. This is my fair chance that I am working on. What is yours?

With Facebook, I am tempted to play games all day and just escape the insanity. I connect with people that I have known through email lists and in person contacts on Facebook. The only thing I get for the time that I spend there is a little peace of mind in that I have successfully distracted myself from a problem or enjoyed spending some time with friends online.

With Gather.com, I actually get paid for writing posts and viewing others posts. I get to interact with a wide variety of people that I have met through Gather.com. I learn some very interesting things and even get inspired to try something new from time to time. The pay varies and there is nothing that I can find that tells me what I get paid for doing. The idea of keeping it secret is that since it is not known you are not out just to do what it takes to make money but you have to interact with others.

Then I found Sidetick.com They make their terms of earning points known. For spending only about an hour and a half per month, I can earn enough points to equal $15. If I stay busy and post popular posts or view a lot of other people’s stuff, I can earn up to another $15 per month. If I still want to earn more money, then I can explore some of the other methods of earning points such as referrals. There are some that make enough points to equal at least $15 or more per day simply by sending referrals.

I love Facebook, but I’m also trying to stay away from the games so much and do something more productive with my time. I have been paid several times from Gather.com over the years and have really enjoyed my time there.  I have requested a cash out at Sidetick.com but it does take a couple of weeks to get the cash out request processed. Ordinarily, I do not suggest a site until I have received payment. This is one time that I am making an exception. If you would like to join me at Sidetick.com, please use the ad below to join up under my referrer number. Right now, that is probably my favorite of the social network sites because not only does it pay, but it tells you upfront for what it pays. Honestly, I don’t see that many people just abusing their system. I see a lot of people there communicating with others and taking the time to get to know their fellow members. Come join me… it really can be fun.

I basically had given up on it for far too long. As most any writer can tell you, when a writer does not write, weird things begin to happen. For me, my mood is the first thing to go. I get stressed much easier than when I write. From there, it just goes downhill fast.

I also have this overall feeling that something is missing. In truth, it is! When I write I am surrounded by the characters that need to get their story told. After a while of dealing with my life and trying to not write, I have come to the conclusion that the television “Ghost Whisperer” had to be written by a writer that at some point in their career has tried to not write. Just like those ghosts will just not leave that poor woman alone, neither will the characters that want to share their stories.

The first way they manifest is in brief glimpses into someone’s life and the “What if” questions begin. Sometimes it is even as simple as well, if I do this, then what will happen or if I do that, will this happen. Sometimes it is a case of seeing a family shopping or out to eat and an entire world develops around them.

When I put off writing for long enough, the dreams begin to get seriously crazy. The dream may start off innocent enough, but then turn into a major motion picture going on in my head complete with enough twists and turns to keep a soap opera a hit with viewers for at least a month or so.

After the dreams comes the depression. The feeling that nothing I do could ever be good enough. I simply want to hide out in my room for eternity. I do not want to talk to anyone or go anywhere. I eat simply because I am so nervous that I can not stop. I no longer feel hunger. If I can keep myself occupied, I do not realize that I have not eaten until the sickness sets in.

Sounds a bit dramatic huh? Well, that’s my life. I should be the drama queen! The trick is in not letting it get out of hand. Stopping it before it gets to the depression stage or even the crazy dream stage. The only way of doing that is to write! So, yeah, you guessed it. I’m slipping into the edge of the depression stage so I’m clawing my way back into writing. I hope you can come along with me and enjoy the ride. Hopefully, it will not be too bumpy. Buckle up anyway. You know how I love to drive fast!

Honestly, I’ve still not accepted completely that I can not control what happens around me. I’m a control freak from way back, so it may take me longer to accept it all than it should.

A few years back, I was happily floating along in my life. I would volunteer whenever I didn’t have work to do. My work consisted of substitute teaching, so I had many days without work. That was okay. I had lots of things to do to keep me busily helping others. I enjoyed it.

One day, it hit me that I had no way to support myself if it came down to it. After I had a few days of panic, I decided to go back to school. Just like I ususally do, I jumped in with both feet. I got through school in record time by taking way too many classes at once. Now you see why I want to get back to the slower pace that is famously southern in nature. I was exhausted! The sound of taking it slow and easy was music to my ears.

It started off good. I was looking for a job and doing a little writing here and there. I was also substituting and volunteering. Then the call came with a short term job. Wonderful news that it was, it still wasn’t exactly what I was looking for long term. Then the phone rang again, and I had another short term job. For a month, I had a full time job and a part time, both of which would not last long. Then I was down to just the full time job. Life was still busy, but there was a light at the end of that tunnel that reminded me that this was not forever. Another short term job came along immediately after the second one ended.

I was keeping busy. Finding time to write or even look for a regular job seemed impossible. What happened to my slow pace I had been craving? I was busy as ever!

Then it hit. Everything came to a stop. No job and nothing on the horizon. What was I going to do? Panic set in. I had to find someway to get off this emotional rollercoaster I was on. How was the question.

