Kiki’s Corner: Focusing on the right things as September winds down
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Can you believe there's only two weeks left of September? From now on we better start thinking about fall, bad weather and children back to school in full gear.
The stores and retailers are confused. They don't know what decorations to bring out. You go places, and you see a lot of fall decorations, a lot of pumpkins and mums. Then you go to other stores and you see Christmas trees and Christmas decorations. A person can really get confused if they didn't pay attention to what month of the year we are in. Truly, I'm ready for none of the above.
What I am ready for, thanks to my wonderful committee, is the annual membership meeting for the West Virginia Symphony League-Parkersburg. That is going to take place from 5-7 p.m. Tuesday at the Parkersburg Art Center. We have a wonderful group of ladies and gentlemen, but we still have room for more. So if any of you readers are interested and you love music and concerts with classical music, call anyone from our committee to get any information that you need and an easy way to get involved. We go to the concerts; we do things for the community; we do fundraisers; the list goes on.
And just a reminder in case you forgot since last year, any student can attend and enjoy any concert with no charge whatsoever. Now tell me that's not a great opportunity for our children to appreciate and listen to good music.
If students have questions about any instrument or piece of music or any other question they may have, they can come half an hour before any concert and meet with the maestro and he can explain everything to them. We are trying our best to educate them as much as we can. After all, those are our children, the future of our country.
Have you heard the expression, "If you only knew how much fun the grandchildren were, you would have had them first?" LOL. Thank God, especially right now, for my grandchildren keeping me busy with all their special activities: volleyball, cheerleading, golf, cross country, a cappella, choir, work, school and college. Yes, our goal first of all is to do good at school. Sometimes you wonder when those kids have time to study with all the out-of-school activities!
Now let's talk about any adult in general.
Unfortunately, we cannot control everything that happens around us, but we can learn how to respond to it. People need to stay positive and give themselves the same passion that they give to others.
All of us spend a lot of time thinking about our future, our responsibilities, our goals and what other people expect from us. But sometimes in the process of becoming successful, we forget that a peaceful and healthy time is also important. Just don't forget we need to take time to rest, think clearly, enjoy simple moments and stay away from unnecessary negativity.
This does not mean you're wasting time. It means you're giving yourself the energy to continue moving forward. Sometimes, take a few minutes and look clearly at yourself. Look at your face, look at your hands, and realize how just quickly time has passed. That is part of life, so don't be afraid of getting older. Take a breath. As long as God is still giving you time, you've still got a chance to become a better version of yourself.
Everyone is staying busy, chasing so many things. Learn to take the time to smell the roses. At the same time, there are some important words to remember:
Wisdom - Choose what is right not just what is easy
Dreams - Keep believing in your dreams.
Strength - You are stronger than you think.
Appreciation - Be grateful for the little things.
Effort - Small efforts give big results.
Energy - Keep your energy positive and focused.
And last and the best:
YOU - You are enough just the way you are, so therefore you can relax .
There is a good example:
There was a butterfly and a deer. The deer said, "I want to have everything."
The butterfly smiled and said, "If you keep chasing everything when will you enjoy what you already have?"
The deer stopped and remained silent for a moment.
The butterfly said, "Look around you; you're alive. The sun is shining, and you have another beautiful day ahead of you."
Happiness is not found by chasing more. It is found by being grateful for what you already have.
To me, that really makes a good sense.
But not everybody feels the same way. A lot of people have goals they want to achieve in their lives. We may feel lost and confused. Having a goal helps us to stay focused and motivated. Having a goal, though, is not always enough. We also need to work hard and be patient to achieve it. Good planning, discipline and positive thinking are very important. We may face many challenges and failures, but we should never give up. Each failure teaches us a lesson and brings us closer to our success.
But on top of all of that, if it's possible, it's also so important to choose the right goals. Our goals should be realistic and meaningful and beneficial for us and others. So let's remember a clear goal today can lead to a better tomorrow.
Till next week.
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Asparagus casserole
3 eggs, well beaten
1 cup milk
1 tsp salt
1/2 to 1 tsp pepper
1 large jar pimento, chopped
1 cup grated cheese, Cracker Barrel any kind
1 (#2) can cut asparagus (use water also)
1 1/4 cup Ritz crackers, rolled with rolling pin and folded in
Beat eggs well. Add other ingredients. Fold in Ritz crackers. Pour in ungreased oblong or square casserole dish.
3/4 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup melted butter
Sprinkle almonds over top and also butter. Bake at 350 for 20 to 30 minutes.
Enjoy
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Mexican corn, zucchini dish
1 pound zucchini, sliced
4 or 5 ears corn (2 1/2 to 3cups )
3/4 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup chopped green pepper
3 medium-size tomatoes, peeled and chopped
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 1/2 cup diced stale bread
1/3 cup diced sharp cheese
In flame-proof casserole dish, combine zucchini, corn, onion, green pepper, tomatoes, oil, sugar, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring gently, over medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes or until zucchini and corn are just cooked. Sprinkle vegetables with bread and cheese cubes.
Bake in preheated 350 oven until cheese melts and bread is crisp.
Yummy.