First order of business is food. Here's today's offering. Plain chocolate cake with storebought, out-of-the-can frosting. Nothing special, no ganache but it is chocolate, and if you grab a cup of steaming hot coffee we'll be amped up in no time, ready to start the day.
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I would like to thank everyone for commenting and participating in the Sisterhood of the Traveling Book.
I've drawn a name but there's no photo of the drawing because the batteries in my camera died.
The winner is......
BRENDA
Brenda, please contact me via e-mail (see the sidebar) and I'll get this wonderful book off to you.
There will be more traveling books in the near future. I'm reading a wonderful book right now but I don't think I'll be able to part with this one. More about that later.
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During the week I make notes on things I find interesting and might be included in my Monday Morning Meeting. Sometimes the notes are a bit cryptic. Here's this weeks jottings:
- To Kill a Mockingbird - 50 years old. Seriously, this deserves it's own entire post. Stay tuned for that.
- Driving vs. flying trips - This note was inspired by the Farmer's recent flight to San Francisco. Again, in my mind this subject is worthy of 1,000 words or less..... it's own post. Stay tuned. (Do we see a pattern emerging here?}
- Dogs in the overhead - OK, I've already covered that subject.
- Are we walking to Alaska? - Intrigued? So was I when I stumbled upon this blog. This woman is telling the story of growing up in Alaska during the 1950's, before it was a state. I'm fascinated to hear the stories about being icebound in a ship for the winter, and other tales.
- Mennonite Girls Can Cook - OMIGOSH, the title of this blog is NO LIE. They can cook. I'm just blown away everyday and want to try to cook everything they're serving up. Look on the sidebar, they've got everything totally organized. These women are my heroes!
MENNONITE GIRLS CAN COOK
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Years ago I was chided by someone on a forum for making a comment about how some dignitary or celebrity had spent their money.
"People can spend their money however they wish," I was told.
That is true, but equally true is the fact that I am free to comment upon those spenditures from my perspective.
So......about Chelsea's wedding.
$3-5 million dollars. MILLION DOLLARS.
Columnist Rachel Sklar tells me to CHILL OUT
They're rich, they're famous, they're influential. What are they supposed to do?
I don't know but from my vantage point (both unemployed, teetering on the edge of retirement and paying through the nose for COBRA) it's not a story that inspires much hope in me. But it's true, it's not about me. Chelsea can have whatever wedding she desires, it was her day.
...... and two wedding gowns. Vera Wang. I can't even afford a Vera Wang handbag from Kohl's. But wags tell me that I should be crazy for for fairy tale stuff.
Two wedding gowns? $6,000 spent per guest?
I'm having trouble with this because I've just finished a book about a man who chose to forego any kind of meaningful salary so that he could build schools in the grinding poverty of Pakistan. I'm not privy to what charitable donations the Clinton's make but $4 million dollars could build approximately 200 schools.
The bottom line for me is that I don't fairy tales, I need tales of real-life people helping others.
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OK, now I've got to go get something done around here. I'm turning the meeting over to you. Have a great day. Eat as much chocolate cake as you wish.
12 comments:
I'm with you.
No one even needs a wedding that large.
What happened to a simple quiet wedding with a cake and nuts and mints?
It should be all about the marriage, not 'how we can impress the socks off of everyone'.
Yes that is alot. My hope - that the small NY town it was held in got a real econmy boost that will make a real difference to their unemployed. A real Pollyanna, aren't I? Just a few years ago my daughter got married and we did the wedding minus the cost of the dress for about $1000. her grandmother bought the dress, we did the reception and all the flowers and it was a very nice reception, not just cake and nuts. I am off to dream about what I could have done with the remaining 3 million 499 thousand dollars....donation to the schools for computers, more teachers, donation to the local womens shelter.......
Now tell us where to read this blog on the Alaskan babe. Sound s like a great blog.