I’m not going to lie to you. I don’t know the answer. I’m still searching for that answer, just like I’m still searching for that ever elusive job. The difference is that I am reminding myself each day that I don’t have to be in control of everything. I just have to take each day as it comes and do what I can. So what if life gets in the way. It is definitely better than not living. Also, as I think back on the good things that have happened in my life, most of them happened not because of anything in particular that I did to make them happen. I simply took advantage of what opportunity I had before me and enjoyed the resulting joy.

Instead of allowing myself to get wrapped up in the efforts of trying to make things the way I want them, I’m trying to find the joy in what I have. I’m taking the time to look at things with fresh eyes. I’m not going to go throwing caution to the wind, but I am going to have a little faith that my needs will be met without my having to drive myself insane on an emotional rollercoaster. Who knows, maybe letting go will be just what is needed to allow me to find that elusive job. The rest and relaxation will definitely be more like the slow southern pace that I have been craving. How do you find your relaxation?

If you choose to go to a small local store that has a higher cost rather than taking the time to travel to a larger store that has a lower cost, you still have costs. You have to consider the amount of time involved, the cost of the travel, and the cost of the actual product. Sometimes, it pays to pay a little more for something because of the additional costs that we are not able to pay at the time. If we have only 10 minutes and the larger store will be a 20 minute drive, then yeah, we will pay more for the product. We could always choose to do without the product, but even that is a cost. All choices come with a cost of giving up on another option.

As a woman, I must say that I tend to think of these costs a lot. I weigh each decision, or at least try to, in order to determine which one has the most acceptable cost factors. When I chose to go back to school, I knew that I would have less time to take the boys to sporting events and less time to stay on top of their activities. Housework might suffer. My energy level would definitely be reduced. I may even not be able to substitute as many days as I had been. The outcome would be worth it in the long run though. At least the dream goal was worth it. I still have not reached that goal, but I still feel that it was worth it.

Sure my house suffered. My boys and my husband had to do more around the house than they were used to doing. Things even went undone. In the long run, we discovered that my husband is actually good at cooking. So is my youngest son. I love to cook, but rarely enjoy cooking because those two are the pickiest eaters I have ever encountered! So, the kitchen is now basically theirs. Even though I no longer go to school.

Laundry may sit in a basket a bit longer. I may even miss a game or two. Does that mean that the world is coming to an end? No. Does it mean that I regret missing them? Sometimes, yes I do. Just this past weekend, I chose to stay home instead of going to my son’s ball game. They were playing a team that he was not expected to get to play against. He got to play a few plays and I missed it. I felt guilty. I regretted my decision even though I knew it was the right one to make at the time. Then my husband was flipping channels and found his game on television. So I watched him play after all. It was just after the fact. Does that make me less proud of him? Not in the least! He understood why I made the decision I did and he called me right after the game to have some sharing time with me. If I was at the game, the phone call would still have been required to share it with him. We are not allowed to talk to the boys while they are on the field.

My sons did not play all of the sports that they wanted to during the time I was in school. No, that did not kill them even though at first they thought it would. In fact, they have began some new hobbies and gained interest in some new sports because they were able to take a step back and look at their options. So, they learned about options. I learned that missing out on something they want to do will not actually kill them.

Do I actually believe that anyone can have it all? No. For everything that we do, we have to give up doing something else. There is no physical way that we can have it all. We just have to realize that and come to terms with it. Then we can chose to fill our days with as many choices for which we are willing to pay the price. We can come to terms with the fact that time is limited and we must try to find a way to reach a balance we are able to live with.

So today when you face the feeling of why can’t I have it all, don’t fret. Instead take a look at what choices you can make to fill your days with the things and activities that best fit your and your family’s needs. Do not judge what is best for your family and you by what other people do. Be your own person. Take a good look at everything on your plate and ask yourself, “Is this worth the cost?” If it is, then great! If it isn’t, then maybe you need to reevaluate that choice. Regardless of whether we are male or female, we can never have it all. Instead, we should strive to have what is best for us as an individual and for our family group. Enjoy your day of choices!

If it is fresh made, help yourself to the crushed or cubed ice in the door. If it has been in there awhile, you can still help yourself to the ice, if you want. It has to be cold. The weather outside is just too hot in the summer. Our winters are generally mild, but even if they were freezing, we would just use the weather to chill our tea. Who could do without the tea? That would be like asking me to stop breathing. I will not give up either one willingly.

If you are diabetic or prefer unsweet tea, you better stick with the bottled water. There is no way that I would be able to make you a pitcher of tea that is either hot or unsweet. I will show you where the kitchen is so you can make your own. The Luzianne website refers to sweet ice tea as the “house wine” of southerners. For this southerner, it is my lifeblood.

Sweet tea and iced tea go way back in history. According the Luzianne website at www.luzianne.com, iced tea may have began in the early 1800’s. It was first recorded in cookbooks as being made with green tea leaves and usually included alcohol in the mix. Over time, it has evolved into the almost syrupy concoction that is often ordered in southern restaurants as “sweet tea” or “unsweet tea”.

