I survived three days of working from home with the kids because Louisville got snowed in!
As most locals know, the city and the rest of Kentucky cannot handle more than an inch of snow. The adults panic but the kids are happy because they know snow equals no school. They also know that with it come snowball fights, sledding, snowman, and all other things they can do with all that white fluff.
I do not want to disparage the term “Suzy Homemaker” but my husband, John, jokingly calls me that when I get the urge. I always think that I can do anything that I put my mind to. But, alas! Reality comes crashing hard and I have to accept that my Martha Stewart aspirations will never be realized. However, I will always try no matter what.
I am thankful for this snowy and below freezing week even if I cannot do it in style like Martha Stewart or Rachel Ray because I have learned a thing or two this week.
Lesson #1 – How to Turn on the Fireplace
It is okay, go ahead and laugh! I do not know if all wives know how to use a gas fireplace or if they are like me and they just let their husbands take care of that contraption (one that is barely used but looks very pretty for pictures). My boys and our puppy were all wet and cold. I had this vision of them curling up near the fireplace and snuggling with the puppy with their piping hot chocolate. Nope! It did not happen. I called John and he directed me on what I needed to do but I was too afraid that I was going to burn our house down. I had to wait until he came home so he could show me. With hindsight being 20/20, it just now dawned on me that I should have just used Google to learn how.
Lesson #2 – Read Stick Butter Carefully
I do not like to cook or bake. John usually cooks for us and he can churn out amazing dishes and desserts. I once tried to bake when cake pops were all the rage. I even ordered the whole kit and caboodle because it looked easy. Sadly, my cake pops were just balls of mushy cake. Have mercy and do not ask my family about this little project!
As I said earlier, I will always try no matter what. I wanted to be nice to my kids so I thought I can bake again. I had a box of bibingka and the directions looked easy enough since I did not have to use a mixer. Bibingka is a rice cake delicacy from the Philippines and is usually famous during Christmas. A bag of flour required 4 tablespoons of melted butter so I read the measurements on the stick butter. Hold the criticisms, please? I know you know but I honestly thought I read the whole thing correctly. I was so proud of myself as a matter of fact that I was able to follow the directions. Read on and you can laugh after.
I melted 2 sticks of butter and thought to myself this cake is so buttery! It took a while for the bibingka to cook and I had to lower the temperature down since I thought I was going to burn them. John came home and I told him how much butter I had to add to my bibingkas. He asked me how much butter it needed and I said 8 tablespoons so I had to use 2 sticks! Wrong! I doubled the amount and instead of bibingka, I created a butter cake.
Lesson #3 – Give and Receive
This year I made a promise to give back in terms of time, money, and relationships. I want to become more intentional in everything I do whether that is spending time with my family, cultivating friendship with old and new friends, and becoming a blessing to others. I want to make this year not just about me. Little did I know I was going to be blessed more than I could have imagined. I was treated to lunch by a good friend this week, received a $5 food voucher at an event on Saturday night, received a complimentary drink for dinner, and made a new connection which would hopefully be a start of a new friendship. I am thankful for these opportunities that may seem insignificant to others but I count them as my blessings.
It may be winter outside but my spring season has just started. I am excited to see what this year will bring. Are you? Do not let anyone or anything steal your joy. Find time to look for those nuggets of gold in your life. You may find that it is okay to make fun of yourself like I did this week. I choose to learn and not let little things faze me.
Let me close with this and inspire you this week – Hope Springs Eternal!
Vian Wheatley 