Make Me Think Monday Archives - Page 27 of 34

26 01, 2015

Sunshine Salad, Smiles, and Community Potlucks

By judythemorgan|2015-01-26T06:00:15-06:00January 26th, 2015|Make Me Think Monday|0 Comments

I recently shared potluck supper at our community center with the smidgeon of others who ventured out on a snowy eve.

Community potluck happens every second Tuesday of the month from September through May here in our little town. We’re primarily a tourist location. Our summer population swells to four thousand then shrinks to three hundred for the winter months.

We have way too many people to schedule a potluck during the summer in our tiny community center, but it’s a fun event in the winter. You can visit face-to-face with neighbors who otherwise stay huddled inside their homes close to a fire on these cold wintry days.

You never know what you’ll find on the serving table on potluck Tuesday. The selection varies except for Dwayne’s chicken and dumplings, which is the main reason I go every month. Dwayne makes the best ever homemade dumplings. He and his wife Edna were chuck wagon cooks and they do know how to cook.

Me, I bring different things. Nothing baked, though.

I’ve yet to master high altitude baking. High altitude adjustments don’t seem to work for my scratch recipes no matter what adjustment advice I use. My hubby doesn’t mind the flops, but I’m not about to take the failures out in public.

Last time I took what I call Sunshine Salad. After a dreary day of snow, I thought the bright colors of orange Jell-O with mandarin oranges and pineapple might cheer us up.

I was right. People smiled and I took home and empty bowl!

The hiccup came when everyone wanted the recipe and I had to confess what I served wasn’t really, truly Sunshine Salad.

You see, my Grandmother made her Sunshine Salad using the traditional congealed salad recipe you’ll find if you Google Sunshine Salad.

She used lemon Jell-O and lemon juice and topped each serving with a dollop of mayonnaise. Lemon is not sweet enough for my family’s discerning palate.

Not only that, she added shredded carrots and pecans.

Two of my adult kids and half my grandchildren won’t touch nuts with a ten foot pole much less eat nuts and carrots are a VEGETABLE.

I loved Oma’s Sunshine Salad. Still do.

But I love my kids and grandkids more.

That’s why I made up my Sunshine Salad recipe using sweet mandarin oranges and pineapple tidbits jelled in a ring mold.

Whenever the family gathers to share a meal, we serve the standard things with sides for those who eat those things, but I can’t have half the guests starving.

I fix their favorites — Kraft macaroni and cheese along with my special pineapple/mandarin orange Sunshine Salad.

They’ve come to expect it. And I see the same smiles on their faces that I saw on the adults at the community potluck last week.

Smiles that were sunshine to the eyes on a snowy day.

I guess Sunshine Salad will become my standby like Dwayne’s chicken and dumplings.

19 01, 2015

Peace and MLK Day

By judythemorgan|2015-01-19T06:00:40-06:00January 19th, 2015|Holidays, Make Me Think Monday|0 Comments

Martin Luther King was the pivotal figure in the 1960s Civil Rights Movement. His calm civil disobedience and charismatic leadership inspired men and women, young and old, here and around the world.

President Ronald Reagan signed legislation in 1983 designating the day as a federal holiday to honor the man and his accomplishments.

Dr. King inspired so many, so much that in 1964 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize – the youngest man to receive the prestigious honor.

When we think about amount of violence prevalent today and the increasingly violent movies, television shows and video games, I totally agree with Dr. King’s daughter, Bernice.

“Dr. King’s philosophy of non-violence is more relevant, I believe, than it was 10 years ago,” she said. “America has an enormous appetite for violence. I don’t know why we have such an affinity for that, but I do know it has to stop.”

Through his lectures and dialogues, he stirred, and still stirs, our conscience. Consider these MLK quotes as you honor him today:

On Leadership

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

On Love

“I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.”

On Getting Along

“We may have all come on different ships, but we’re in the same boat now.”

On Faith

“Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men.”

On Service

“Everybody can be great…because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”

And as you think about that last quote, I remind you of the legislation passed in in 1994 establishing Martin Luther King Day of Service to encourage citizens to use the federal holiday as an opportunity to give back to their communities.

Even if you don’t have the federal day off, I encourage you to find a work that forwards King’s vision and participate. Let MLK Day be the start of a year in which you make a positive and peaceful impact in your community.

12 01, 2015

What’s ahead? What was behind?

By judythemorgan|2015-01-12T06:00:55-06:00January 12th, 2015|Holidays, Make Me Think Monday|0 Comments

January is the time for making resolutions for the New Year. Resolutions never works for me. Too vague.

