Seize the day!

  
 For the past two days/evenings, I've been reorganizing my digital photo files on my computer.  Now I'm sure many of you are saying, so what?  This is tantamount to a miracle, considering the fact that a little over a year ago I didn't even know how to operate my digital camera.  My brand new camera, purchased largely in part due to pressure from my teen boys at the time, was buried in a drawer somewhere.  I convinced myself that my 35mm worked fine and it's true, it does take good pictures.  After all, I'm not a professional photographer, why fix what isn't broken.  That was my rationalization.

     When I met my husband last year, somewhere along the line we discovered that while he knew how to work his own digital camera and could download the photos to a computer, he didn't know how to upload those pictures to a site like Facebook.  I'm a little bit more computer savvy in that area, so we helped each other.  Now there's no stopping us; one or both of us grab our camera whenever there's a hint of a potential photo opportunity.

      Naturally, the more digital photos one downloads, there is a need for organization, particularly since we did not grasp how important it would later prove that we label the files with more than just a date.  In order for you to know what a monumental concept this reorganization has been, you need to understand that I've been using a computer for probably 15 years, without EVER knowing a thing about files/drives/USB ports/back-ups....I think you get the idea.  As long as the thing started up, that's all I cared to know.  I like to say  it was *someone* else's "department or problem" to fix.

     A divorce and my youngest child leaving the nest for college forced me to learn things I never wanted to learn.  A funny thing happened along the journey, however.  As I tackled each new experience, I felt a sense of victory and pride in myself.   There were frustrating times, certainly, when a challenge presented itself and I'd have to ask for help, but I'm fortunate that I could always count on certain individuals when I needed assistance or advice.  Thinking  back over the last 22 years, I'm astounded at how far I've come.  I'm sure those I leaned on are equally estatic...lol....in that I don't pester them as much!

     Some people take on new tasks by jumping in with both feet, but I know that many people hesitate, and for various reasons.  I cannot stress enough how taking just one step towards that process can ultimately feed a fire that perhaps you never realized was there. 

     If any of you are still reading, I'm sure you're wondering what ANY of this has to do with Food.  Or Flowers.....or anything remotely in between.  I'm getting there, I promise ~ I will tie this all up with a pretty bow. 

    My first husband being a vegetarian meant that pot roast or ham & beans, for instance, were dishes I enjoyed in restaurants because I catered to his tastes ~ it's healthier anyway.  I learned to do a LOT with ground turkey, ha ha!  Then I married a meat eater who also knew his way around the kitchen stove as he'd been divorced (with 2 kids) for 6 years before meeting me.  He was all too happy to pass his kitchen baton to me and I'm happy to say I can now cook many of the dishes my mom and my grandmother served up for generations. 

     Recently I followed an online discussion where people claimed they don't bake because they're under the assumption it's an exact science.  I disagree.  I'm of the opinion that it's ALL just food.  What's the worst thing that could happen?  Maybe you burn it.  Toss it in the garbage and call for pizza.  Even experienced cooks like I consider myself to be, under or over season a dish from time to time or try a new recipe and end up not liking the end result.  But if you don't TRY, you will never know what could be. 

     My husband and I are still working on mastering digital photography.  The next step for us is figuring out how to specify and download only certain photos to a flash drive so that we can obtain hard copies.  I may even take it a step further and try digital scrapbooking!  This blog is a new venture of mine, the very nature of which has prompted me to gain more experience with word processing, clip art and graphics.  What once was intimidating to me is keeping me glued to my laptop for hours at a time. 

     You may discover a tasty confection that ends up being part of your family's holiday tradition or dusting off your crockpot to try a recipe long ago clipped from a magazine might turn out a savory dish that gets added to your winter menu each year.   

     I challenge you to try one of the recipes on this blog.  I get comments all the time that chilled (Raspberry) soup is not something most people have ever tasted, let alone prepared.  It's EASY.  Not to mention delicious and healthy.  Give it a whirl.  I've had several comments regarding the Grand Marnier French Toast recipe & how good it sounds, so change up your weekend!  Don't make the same old, tried and true.  Be sure to share your feedback....you never know when the action you take could spur someone else on.

     To learn is to grow.  We are never too old to do either.  Replace fear with the power of knowledge and the self assurance that success can be ours.

     ~Wishing you well in all your endeavors!