Monday, January 12, 2009

Monday Morning Staff Meeting

Can you believe it's time for another staff meeting? Seriously, where does the time go?

I'm a person who is strongly attached to reality and I know that some of you only attend this meeting for the food. It doesn't matter. If all it's takes is bribing you with food to sit through a meeting, that's a small price to pay. I'm not above bribery folks! Plus I remember a lifetime of meetings where the only thing I was remotely interested in was the food.

Having mentioned the food I won't keep you in suspense. This morning we're going to be feasting on lobster tails! Did you think I was kidding when I said we spare no expense here "At Home"? The only problem is, they're not the kind of lobster tails that are served with drawn butter. It's too early in the morning for that anyway.

I drove through a snowstorm to Caputo's Italian Market for THESE lobster tails:

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They're simply wonderful concoctions of the lightest, flakiest layers of puff pastry that's formed into a long cornucopia shape. They're filled with a very light creamy filling.

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I bought plenty. There's one for each of you so no fighting. Let's dig in. The coffee is on the back table.

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I'd like to thanks everyone for their encouragement and suggestions on the subject of possibly returning to work. It means a lot to me that you can assure me that Excel is not rocket science and that most offices prefer to train in their methods. I was thinking out loud and there are a lot of considerations including my health. People with Lupus must pay close attention to getting enough rest and avoiding stress. Not working outside the home has allowed me to tailor my daily activities to my ever changing health patterns. This is something I will give consideration before making a decision. Thanks for giving me ideas and things to think about.

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It was good to have the Farmer home on Saturday. He's no spring chicken either and working six days a week for months on end takes a toll. We had lots of fun on his day off. Doesn't this look like a fun "togetherness" project?

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He blew the snow and I moved cars around. Actually, we can have a good time together no matter what we're doing. Well, except for laying concrete. THAT was work.

We also took a trip to pick up his new eyeglasses and he was nice enough to take a detour down a rural road we'd traveled the night before. I wanted to take a photo to illustrate a problem out here in the country.

Here's the Farmer waiting patiently in the car while I snap some photos.

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There's the problem. Can you see it on the right hand side of the road? What do you think it is?

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If you guess a full size sofa and loveseat you'd be correct. A big problem in rural America is that people think it's some type of free-for-all dumping ground. Sofa and loveseats are the least of it, there are literally hundreds of dogs and cats dumped on the side of the road in farm country.

Someone in the county roads department is going to have to pick this up and dispose of it.

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Are you successful in keeping track of awards and passing them along? I'm afraid that I've been a slacker in this area. I've promised to be better about it. I've just receive this from Jeni. She's one of my readers from down under in Queensland.

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Holy cow....I wish I looked that fabulous. Look at that sheath dress and Audrey Hepburn hat.

Anyway, I'm supposed to name five addictions and pass along the award to five readers. If you've been reading for awhile you'll know the drill. Consider yourself tagged if you'd like to participate.

1. fabric
2. yarn
3. vintage costume jewelry
4. photographic equipment
5. books, books, books

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I'm going to go around the table and ask each person to recount something amazing that's happened to them recently. I'll start.

Last night was our annual neighborhood progressive dinner which consists of appetizers at one house, after which we split up into smaller groups for dinner at a designated home and then all gather again for desserts at one final home. My neighbor Jack is an amateur astronomer and we were discussing the fact that it was the very night when the moon is closest to the earth, resulting in the largest and brightest full moon of the year.

It had been dreary, overcast and snowing for days and it seemed that there was little chance to enjoy the full moon. Late in the afternoon before the dinner began the sky cleared up.

The Farmer and I left the dessert house at about 1 a.m. and walked a distance to the car in in bright light of the moon, the snow crunching under our feet. It was quiet and so very beautiful, everything a shade of sapphire blue. As we came to our corner we were greeted with the sight of a dozen very large deer jumping and playing in the snow, charging and hopping like a group of school children, all light by the magical moonlight.

That was amazing!

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19 comments:

Heidi said...

*sneaks and extra lobster tail into a napkin for the Milk Mans morning coffee* I didnt know you had Lupus Sue! I have a friend who has that also.
An amazing thing that happened - let me see - one of our cows had a pair of twins and they are only the size of a small fawn. But they are healthy and OH SO CUTE! I will get pictures of them tonight at chore time.
Will the farmer have a little more time off now in the winter? I know in the spring he will be busier than a skunk eating bumblbees..

chocolatechic said...

Woman!

Do you not realize that I need one of those lobster tails now???

Do you not realize that I live in the middle of nowhere and that people here have never even heard of such a thing.

Now what am I going to do?


Something amazing?

It snowed this week?

Nothing amazing really happens to me....maybe that's because I stay at home all the time.

chocolatechic said...

PS.

I didn't realize you had lupus. I will keep you in my prayers.

Texas Gardener said...

Serve up one of those lobster tails for me too!

My aunt died Saturday. I live across the country from her. I had just gone to see her in September. We had a great time. I am so thankful for that week now. She was never sick a day in her life. 87 and just went. I am left with great memories of a life well done!!!

Thirkellgirl said...

