MJs Blog – A bit of this and that….

Bring the Gift!

We all know when we see someone truly gifted displaying their talents; whether we are viewing a beautiful painting, a thoughtful photograph, or even exceptional skills on the basketball court or the graceful skater on the ice. Especially, if the person is a gifted singer — even if they don’t share your taste in music, someone who is exceptional is always said to be using their gifts. Often those who we say are gifted will also tell you how much work they did to hone their gift …. through vocal training, years of piano practice or even early morning hours in the gym or at the ice rink.

We have also seen those “almost” people…. people will say “It’s a shame, he had so much talent but… set him back or they just gave up. Conversely, we have seen folks on those TV Talent shows where they had to do other things to make a living until age 47 before they finally get on the big stage and it’s like WOW! Sometimes, the judges will say “Did you NOT know how good you are?” So often, I think what separates so many folks who are living quiet lives of desperation and those living the “good” life is …

Farewell 2025!

As we wrap up another year — perhaps, more fraught with tensions than others — we still have to give thanks for all we have. This year brought me big changes: A new job, a new home in a new city, new neighbors and a new neighborhood to walk the dog! New friends, as well as, new restaurants. Also, changes to my previous Townhouse to prep it for rent and finally new tenants. So many new things. Moving after living in the same place for 26 years was a huge event….

The Fall of the Humble Potato….

Fall has really shown its glory this year — beautiful leaves and blue skies…. Halloween is over and Thanksgiving is fast-approaching, now the winds shake the acorns loose and the leaves float through the air. Many of the leaves lie on a lackluster yard sprinkled with acorns and random broken branches. I still love Fall – Halloween, Thanksgiving and then Christmas around the corner. I enjoy the flutter of the big oak leaves and the squirrels scampering around to get their food stock gathered. My dog aka the Princess is not a fan of the random acorns. When they drop, they scare her. One actually hit her on the head….

To Budget or to Spend?

When you hear the word “Budget” how does it make you feel? Sorta like your wallet (and you) are on a “diet?” It is usually way more fun to “spend” than to feel restricted to not spend. It’s almost like when you think I should not eat any ice cream or sweets — no cake, no cookies, no candy and especially, no ice cream! Most budgets make you feel like you have to live on a diet for the rest of. your life. What if I said you can create a plan that helps you feel like the CEO of your household? How can I feel like the CEO….

Are you the Turtle or the Rabbit and can you win the Retirement Race?

Maybe we all recall the fable¹about the Tortoise (turtle) and the Hare (rabbit) and how in the end the Tortoise got there first. If not, here is the short version. The hare and tortoise got in a race. The hare was so busy running, he got ahead, and thought he had the race in the bag. Since he was ahead and now tired, he took a rest and when he awoke — he started running again but….the tortoise was ahead and beat him to the finish line.

Maybe today’s society rewards the hares, or perhaps, it encourages or even forces us to be hares or be left in the dust. When I was younger I could run and get everything done and then collapse at night. When I bought my first car, I had a car payment and then the rent went up and wow, car insurance! I had to get a part-time job — I went to work at…

White Paint Isn’t All White?!

If you have never taken an art class or even if you have, you might be surprised to find out that white paint isn’t necessarily “all white!”. It usually has some “under tones” which mean the shade of paint can change in varying light and the time of day. And if you are not careful that “shade” of paint can cause you to wish it wasn’t so. This can make it difficult to select the proper “white” paint for your home. Unless you are the one painting, painting is expensive. Even if you do it yourself, the paint can now cost quite a bit. So you end up afraid to make a decision which has happened to me, where you get trapped in …

I Moved!!

Yes, I moved to a new city in the same state with a lower cost of living! OMG! It is a lot of work but I like the new house in a quiet neighborhood. I do sometimes hear a train but it does not wake me up. It might be helpful if it did wake me up for work. I am hoping the new residence and lack of significant traffic will give me more time to write. My dog aka The Princess is much happier — although she did “save” my life.

A re-introduction!

Hi All,

As evidenced from my infrequent posts, I have been a bit uninspired for the last year or so. Therefore, I feel like I need to reintroduce myself and my blog. I am hoping to share ideas, knowledge and just some camaraderie. I do like to cook and bake — baking is really more of my thing. I will try recipes, especially some of the older (mom/grandma, favorite) recipes and share my results. Also, I am still experimenting to find a “healthy” cake recipe! I like to try new restaurants so

Beef, Wheat and Dairy Allergies?! Updates on the Princess!

No Wheat – Gluten-Free, no meat, no dairy, Allergies!! I have a friend who has an auto-immune disease, while it is not celiac, her reactions are serious and not good! And because of the serious nature, I have learned so much about which what it takes to eat Gluten-Free and it takes cooking and feeding yourself to the next level.

And, now, my dog has of all things, allergies. She has these persistent ear infections. Now I have to learn about feeding my dog to reduce the ear infections. Beef, Wheat and Dairy are the most common allergens for dogs. And my dog is very motivated by food and in addition, she expects to get some of mine! This is hard as dogs expect to eat with the pack and while they acknowledge the leader of the pack eats first. They expect the leader to share some of the food with them — a tidbit or two at least. Okay, maybe it’s just my dog that expects me to share. How did the diet go?

Easy Ravioli Lasagna!

Cook Once, Eat Twice – part 2

Well Summer is working its way to Fall – leaves are already starting to turn! Kids are going back to school and soon it will be the ol’ refrain: “What’s for dinner?!” Last post, I covered making a quick spaghetti bolognese (meat sauce). This post, I will share the secret (ok, it’s not a secret) but I will share one of my quick dinners. Easy Ravioli Lasagna! I think I first learned about this on the show “The Chew” where Mario Batali tested the recipe to see if it worked and was it any good. So, was it ….