Even though the history of sweet tea and iced tea goes back much farther than I do, I am definitely old enough to be a stubborn southern woman. When you come to my house, I will offer you a glass of tea. Expect it with ice and with tons of sugar. That is, if you get there before I empty the pitcher. If that is the case, give me a few minutes and you can have some fresh tea. Same rules apply though.

On a trip to a southern Georgia beach, I was thrilled to be able to spend the day with my three children. We walked the beach and even the fishing piers. We saw horses running along the beach and longed to join them.

We had been driving all night to get there. We were out of money and just wanted to have a little cheap fun. A quite walk along the beach sounded like the perfect way to spend the day. We played in the sand. Took pictures of the water, sand, and even ourselves acting as silly as possible.

The trip had been long and the day had been fun. We still had a long drive back to the hotel. Our fun time was drawing to an end. A picnic would be the final act of fun for the day before we drove several hours to join my husband and his dad for dinner.

As we stood under the trees and the hatch of our jeep making our sandwiches, grabbing a few drinks, and chatting about our day, we thought this had to be the perfect day. No problems. Even a lack of enough money was not a big concern at the time. There was far too much fun to worry.

Then, without any true warning, I felt it. It hit cold and fast. I didn’t know whether to scream, run, or cry. I could feel it running between my eyes, down my nose and onto my shirt. What on earth was this? It didn’t feel like rain. As all of the kids busted out with laughter, I heard the sound of wings take flight above me. When the kids finally stopped laughing, they moved so I could get at the wipes.

The day had been filled with laughter, fun, and the warmth of sunshine and family. Now, was it going to be ruined by the fact that I had to drive over two hours with bird poop on my shirt? No way! I cleaned up my face, wiped off my shirt as best as I could, grabbed a sandwich and drink. While the kids were still almost rolling on the ground in laughter, I enjoyed my lunch. Then we all crawled into the jeep for the long drive ahead of us. Their laughter was nothing compared to what I heard when I reached the motel. My husband still laughs when he sees me flinch when I hear a bird take flight.

Years ago, a former friend showed me a version of red beans and rice that was so super simple that even a child could do it without messing up. Well… I messed it up. Sort of, at least. When I went to the store, I could not remember how many of each type of beans you used. I thought it was 3 each. Yes, it seemed like a lot of beans, but remember, I haven’t cooked much over the past two years while I was in school.

I left the store that day with 3 cans of kidney beans, 3 cans of pinto beans, and 1 can of chili beans. All of the contents of each can was dumped into a huge pot. My son was busy chopping two medium sized onion and two green bell peppers. As I added the onions, bell pepper, and a couple of cans of tomato sauce, my son took a can of diced tomato and chopped it up even smaller. He hates tomato but loves ketchup. I wonder if he thought if he cut it up small enough, he would not realize that it actually was tomato.

Usually, I use just one package of smoked sausage. This time, I didn’t get the usual package that is one long piece bent into a u shape. I got the smoked sausage that looks like big hot dogs. We sliced the sausage and cut it into four pieces. Yes, we had a huge pile of sausage. This was added into the same pot. Last but not least, salt, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes were added according to my preferences. I don’t measure spices unless I’m following a specific recipe. I just sprinkle it in until I feel I have enough. We like spicy foods, so we are generally safe.

The pot ended up being too full. We split it into two large pots and cooked it for about an hour. Everything was cooked, so we basically just had to meld the flavors. When I could not stand the smell any longer, I dipped out a bowl and ate some. You may be wondering, what about the rice. Well, it got left off the menu for the night. My husband walked in the door, took one whiff and declared that he could not wait on the rice. Dinner was served!

After eating just the beans and sausage for two nights, he cooked pasta and added some of the bean and sausage mixture to it the next night. My husband hates leftovers. He actually asked for this bean and sausage mixture for two nights of leftovers. Then it was all vacuum sealed and froze for a later date. I’m not sure about my husband, but I’m looking forward to thawing out that package of beans. I wonder if I could convince him that I cooked it from scratch again next week?

My husband came home last night with a bottle of lemon pepper spice. That is totally out of character for him. I had to take advantage of that, right? He asked nicely for me to start the chicken. It was actually boneless skinless chicken breast that my son had picked up. My dear sweet husband decided it needed cutting into smaller pieces since it was so late. So of course, since it was his suggestion, he got delegated the task.

While he cut up the chicken into smaller strips, I turned the oven on at 350 degrees and sprayed the pans and slashed a little olive oil in the pan. As he cut the chicken, he placed them in the pan. As I was thanking him for his help, he walked out of the room. Thank heavens for small miracles! I really did not want him to know how easy the rest of the preparations were. I sprinkled a little olive oil on top of the chicken followed by a very light sprinkling of the lemon pepper seasoning.

Placing it in the oven finished my part of the cooking task for the night. Shhh! Don’t tell him how easy it was. He needs to think that I do something all day besides sit in front of this computer and type. He fixed the other dishes and we sat down to dinner. We ended up having way more than we could eat that night. The leftovers were packaged in a vacuum seal bag. Tonight, while my husband ate a bowl of canned chili, I was thrilled to have the luxury of munching out on a lemon pepper chicken sandwich with pepper jack cheese.