I too thought that much on a wedding.....but Clintons didn't pay for very much of it. It was all given to them.....I don't think the Clintons have ever paid for any thing in their lives.
Chelsea did make a beautiful bride. They say in the far east was a buzz about her wedding and all....wonder why.....cause that is where most of Clintons money came from......At least that is over....till she had her first child......
I forgot to thank you for the link to Mennonite girls can cook. I had a computer crash and lost my hard drive (don't you hate when that happens??) and therfore lost all my favorites and this is for sure one of my favorites! Of course you are too but I was able to find you first
Looking forward to all your posts. I wondered which brave one in Blogland would dare touch the price tag on C.C.'s wedding first. I'm in total agreement with you right down to the point that it's her choice, but it sure says a lot about her and her family.
Also in total agreement about MGGC. What a fabulous resource!
New to your blog and I loved every word of this blog....Would people be all gaga about JESUS coming to their town? Would He spend all that money on Himself? Just a few ?'s I have!!
AND, Mennonite Girls Can Cook is a top Favorite of mine and their blogs are as well.....
Thanks for sharing..
One more thing: marriage is about relationship not about impressing everyone like chocolatechic said.
I so agree with you on the wedding excess. I would feel guilty about spending a tiny fraction of that on a one day event. Too many people make too much of the wedding day itself. Marriage is not about one day, it's about the rest of your lives. I'm not even sure your wedding should be "the most important day of your life" as so many like to label it. It's what you do with each moment of each day, and the importance is often in the build up of little things and little moments. Yes, people are entitled to spend their money however they wish, but I would feel guilty spending so much on something so frivolous when there are so many meaningful things that could be done with that money. Instead of thinking about what Chelsea should have done with that money, which is something I cannot control, I think I'll work harder to evaluate my own spending. No, I don't have nearly so much to squander, but perhaps I can be more thoughtful and eliminate some of my unnecessary spending in order to redirect those dollars toward something that will really make a difference. Maybe it will be just $20 (or $10 or $5) at a time, but look at how little it took to build and equip one of those schools. My $20 plus your $20 plus her $20 plus...it doesn't take very long to add up. Maybe all our little bits together will save a hungry child from starving or prevent a poor child from growing up to be a terrorist. Wouldn't that be worth more than all the doodads I crave?
Sorry, I'm a little late to the meeting, been doing laundry:)
Chocolate anything works for me, do you have a glass of milk?
And WTH! For someone of the Clinton's stature to show such wanton neglect for what is happening in this country...the country THEY WORK FOR!
Your posts sounds great. So do you prefer to fly or drive. We've driven 20 hours straight to get to our vacation, but some you just have to fly - like over oceans.
I have a disagreement wtih The Alien's clan.. I don't think that the Clintons got many freebees for the wedding. Hillary's job forbids it. But all Bill had to do was give a couple extra speeches one year.. nothing much extra.
For travelling, we took Amtrak to San Diego last spring. It was a wonderful way to travel. I saw the most amazing sky in western NM. I grew up in the country and remember starry skies, but that one will always stand out in my memory. Could have just reached out and touched the big dipper.
Also saw the most intense lightening storm the next night.
And Amtrak won't let you eat unless your table is full, so met some of the nicest people at the meal tables. Even one not far from home who is a good friend of my cousin...
small world. 'eh?
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We've had really great, home-made weddings in our family with wonderful food and drink and no huge bills to pay after! My little group of forever friends have banded with me to shop at Sams, cook from scratch, buy absolutely gorgeous flowers from the supermarket, and gather statues and birdhouses from our gardens, antique linens from the closet, burlap from Hobby Lobby, and we did it up good! And we had fun doing it! There is no reason to spend so much on an ostentatious affair! Smirk! Sorry, I couldn't resist smirking just a little, considering it's about our "favorite" son, father of the bride!
It's not the wedding that counts. What is more important is the bond the you created with God in the wedding.
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