If you read this blog regularly, you know I’m big on measurable goal setting and AARs.

However, if you are one of those who does make resolutions and need some hints and tips, check out this blog.

No resolutions for me this year, but I have done my yearly ARR– after action review – and posted my 2015 goals to my accountability group.

I was pleasantly surprised during my review to discover 2014 was a good goal year.

All the work on our house was completed. Landscaping changed the mountains of dirt from the remodel and addition to flower gardens and lovely walks. We ended the year with the hammers and saws stopped and the workers are all gone.

Goal success.

I managed two releases Claiming Annie’s Heart and When Love Blooms. You can find both at all major on line book retailers for your e-readers or paperback.

Unfortunately, my writing goal was to release three books. Goal failure.

Yep! That’s the thing about goals. Sometimes we’re spot on. Sometimes we do all we can and fall short. Trouble is without goals we lack focus and too frequently flounder aimlessly.

We need to set goals then analyze why we fail AND why we succeed.

Not hard for me to know why my third book didn’t materialize. Last November I fell while playing Pickleball and broke my right wrist. Typing became, and still is, slow and sometimes painful.

I’m not beating myself up too much over the goal bust since what happened was a circumstance beyond my control. Well, mostly.

There are those who have aptly pointed out, trying to be athletic at this stage in my life maybe be a foolish goal and suggest I might want to eliminate such activity in the future instead of risking more injuries. I’ve taken the suggestion under consideration.

We’re twelve days into 2015. It’s cold, rainy, freezing in Texas. Colorado is sunny, bright, and snowless. Not the norm.Seems to me this is going to be a crazy year based on the start of things.

I’ve set my goals for the New Year and I’m going full speed ahead. What about you?

Let’s check back together this time next year and seem how we’ve done on our resolutions and goals.

27 10, 2014

Ghosts, Goblins, and Halloween Decorating

By judythemorgan|2014-10-27T06:00:35-05:00October 27th, 2014|Make Me Think Monday|0 Comments

Decorating for Halloween has become as popular as Christmas decorating.

Ghosts greet us on early morning walks through our neighbor.

Jack-o-lanterns light our way in the late afternoon.

Where we used to live we saw witches crashed into trees and giant spiders in spidery webs crawling in yards. There were spook houses and ghost tours, which could be truly frightening for younger children…and some adults (this one included).

In the 1900s, Halloween wasn’t so much about scary, scary things like zombies and gruesome headless monsters, tombstones and skeletons.

Back then, crepe paper pumpkins, plastic candy containers, painted tin noisemakers, and paper lanterns were the items of choice. Not many of these items are around today because people used them and then threw them away.

Last week, I dug out my vintage decorations. A few things from my childhood Halloween days that weren’t thrown out.

Does anyone recognize the gauze mask or the paper-mache jack-o-lantern?

The black cats are old bulletin board posters like those that I remember from grade school. The pumpkins are constructed from honeycomb tissue.

To see other vintage Halloween collectibles, check out Kovels’ Pinterest page here.

Wonder what might be a future collectible? Kovels suggests these:

Special holiday bottles and cans like Crush soda’s new Halloween flavors, Gruesome Grape, Spooky Strawberry, and Orange Ogre. Look for other limited edition plastic bottles with scary faces.
Plastic candy containers either reproductions of 1950s and ’60s figures and jack-o-lanterns or contemporary plastic decorations with good design.
Zombies and vampires. Look for plastic, rubber, or resin decorations like the zombie-hand candleholder.
Jewelry. Charm bracelets with pumpkins, bats, and black cats; jointed skeleton earrings decorated with rhinestones and spider rings.
Motion, or voice, activated figures that light up or emit scary sounds and music. Look for pumpkin men, witches, vampires, black cats, body parts like crawly hands.
Paper or plastic masks, costumes, treat bags, and dolls.

Stores are packed with spooky décor options. Soon you’ll find Halloween items at reduced prices.

There are some good buys to had and, if you don’t throw the items away, you might have some vintage collectibles like mine in twenty-five years.

20 10, 2014

Who writes better – men or women?

By judythemorgan|2014-10-20T06:00:21-05:00October 20th, 2014|Make Me Think Monday|0 Comments

It’s an interesting question.

Female writers of the past have used male or ambiguous pennames to disguise their gender. Women like Mary Ann Evans, who used the pen name George Elliot and the Brontë Sisters, who wrote as Acton, Currer and Ellis Bell.

