“Time does not pass, it continues.” ~ Marty Rubin

I certainly did not intend to go a month without posting. Many things have happened since my last post, where do I begin? Life lessons have been learned:

• Not everyone is your friend. – This may seem obvious, but some folks take it to the extreme. They will pretend to be your friend, they will try to act like your friend, but I can smell sincerity or BS after a few moments in conversation. Case in point, a co-worker who gave the semblance of friendship and tried to convince others we were close, was in fact a “snake in the grass” as another co-worker put it nicely. When her wants and wishes did not materialize as she thought they should, her friendship turned to an immense and disproportionately unhinged hatred.
• Leaving a job is not the same as quitting. – When going to a job makes you physically ill as a result of not sleeping, not eating correctly, not getting enough rest or exercise or even fresh air – it behooves you to leave and place yourself first. A job will replace you in days should you die, do not kill yourself for a job.
• When God shuts a door, he will open a window. – Sometimes the unknown is scarier than the known, but you have to trust and have faith that jumping out the window can sometimes lead to a brighter future. When your house is in flames and you cannot get to the door, you don’t hesitate to run for a window – the same is true in life.
• Sometimes the happiness you thought you would never have, happens when you least expect it. – I had given up hope of finding a good man who accepted me for who I am with all my autistic eccentricities and neurodivergent nuances. I’ve ended up in a relationship where we love, we laugh, we fart together and laugh some more. We enjoy spending time together and when people see us, they assume we’ve been married for years.
• Not every leader has the intrinsic ability to lead. – I remember our pediatrician telling me after my first child, “Some mothers just instinctively know what to do and some will never figure it out.” The same holds true for leaders and management. You can take a class on techniques and management styles, but knowing it is not the same as feeling it. You have to be able to feel and understand your staff to be able to manage effectively. Book smarts is not the same as heart smarts.
• Do not eat the Zitti Fritta appetizer at Olive Garden when you are lactose intolerant, even if you skipped lunch – It is not worth it. — Especially when eaten at dinner, later in the evening. There will be little if any sleep for several hours and you will kick yourself in the butt if you weren’t busy sitting on the shitter.
• Stop by the market every day to get the freshest ingredients for dinner. – It works well for the European’s and it gives you a chance to get to know the staff at the market. Every day that I cook now, the cashiers, stockers and baggers ask me what I’m fixing for supper that day.
• Getting a library card is a reason to celebrate! – Every time I moved to a new location, getting a card to the local library was THE big event. While I do not have an ID for my new home, the librarian remembered me taking care of her mother in the ER and let me sign up for my library card. I was literally so excited, I was grinning from ear to ear, Sometimes the small traditions mean the most.

I promise it won’t be another month before I post. I have more recipes to share, some big news coming up and other plans in the works. Stay tuned . . .