On A Quest For...The Reason Why

Have you ever wondered, why?  You know, the reason why some things are the way they are and others are the way they are, too.  Gosh, I have pondered the reason why, for a good part of my life. For instance, I don't understood why some people live to be centenarians and others live for only a few seconds. Or why does someone you thought to be a good friend walk right on by you at the mall without speaking?  Or why does a Blue Bunny King Size Crunch with Candy Center Ice Cream Bar, that has 370 calories and 29g of Total Fat, go right to your belly fat when you eat a couple of them?http://www.bluebunny.com/products/Family_Flavors/Novelties/Bars/d/King_Size_Crunch_with_Candy_Center_Ice_Cream_Bar
Or why do the homeless people you see on the street asking for money, just don't get a job? Or why do people walk, shop, eat, and drive around with a cell phone plastered to their ear?  Who are they talking to? Or why does your 'friend' never call to make plans for lunch nor accepts your requests anymore? Or why those Northwest Airline pilots just didn't pause their games to answer the control tower? Or why have some people never lived outside of a nursing home their entire life while others have had a dozen or so homes in their lifetime?

Oh well, your guesses are as good as mine for some of these questions and other baffling scenarios like them.  In fact, we may never know the answer or the reason why, because we are not able to see the total picture. It would be nice to crop and fix the pictures of our lives, but we can't. And the only thing we will know for certain is what we choose to do about the situation. Not, why it is the way it is.  I'm going to visit Fern today, and I know I'm not going to fly Northwest for a good while!

Calculating Estimated Time of Recovery (ETR)

Brotherly Love - Earl Thomas Conley & Keith Whitley

#3 has recently lost his Bubba, and at this time, is going through an extended period of recovery. I can sympathize with him, but cannot empathize, because I have not lost a sibling as of yet.

However, I did wonder how long he would be in this painful interim of existence. Or how long it might be when he would no longer have that stabbing, tortuous thought process of realizing he would no longer be able to talk to his Bubba, as he often did, every Sunday for the last year. Actually, Bubba did most of the talking. Anyway, I then began to think about other estimated times of recovery. They say that the estimated time of recovery for having a facelift (http://faceforum.com/) is usually about two weeks. And the ETR for a stroke (http://essortment.com/all/strokerecovery) goes on in phases, and could possibly take weeks to years. This has certainly been true for my Daddy. Wonder how you estimate time of recovery on other things like the loss of a pet or surviving the loss or infidelity of a spouse or getting through the insurmountable death of a child? Gosh, I could go on and on and on...but, I won't.

Some of these things I have suffered through, others I have not, and some I hope I never will. But, a few things I do know for sure...Life's hard...so, HANDLE WITH CARE. And it's not the length of these persistent ERTs that matters, rather it's your perseverance during these hard times (and there will be many) that counts.

A Slightly Devilish Birthday Surprise

Yes, I'm in the mood! Tomorrow is my birthday and me and #3 are having a dinner party for a few good friends. I've been in a mischievous kind of mood lately, so for this grand event, I have a devilish little curve ball to throw...Lady Di's Strawberry Sliders! I've been making these juicy red zingers for a few years now, as I got the recipe from a good friend who seems to be a little on the wicked side, too. Love her to death, though! One time we made some of these little jewels for our bridge club, and sat back to watch, as the girls, unsuspectingly, chomped into one. They taste like plain ole strawberries at first, until whammo...it hits you all at once. Giggle, giggle! My bad? Oh, yes I am, and seem to be getting a lot more sinister in my 'old' age. Go ahead, have some fun...make these strawberry sliders and trick and treat your friends or enemies, whomever you prefer! Don't say a word as you serve this sappy treat. Just sit back and watch all the surprised expressions. And do as I do, save the juice to sip from your teacup in a most respectable way. Oh well, #3 's right again, I have always been a little bit on the strange side!

Lady Di's Strawberry Sliders

2 pounds fresh strawberries

1 cup light rum

1 cup vodka

1 cup triple sec

1 cup powdered sugar

Carefully trim the strawberries by gouging out the stem and exposing the hollow center.

Must do this to marinate properly.

Place the berries in a sealed container and sprinkle the powdered sugar all over them.

Add the rest of the tipsy ingredients, seal the container, and jostle for joy.

Refrigerate for at least two days, occasionally tumbling the fruits.

Just prior to serving gently remove the strawberries from their marinade and serve them cold.

Sit back and watch the fireworks!