How do you slow down a busy life?

My mother-in-law, Rhoda, is fading fast. She is 93 years old and her health has been declining for several years. She lives in Louisville, Kentucky in the home where my husband was reared. I wish we had visited more often this last year but life gets in the way of our priorities. We received the call last night advising she would not last much longer. As soon as Wayne was off the phone the debate about what to do and how to do it began.

We need to just get in the car and go to be with her but the electric meters need to be read, electric bills calculated, invoices for rent and electric printed and delivered. It's the first of the month and we can't just take off and do it later. It's a dilemma for both of us. Wayne is torn between needing to be with his mom and needing to complete his work. What to do, what to do...

I have commitments at church and Rotary and with my Juice Plus team for the next week or two as well. All I can think of is how I'm going to get it all done before we take off for Louisville and I'm praying we get there in time. How do we prioritize our lives?

Obviously we are not the only ones to face these challenges. I just can't determine how to change things. We can't just drop everything and run when we need to. There are people depending on us and there is church work to be done. How do you handle these issues?

One thing I shall resolve to do in the future is to keep up with the work at hand. If I weren't behind on just about everything, some of the issues I'm facing now would already be complete and behind me. I am also going to ask for help when I need help. Maybe the next time we have an emergency we'll be better prepared.

Lord help me with the important things and the trivial issues of everyday life. Give me the strength and wisdom to make the tough decisions. May the Holy Spirit guide my path. Amen

So many recipes...so many memories!

A couple of months ago I was invited to create a new blog on videojug.com. It's a "how to" site with mostly "how to" video clips. They wanted to expand into blog pages and I was invited to be a "Founder." I wasn't sure about it and had no idea how I would proceed but thought I would give it a try.

I decided to make it a food blog and publish mostly old southern recipes. I have been so pleasantly surprised by the memories conjured up by all the old casseroles and dishes. Each click of the keyboard makes me smile as I type the ingredients list of my aunt's "fried" corn or my mother's "one egg cake." With each published recipe I think of three others I want to request from my favorite cooks. Red fish from my brother Joe, coconut cream pie from Catherine Aylor, key lime pie from Alan Carter...I could go on and on.

My family and circle of friends is chocked full of gifted cooks and it's difficult to decide which recipe to request next. As I reminisce about the family dinners and Junior Women's Club card parties and casual gatherings with friends I treasure the food and fellowship that has made up a large part of my life.

I am thrilled with my new adventure and grateful for all those who follow both my blogs. I love the comments and appreciate the good wishes. Amazingly, I never thought of writing and publishing until a few months back when my friend, Pam, launched a blog and inspired me to do the same. And here we both are....just publishing away!

Thank you Lord for old and new friends. Thank you for inspired cooks who share their recipes and techniques. Amen