INDIRECTLY AFFECTED

Have you ever had one of those moments when something big happens and it indirectly affects you...??? I don't know the people involved but it involves the community I grew up in.. Friday night a young girl and her boyfriend took a ride with some friends from a party to go home.. I am not sure if anyone knows what really happened.. but the young boyfriend was partially ejected from the car and killed instantly and the young girl was.. well.. she passed away last night after they took her off life support.. one of the other boys lost an arm. and the other one is recovering from his injuries.. but he in all reality probably never will fully recover from the horrors of that evening.. Yesterday a mother buried her only son.. Sunday a mother and father and their spouses and children and community.. will bury this young lady. Each of these young people under 20 years old.. It seems that in every age group of this community there is a tragedy that happens.. I guess it is like that with all communities.. I won't be at the funeral.. as I said.. I don't really know the family.. I just can not imagine what they must be going through.. or how they will survive.. I lost a father to a car wreck.. so I know what its like.. but I simply can not imagine what it must be like to lose a child.. A mother lost a son, a community lost part of its future.. A mother , father and extended family lost a daughter, a community lost part of it's future..I feel badly for the friends of these young people.. I feel badly for all of those involved .. I feel badly for the young man driving .. knowing that even though this is an accident.. his actions or inactions are forever linked to this event. How he will survive..Only God knows.. May God bless them all and may God bless that community too.



Normally on Friday I like to rant .. and comment.. and perhaps I will.. I just felt compelled to share the above with you.. though it has no direct impact on me.. as an adult.. as a former member of that community.. I feel deeply saddened for all of those involved... I hope the young people .. the friends of these victims.. use this moment in their lives as a compass to prevent this from happening again if at all possible... When Natalee Halloway dissapeared ( most everyone has heard of that young woman .. she was from the community I grew up in ) I saw the strength of a community blossom.. it was amazing.. I had never seen anything like that.. nor had anything ever happened like that in that community... I hope that with the love and support from all those around that those directly involved in this tradgedy are able to breath.. and take a step at a time into the future.. trying to survive.. I hope with faith from their respective clergies.. that they get through this.. a bit at a time..



For the longest time.. after my father's death I did not wear my seatbelt.. and sometimes I still do not wear it.. I should .. I know.. but sometimes that haunting logic of .. it did not save his life.. why should I use it.. wanders into my brain.. more often than not though.. I use it.. wether it will save me .. who knows.. but I try to override the bitter logic.. and move on too...





It is a glorious Friday morning here.. finally there is a little chill in the air.. the sky is finally smiling in blue... the sun is shining.. these are all good things.. I think about what is good in my life and I deeply take none of this for granted.. when one hears about tragedy it really is a marvelous looking glass.. even though the tragedy is horrible it forces you to look around and protect with even more strength all that you have in your life.. I know that all of this.. is in God's hands.. what happens happens and simply there is much we have no control of.. but what we do have control of then we have to grasp that even firmer.. We have to teach our children to always be aware and to do their best to avoid situations that might cost them their lives.. we have to think about the unthinkable.. yet still be willing to be an adventurer too.


You know its the same with food.. we do have control over that.. we choose to eat or not eat.. exercise or not exercise.. we can control those things.. and to me that gives us power in a way... it is good to be able to take control over what we can.. and attempt to release what we can not control. We can not control the weather, We can not control other people's reactions to things.. and sometimes we can not control our reactions to things.. hence most of the time we tend to eat it away.. thinking that the food will be the source that wipes out whatever we feel.. but the fact we know the truth.. it never does.. all it does is hold us back.. rein us in tighter.. and being reined in is not what we want.. we want to be free of the need to feed ourselves when something happens.. so again.. I think that it is one of those things we can control.. for myself.. I am the worst at getting mad.. I hate getting mad because guess why???? I FEEL OUT OF CONTROL when I get mad.. its very rare when I get mad.. so its very BAD when I Get mad.. hence most of the time when I get mad.. what do I do... ??? yeah. you are right.. I eat it away...





You know .. we talk about these issues all the time.. we talk about emotional eating.. and how to deal with that.. we talk about coping skills.. and I have come to the conclusion that sometimes it is okay to not feel in control.. that sometimes when we totally lose it.. .. it gives us a bit of freedom. .. and then we breath and try to regain control of ourselves..


Okay onto lighter things... FIRST I am so glad you guys are sticking around and not abandoning blogging.. its important and I think in the long run it will help us all.. for all we simply want to do is survive and be healthy.. and be strong...


With the holiday quickly approaching I found this cookie recipe from the Cooking Light website

Ingredients :
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar


1 cup sugar


1/4 cup butter, softened


1 tablespoon corn syrup


1 teaspoon vanilla


1 large egg object


3 tablespoons sugar


2 teaspoons ground cinnamon


Cooking spray



Preparation


Preheat oven to 375°.



Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar, stirring with a whisk.
Combine 1 cup of sugar and butter in a large bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add the corn syrup, vanilla, and egg; beat well. Gradually add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture, beating just until combined. Cover and chill for 10 minutes.
Combine 3 tablespoons sugar and cinnamon, stirring with a whisk.

With moist hands, shape dough into 42 (1-inch) balls. Roll balls in sugar mixture. Place balls 2 inches apart onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Flatten balls with the bottom of a glass. Bake at 375° for 5 minutes (cookies will be slightly soft). Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes. Remove cookies from pans; cool completely on wire racks.

Yield
42 cookies (serving size: 1 cookie)



We are holiday baking this Saturday night.. My mom is going to spend the night with us.. and we are going to make more pizzelles (choc and regular) we are going to make some chocolate mint cookies that Steve has a recipe for and Ginger bread too.. most are for holiday gifts...
We are going to make a big pot of chicken soup with Matzah balls.. and have a fun Saturday evening watching movies and baking.. yay.. I love when the house smells good.. and I love being able to use alternative healthier recipes.. all though I am pretty sure those chocolate mint cookies might be more naughty then nice..

Todays food
Weight control oatmeal
sliced carrots raw
lowfat blue cheese dipping dressing
Chicken teriaki rice bowl Lean Cuisine
craisens and pistacheos
2 clemintines
1 apple
diet sunkist
propel
Fiber one bar
water

Steve and I are going out to dinner tonight..
Going to our favorite Italian place Salvatores and sharing a entree.

Can you guys believe that in 4 days we will have been married 1 month LOL ... yeah 1 month anniversary .. lol silly .. I know...

Wish me well
Wish you well too