Three Thoughts on Thursday

:: Three Thoughts on Thursday ::

Oops! Tuesday was here and left before I could even put a post up. So here we are on Thursday already. The weather has been up and down all week so it throws me for a loop. I like rainy days but not several in a row. It really depletes my energy. Things have been calm this week in our home and I love it. Slow weeks are needed to catch up on just taking a moment to live. 

#1 Chocolate Cake 

My little ones have been begging for a chocolate cake for what seems like forever (not really, maybe just three days). We set out yesterday to bake a cake. I am on a bundt cake kick lately. I have really pretty pans and I love how easy they can be. No fussy middles or lining up layers. We picked out a recipe from Martha Stewart's website and off we went. Mixing, measuring, pouring, and spilling. I got the cake in the oven just in time to turn around and find our youngest guy covered in chocolate batter. He had taken the mixer paddle and began "cleaning" it for me. I usually don't mind if they taste it but the raw egg thing kind of worries me. So- we quickly cleaned up and set about making chocolate frosting because we go big in this house. The kids really enjoyed cooking and I did too. I have learned to relinquish some control when it comes to allowing the children to help. I used to try and control the mess but now we just go with it. They love to help in the kitchen and I don't want to turn them off to cooking. Let's face it, they will need to cook to live someday. It is one of those important life skills. The cake was great not as good as Ina Garten's: Beatty's Chocolate Cake. That is by far my favorite recipe. But I didn't hear any complaints from the family because who doesn't like cake. Our middle gal told me that I was the best mommy because I make cakes. Not a bad way to end the day. 

#2 Politics  

I make it a point never to talk about politics on my blog. It is not my thing. I have well-informed opinions about the direction of our country. I read newspapers, journals, and articles about different issues and I have a set of values that I try to use to navigate the ever dangerous waters of political conversation. I am not associated with a political party. I am not thrilled by my choices this fall. My candidate did not win the primary. I feel very hesitant to ever bring up politics around anyone because it is met with great debates and hard feelings about both candidates. I hear people say that they are looking for the person who will fix our problems. But there is no such person. We have to be the ones willing to work for change, fix the problems, and be the change we want to see. It is so much easier to sit back and tell someone else to fix it. That person will not be there in November. We have to be the change. I started to make myself a list of ways that I can be the change I want to see in my community. It is a work in progress and I know that I will fail at different times trying to achieve those goals but it is better than sitting back and waiting for some else to do it. 

#3 Trees 

Fall is here! Every day my trees in the backyard change a little bit. It is so wonderful to see the change of seasons. We are hoping to get a lot more hiking trips in over the next couple weeks. Autumn is our chance to marvel at the spectacular show nature has planned for us. It is also an excuse to get away from the busy nature of the world. I feel like this time of year inspires me to dream big and work on new things. It is so lovely to see the trees. They give so much and expect so little. I guess that is why some people just want to hug them. I might the next time I am out in the woods.