These days, women choose gender-neutral pen names in the hopes of increasing book sales and gaining book reviews. Consider these two NYT best sellers:

~ Joanne “Jo” Rowling chose to use J.K. Rowling for her Harry Potter series and wrote The Cuckoo’s Calling as Robert Galbraith.

~Nora Roberts, the remarkably prolific author who writes in two genres, selected the gender-neutral pen name J.D. Robb for her mystery novels.

Should women writers bother with pen names? Not according to a recent poll done by Grammarly.

As the infographic below shows 59% of the 3,000 respondents believe women are superior writers.

The poll questions centered on perceived differences in writing technique and quality based on gender. Answers indicate readers believe:

Male authors “get to the point,” whereas female writers were more likely to focus on “character development.”
women write about people as opposed to things
women use long, wordy sentences while men write short, concise sentences

Check out the full infographic below:

I agree with Grammarly’s poll results. Probably because I’m a female author who writes character-driven love stories.

What about you? Do you believe women are better writers than men?

13 10, 2014

It’s finally here – Claiming Annie’s Heart

By judythemorgan|2014-10-13T06:00:08-05:00October 13th, 2014|Make Me Think Monday|0 Comments

I’m interrupting my regular Make Me Think Monday blog for an announcement of my latest book release – CLAIMING ANNIE’S HEART.

No, I’m not turning View from the Front Porch into a promo blog for my books–it’s just this Irish love story is special to me.

Why? Because Annie’s story is set in Ireland.

And, as most of you know (if you’ve read my ABOUT ME page, that is), Ireland is my most favorite place on earth, and I’m crazy about all things Irish.

The idea for Claiming Annie’s Heart began on one of the many, many trips business trips to the Emerald Isle with my husband.

We toured an Abbey on the rugged west coast. An English doctor built the lovely place as a home for his wife and child. When they died, the doctor left and sold the home. The castle became an Abbey and girls’ boarding school. That’s the place pictured on the book cover.

As we walked the castle and fabulous gardens, I talked with the schoolgirls. My writer’s imagination kicked into overdrive with story possibilities.

On a different trip, we spent time in Belfast during the Twelfth of July Orange Order marches. If you’re not familiar with the marches, read here. To learn more of the history of The Troubles in Northern Ireland read here.

Each trip provided a very different experience, which I combined into Annie and Chad’s love story. Here’s the plot blurb:

Annie Foster remains in Ireland after boarding school to nanny a widower’s infant daughter. Five years later, she accepts the widower’s proposal.

Her first love Chad Jones, whom she believed deserted her, arrives on an undercover assignment weeks before the wedding investigating her fiancé’s connection with terrorists. He’s determined to change her mind and her heart her because he’s never stopped loving her.

Annie’s heart is torn between the man she’ll always love and the young daughter of her fiancé whom she’s promised never to abandon.

Which man will win?

To find the answer, get your copy of Claiming Annie’s Heart from one of these bookstores:

AMAZON US

6 10, 2014

Social Media Etiquette and Guide

By judythemorgan|2014-10-06T06:00:42-05:00October 6th, 2014|Make Me Think Monday|0 Comments

Social media has become a popular tool for presenting your agenda or product thanks to the trend set by Barrack Obama’s 2008 and 2012 political campaigns where he employed the use of sites like FB and Twitter.

Social media sites provide “A seamless communications network that has the power to cross cultural barriers and capture the attention … more effectively than ever before.”

Entrepreneurs frequently use SM as an incredible FREE marketing tool. Personally, I use most of the SM platforms to entice readers to buy my books. It’s a fantastic means for promotion of products.

As a means for getting your message or product out there, social media is priceless.

HOWEVER, social media also comes with red flags.

Stories about stories about social media gaffes by people and businesses are commonplace. The way you and/or your public relations team conducts itself on social media can have a lasting effect.

If we use SM, we must guard our reputation as this Lakota American Indian proverb reminds us.

Our tracks on social media sites are embedded forever. No ocean waves can ever erase their presence.

So how do we do we guard our reputations when we don’t have an Emily Post etiquette book to guide us?

You can find 10 very specific tips to protect your web presence here

You also have to remember that management of your presence varies based on which social media sites you’re using — Youtube, Google Plus, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, or Facebook.

Don’t mistake the different social medias platforms as being the same. Each site has its own personality and its own unique platform for various audiences. It’s important to learn the right etiquette for each individual site whether you’re posting for pleasure or business.

Ivan Serrano, a business journalist and infographic specialist, has created this incredible pictorial guide to the most popular social media sites.

CJ Lyons shared Serrano’s infographic on her site along with suggestions for guarding your reputation here

Vocus.com blog also posted an in depth guide to social media etiquette along with Serrano’s infographic here.

