Faith...how sweet it is!

Where does the time go? It's July already and the fact that retailers are merchandising their Christmas trees only adds to the notion that time sure does fly!   But with that being said, it is halfway through the year and I can say I have stubbornly in most ways obliged to my New Year's resolutions and then some.  Sooooo...I get this cylinder maroon thinggy majiggy in the mail the other day.  Even with no return address, I shrug my shoulders in various spasmodic poses followed by a mildly pretentious giddiness as I study it.  And then I smile.  I carefully remove the label, gently scratching away at the shreds of tape holding the seams together and then pop off the top.  And in this pretty concoction, is my latest goal...achieved.  I finally finished my degree after years of whining and making every excuse in the book to not finish.  To get there, I had to endure many late nights, mental post breakdowns and mini panic attacks that don't seem so grueling now.  Many times I wanted to throw in the towel, ignore an assignment, enter nonsense gibberish in a post whilst seeking only my word count requirement but in those moments, there was always something that steered me straight.  Perhaps it was faith.  Ah yes...that word!  Defined as a strong, unshakable belief in something, it can define almost anything; you just gotta have it and once you've tasted it, you will want to keep going back for seconds and then before you know it, it becomes this potluck thing that becomes your specialty and people always rely on you to bring it to every occasion.  Where is Laura? Will she be bringing her specialty "faith a la mode"?  "Oh, of course" they will say.  "A party just isn't a party without that dish."  (Insert a handful of applauds and deep sighs).  Well...okay so the backyard barbecue conversations are a bit much and perhaps a wee bit oh...let's say over-the-top but nonetheless, this is what plays in my head  when I think about the changes that I need to make in my life and that I have to have faith to know believe everything will work out just fine.  Who says you can't have your cake and eat it too?  Please!  Faith will quickly disseminate that phrase.  Listen to Gandhi or Mother Teresa or heck, even me (please excuse my lack of modesty while I insert myself into a sentence with those two legends).  Have faith in all you do and in the meantime Keep Calm and well you know...eat cake.

Truly Delicious!

Urban legends?  Myths?  Town gossip?  Do any of these things entice you?  Would you answer differently if enticed with a piece of pie?  Of course! And that's what happened to me when I took a country drive to Hico, Texas where the town motto is “Where Everybody is Somebody!”  This quaint town seems friendly enough to discount the fallacies it has been burdened with for years. The Koffee Kup Restaurant located in the heart of the town is a popular cafe known for its world famous pies which incidentally are topped with a serious peak of meringue but also for the urban legend that the restaurant once named The Koffee Kup Kafe was a meeting ground for the infamous Ku Klux Klan. The story goes that the name created somewhat of a squawk that the owners found it necessary to change it.  People visit this cafe for several reasons. It made Texas Monthly’s list of top 40 cafes, it caught Guy Fieri's attention, and for the fascination of the town saga. Seated at the entrance table, I noticed there were names carved into the wood, undoubtedly preserved with oodles of layered lacquer.  The longer I sat, the more time my mind had to go into convulsions as I tried to further analyze the credence of the tall tell. What did these names represent? Even though I had already came up with my own spin, I finally worked up the nerve to ask the waitress.  "Oh those names...those are just names of some coffee club members that used to come in every morning; they're probably already dead since that was along time ago", she said. Posing in what I call my disbelief stance...tilting my head then squinting my eyes, I responded with this uncontrollable wit that was dying to come out even though afterward, I couldn't believe I said it!  "Hm...I bet none of those guys ever took their coffee black huh?"  I snickered.as I was trying desperately to lighten things up for my sake.  It was apparent she didn't think I was funny. "OK, stop it Laura before you get in trouble and enjoy the pie she just brought!" Ah yes...the pie!  One bite is all it took to lose interest in any ole spoof. There is certainly one thing though that I know is TRUE.  Their pecan pie was oh soooo good!  It's so easy to get carried away in our  imagination that we tend to add to or mix up the story but one thing I cannot coil is that our taste buds cannot be persuaded into believing something is not good when it is! 

Disclaimer:  To anyone who reads this and could potentially have ties with the aforementioned organization, this post was not intended to infuse the myth or to stir up any trouble. Any resemblance to names appearing here could simply be coincidental and the words contained herein are just a set of carefully laid out nouns and verbs with a few conjunctions, if you will; therefore the writer cannot be held libel for her own silly musings.  It's a simple post from a sick simple minded girl who just likes to eat pie. That's it! 

Sweet-Talkin' Resolutions

The beginning of a new year strikes us with the notion of a fresh beginning.  Perhaps last year was pretty pathetic, somewhat intolerable or a hair bit dizzy and thank the heavens that it has passed! But in the whilst of letting go, we tend to amplify our thoughts that this year will be "the year".  But "my year" cannot be it unless I  can tame my cynicism and realize that wit does not always win. And this I will certainly seek to get past. Weeks before Jan 1st, I begin to obsess over a premeditated list and as I modify it for the 23rd time, I become overwhelmed.   My list...is it too inconceivable, too uncanny, or perhaps too vain for my own good?  Can I really pull some of these things off?  So instead of fretting, I have modified my list for the 24th time. This year I am going to start small and grow BIG.   Short of an angel apprentice, I have good intentions. I really do!  So with an utmost conviction, I give you my brief list of some things I plan to gamble with in 2012:

1.  Write more...even if it means jotting down incoherent thoughts.  Thank goodness for the military     encryption protection Penzu has created.  Genius!  If only I could remember my password :(
2.  Drink more water.  Something is wrong if I can hold it for 8 hours straight.  This I vow to the organ donor organization and my kidneys will be happy too.
3.  Lay off the white powdered donuts.  Spend that weekly $5.45 to take in a matinee instead,  preferably a funny movie with low Siskel and Ebert reviews. Those guys don't like to laugh.
4.  Pay it forward.  I can so do this.
5.  Forgive. Forgive and forget...or at least don't bring it up in the middle of a fight.
6.  Talk about myself in third person so I can get a better understanding of what the heck I'm thinking. 
7.  Listen...really listen.  Listen without making faces as an implied remark or reaction.  Mother always told me my nose would stay crunched up if I didn't stop making faces!
8.  Judge no one...unless they are wearing black undies with white bottoms.
9.  Take violin lessons...real ones and leave the YouTube lessons for the more advanced.
10. Love myself more so I can love those around me.  

So my fellow cake enthusiasts, enjoy the plethora of wishful thinking and new beginnings whether it be dusting off that ole gym membership, trading in that unreliable scale or being ninny hammered by those electronic cigarettes. If I should fail to accomplish any of these deeds perhaps this year is not "my year".  Happy New Beginnings!  Love L