This is the best staff meeting ever! Thank you for making the trip to pick up the lobster tails. A nice work environment makes all the difference. :)
I also have an autoimmune disease which has, over the years, made me cautious about taking on "too much," like... a job which would require my presence every single day. I just turned down an opportunity for a 4-month project because I finally acknowledge that winter is just a lousy time for me, health and energy-wise, and it will cause more stress than I prefer if I get in over my head. So, I feel your pain, sort of. I'd like to know your thought process as you make your back-to-work decisions.

Alpacamountain said...

I like the others, didn't know you had lupus. That puts a whole new spin on working...I say do what you want, not what you think you have to do. Something amazing...it has stopped snowing here and I can actually see my front steps. I did get to see the moon in full view, it was beautiful. It also helped me see what the dogs have been barking at every night...3 deer eating my hay!

Vee said...

Oh you stole mine! My amazing event. I was sitting here at the computer when I began to think that the streetlight at the end of my drive was even brighter than usual...I looked out and saw the full moon just about atop my neighbor's fir tree. The picture I took of it was good enough to earn a spot on my sidebar.

Wish I could actually have a lobster tail like that one. I'm imagining how yummy it would be to enjoy with a second cup of coffee.

Your Saturday didn't look one bit fun to me...ugh...snow and clean-up. Hope that you got to have more fun than that somewhere along the way!

LIBERTY POST EDITOR said...

Too bad you didn't have your camera for the deer. What a beautiful visual memory.

StitchinByTheLake said...

This may seem trivial to everyone else but since you mentioned time I'll just add it to my list of amazing things. Isn't it amazing that time speeds up as you get older, instead of slowing down? You'd think it would be the opposite. When I was a child I thought the summer lasted forever. Now that I'm adult I think the years go by with the speed of light! blessins, marlene

Lisa said...

That lobster tail looks heavenly!! I don't eat lobster as a rule, but I will make an exception for this :-)

I'm thinking that there has to be more fun things for you and the farmer to do than blow snow from the drive!!

My grandparents lived in the country and always ended up with someone's cast off dog that would wander up to their house. My grandma would always say that she didn't want any dogs (she had a huge siamese cat), but she was too softhearted not to feed the dogs, so they always stayed. I always loved them and thought they were beautiful no matter what kind of mutt they were!

Ok, an amazing thing.....Well, this may not be amazing to anyone else, but it's all I can think of. I am noticing some positive changes in my husband. Apparently he made a resolution to be more helpful....and he is sticking to it. I call that amazing!!

Anonymous said...

Yummmy. I always forget there is food at these meetings and eat breakfast before I come.

Something amazing...It happened this morning, just a few minutes ago. I was finishing up chores and happened to glance up. A bald eagle was soaring overhead. Despite living here for nearly 14 years and seeing eagles every winter, they still amaze me. And to have the population large enough that they will leave the river's edge and come inland a bit is amazing! I get to see them in my backyard now instead of just at the river. That made up for the cold and dreariness of the day and the fact that I had to break ice on all the waterers this morning.

Anonymous said...

Uff da, I had oatmeal before the staff meeting and missed out on the pastries. Your deer story was magical!

JoAnn ( Scene Through My Eyes) said...

Thanks for the great staff meetings - I attend all of them (do I get a gold star?)

The amazing thing that happened to me coincides with what happened to you. My little brother passed away last night just about the same time you saw the deer dancing about in the moonlight. I woke up at that time - and thought of my little brother and also about deer. He has been sick for so so many years, waiting for a kidney transplant, had heart attacks, strokes, and amputations of both legs - so I know that he was right there - dancing with the deer.

Laura said...

oooo... that sounds like such a beautiful sight, the deer playing in the snow under that big fat moon... I can just picture it. :-)

And look at those pastries... this is not helping my diet...

hmm... something amazing...well, i have started writing. I woke up from a dream one night about a week ago with the urge and I haven't been able to stop. I've been so consumed with it that I've missed out on alot around blogland.

have a great day!
blessings
~*~

Unknown said...

Yummmm .. lobster tails !!

Like others, I didn't realise that you had Lupus. I will also keep you in my prayers.

I think that one of the most amazing things that happened to me recently, was a sunset that J and I saw on our way home from Walmart. It was absoloutely glorious. the sky looked as though it was on fire.

Off to make my oatmeal :-)

Unknown said...

The moon has been SO bright here it's almost like daytime nightime.
Now I know why :)

Doreen Frost said...

Yummm....I'm enjoying one right now!

This is a great staff meeting!

All the snow looks just lovely!

I can relate to the problems of people dumping things wherever...It's ridiculous and something that does happen out in the country and you know darn well it's not being dumped there by the locals.....so if people are going to travel to get rid of their stuff...just travel to the dump and pay your $7.00 and get it over with...as far as the animals being dropped off..that is awful and something that also happens here far to often.

Take care,
Doreen

BittersweetPunkin said...

Hi Suzanne...thanks for the treats!

My amazing event...witnessing my Mother tell me in a phone conversation that she "cannot" do it all the time for everyone....I have watched her for years try to FIX everyone's problems and she has finally taken a stand with one of her kin to just say NO.

Thanks for the goodies...it took me 3 cups of coffee to get through that lobster tail so I'm all set for lunch.
Hugs,
Robin

KatKit13 said...

Lobster tails. MMMM. I bought some anise amaretti this week at my Caputo's. Just awesome!

You should go back to work if you want to! You can do anything, with making sure you take care of you.

And amazing? Hm, not much here. LOL