Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all. -- Harriet Van Horne

I've had a friend ask me a question recently about my cooking. Not that I do it, but why all of the sudden with all the new recipes.

I've tried some that work, some that need to be added to every one's repertoire, and some that I'm too afraid to try.

Here's why I am doing it...I'm choosing not to eat out as much and since I am not, I need to find some items to make it feel like I am eating out. And really, I needed to move beyond the fajitas, killer meatloaf and baked ziti I have mastered.

So, I am trying new things. Keeping my options open and reminding myself that this can be a learning experience, not only about what I am capable of doing within the kitchen, but that it can be applied to life.

Perhaps there are other risks I need to be taking.

Sunday, February 01, 2009

Fear

You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do. -- Eleanor Roosevelt


For the last month, I have cried almost every day. And I'm not saying that for sympathy, I'm saying that as fact.

I hate being unemployed. I hate it. I would never wish this experience on my worst enemy. It forces you to deal with the lies you tell yourself, the reality that they actually might be true and the inability to find the truth in the midst.

Not only do I fear what my reality is, I get stressed out about it on an almost hourly basis. I have 6 weeks until my birthday. And all I want is a job. And right now, I'd almost take any job. While Starbucks provides me with a much needed escape each week, it only provides me with a 12 hour escape.

I know others have it tougher than me and to be honest, I can't always see that reality. Right now, I see my reality.

So, readers (if there are any of you out there), what do you do when you are facing the fear, the stress, the inability to grasp that something bigger and better is out there? Because right now, I can use all the advice I can get.