Reality Check

I really feel out of sorts at the moment.  Typing on this blog almost feels like not the appropriate thing to be doing in light of the current situation in Japan.  I mean, there are people that cannot find their family members and have absolutely nothing but the clothes on their back.  So I am feeling a little selfish just yakking on and on about what I want to do tomorrow.  And can I just say, I give kudos to the Japanese people.  They have not once been shown to be looting, or inciting any kind of violence amongst one another.  I think we can learn a lot from them.  They stand in lines quietly for hours at a time to get their ration of food and they don't complain one bit.  I know of a few Americans that would not be half as gracious if the roles were reversed.  I admire the Japanese for these traits they have.

But alas, my life has to keep going.  I feel what I feel for the people, and I can try to help in the ways that are available to me, but my life has to move on forward.  I have kids that still need to be tended to and cared for.  I have a husband that is working massive amounts of hours at his job (which just happens to be in the nuclear industry, go figure), and he needs me to keep him on the straight and narrow during this hectic time.  I still have all my bills and responsibilities that I have to take care of.  But at least for the moment, I go about my day with a little different view of things.  The issues and complaints, and discomforts to my daily comings and goings seem to be having a little less sense of irritation to them.  I look at my kids a little less harshly because....they are here in front of me, and not everyone unfortunately has that luxury.  I still have my cozy little home to walk into and change my clothes and get a drink of water, all at my own pace and on a whim when I feel like it.  There are others that don't have these luxuries at the moment.

So this is what I think.  I think we should take a moment and rejoice in the glory of life and liberty and happiness, because not everyone in the world is enjoying these things at the moment.  I think we should take a closer look at ourselves and really evaluate if our lives are as bad or underwhelming as we are currently perceiving it to be.  Not a sermon, just a thought.

We will resume regular blogging next time.  : )

Birthday week

Well it is birthday week in my house.  Wonderful hubby had his earlier this week; although he is working the yucky hours still, he only slept , woke up, looked at the cake I made him, and left for work again.  Happy birthday!  My birthday is next and I will be so busy taking one kid to school and picking up, then getting another kid from after school band to THEN quickly feeding said kids a quick dinner to run over to the high school for orientation for the next up and coming high schooler on our list.  My day wont end till probably 10 p.m. Happy birthday to me!  Honestly I am not complaining though.  Wonderful hubby always works on our birthdays (its just the way his company schedules yearly work), so I have never expected anything on my birthday....not that I have ever expected anything anyway, but you know what I am saying.

I did make hubby a birthday cake, as I always do.  Lets just say, if I am going to do cake decorating as a profession, I better get to practicing.  Somehow I allowed this house to run out of butter.  How in the world did I allow that to happen?  Strike 1.  The cake I wanted to make I did not have the proper cake pan.  Strike 2.  Made Royal Icing and beat it for a bit too long and it was like squishing cement thru the piping tube.  Strike 3.  But I did not give up.  I scrounged up just enough butter to make a small amount of frosting to put on the cake that ended up being made in a bundt pan.  And I was able to squeeze out just enough royal icing to put a few rosettes and a colorful base on this cake to show a little creativity.  And of course my little helper had to add her little touches of colored sugar and such.  Suffice it to say, its not the prettiest cake, but I made the attempt.

Kid #2 has a birthday coming up later in the month so I will have yet another chance to practice.  I really am enjoying it....it will just be tweaking and practicing that needs to happen.  Also Kid#1 will be coming home for spring break, so there will be yet another opportunity to make something beautiful.  Practice makes perfect!!

It's a gas gas gas!!

Yow!!!  Gas prices are going through the roof!  How am I going to be able to start a business if I am not going to be able to afford to drive my people mover anywhere?  I am still giving the cake decorator gig a lot of thought and I am liking it more and more.  I will be able to control how much work I take on, when I take it on, how far or how close to home I want to go.  It is a win win it seems.  So what is the next step?  There is a lot to do to get something started.  You have to first LEARN how to decorate cakes professionally, so I am thinking a class or two may be in order.  Then you have to start MAKING cakes for people to sample and critique and perfect.  Then you have to SELL your new wares so that you can start making money on them.  Lots of steps to get to making money to put four kids through college and maybe a take a small vacation once in awhile.

Well, even if cake decorating doesn't turn out to be my thing, it may at least be the jumping off point for me.  I am not going to know if it what I want to do if I don't at least try it right?  I have read that many successful business people started up like three or four different businesses before they found the successful one that was for them.  So maybe this is where I should start.  They say do what you love and I love to cook and bake and do almost anything with food.  I mean, I started this blog and had never done anything like this before, and I am enjoying it, so cakes may be something I enjoy also.  And I can always make it a family affair also.  Kid #1 can be my sous chef and creative chef.  Kid#2 is my muscle man so he would be my helper in transporting and moving and all that guy type stuff I would need.  Kid #3 is here full time so she also could be a sous chef and creative consultant and maybe even a helper with making flowers and characters and such.  She is very artsy and crafty that way.  Of course Kid#4 is going to need jobs to do as well, so we will find things for her to do as well.  Wonderful hubby will be off doing what he does.....work.  But he will be my chief taste tester.  He is as vanilla as they come so he is sensitive to flavors and will point out what he tastes and if it is too powerful or not enough.

So this is what I am thinking....I need to start making cakes and telling the world all about it.   I have a big mouth and am loud, but I am not very good at selling myself to the world.  But I have friends and family that are good at getting the word out so maybe I will put them to work as well.  Lets hop on this ride and see how it goes!!!!!!