Click on the graphic to view a full-sized version of Serrano’s infographic. You may have to click twice to get the enlarged version.

29 09, 2014

Harvest Time Bounty

By judythemorgan|2014-09-29T06:00:36-05:00September 29th, 2014|Make Me Think Monday|0 Comments

As fall magnifies its presence in our little neck of the mountains, my husband and I have been exploring the beauty and bounty of the season.

We recently visited an organic farm apple orchard to pick apples for applesauce and spiced apples.

Of course, we could have simply harvested from the crab apple tree in our front yard, which is loaded with tiny crab apples.

We didn’t for lots of reasons.

The fruit is quite tart.
Coring the tiny apples would have been nearly impossible.
The mule deer love to eat the tiny apples.

And, besides, plucking the apples from the plentiful harvest at the organic farm was a great adventure.

I came away with a bag full of juicy Honey Crisp apples.

When we weighed-in to pay, we had half a bushel.

Confident we had enough for applesauce and spiced apples, we headed home to make our applesauce.

I have to tell you resisting the luscious apples was hard. So hard in fact that when we finally began to peel and prepare fruit for applesauce. The pot was hardly full.

We ended up with only four pints.

You won’t hear me complaining because the stewed apples I made for breakfast and the apple and peanut butter we enjoyed for lunches were soooo good.

And, I’m not discouraged about so few jars of applesauce, but I am rationing.

How about you? Are you enjoying fall’s harvest?

24 09, 2014

Change – One Word Wednesday

By judythemorgan|2021-09-22T05:56:57-05:00September 24th, 2014|Make Me Think Monday|0 Comments

In last Monday’s blog, I talked about the changing seasons. Winter gives way to spring, spring to summer; summer to fall, and then we’re back to winter again.

There’s something comforting in the constancy of seasonal changes. We accept the change is coming, and we welcome each season for what it offers.

Why then do we perceive the small and major life changes we face with stress and fear and worry?

Life is not static, but a flow of change, never staying the same. It’s messy, chaotic, painful, sad, dirty …, and never perfect.

Bad things happen. So do good things. The sad truth is we cannot control every aspect of our lives.

We accept seasonal changes. We should also accept changes in life.

Consider this quote:

Unfortunately, instead of accepting change, we react with anger, frustration, and stress. We allow change to steal our peacefulness.

Let me propose three ways to handle change.

Laugh – Laugh even when whatever change has thrown your way is not funny. You’ll find a certain amount of detachment which can lead to acceptance.

Breathe – When things change and anger or frustration seeps in, take a deep breath. Breathing allows you to calm down and think more rationally.

Pray or Meditate – Try the Serenity Prayer, attributed to theologian Reinhold Niebuhr and adopted by Alcoholics Anonymous.

This counted cross-stitch of The Serenity Prayer hangs in my office. Whenever the winds of change blow my way, I find reading those words helps.

No matter what happens in your world today, smile, breathe and accept whatever change may bring.

22 09, 2014

Bye, bye Summer

By judythemorgan|2021-09-22T05:53:39-05:00September 22nd, 2014|Make Me Think Monday|0 Comments

Today is the Fall Equinox and signals the official end of summer.

I know you thought Labor Day ushered out summer or the first day of school ended the carefree days of summer. Not so. Those are the traditional end of summer.

What is the fall equinox?

According to Sarah Morgan Bryan Piatt, a 19th-century poet who lived in Ireland with her American Counsel husband:

It is the summer’s great last heat,
It is the fall’s first chill: They meet.

According to Weather.com, “Meteorologically speaking, autumn began on Sept. 1, but the autumnal equinox marks the astronomical start to the fall season.”

Being a wordsmith, I like the dictionary definition for equinox: The twice-yearly times when the lengths of day and night are equal. At equinox, the sun is directly over the Earth‘s equator.

I’ve never clocked the hours on the day an equinox occurs, but I do know that after the date marked on my calendar daylight changes. The days start to get shorter than the nights.

To me, the fall equinox means we say farewell to the scent of sunscreen and welcome the smell of wood burning in the fireplace. Temperatures begin to drop and leaves change color.

The signs of change are all around us. What signs of fall are you seeing?

In my neck of the woods, leaves started turning early. Some say that means a long, cold winter. That’s okay with me.

While I’ll miss summer, I can’t deny I’m looking forward to a cup of green tea beside a crackling fire and huddling beneath a quilt to read.

Are you looking forward to the change of season or do you agree with Edie Melson’s quote that summer is too short?