I have brand anxiety. I know, this is stupid. But I do blog whatever happens to be on my mind, and we can just call this a slow day. lol

I like brand loyalty. I would love to be one of those woman who at 80 years old says, I used Whatever brand of facial moisturizer for 65 years…and I tried to be that woman! I used Clinique skincare and makeup for five years, until I had to finally admit that it no longer really worked for my skin anymore. It was awesome though- I never had to think about what brand I used, if I wanted variety in makeup I just tried a different color. But since I stopped using it I’ve been having a crisis, because I can’t find a line of skincare and makeup products! I think I’m getting there with philosophy products, but it wigs me out that I can’t settle on a brand and go with it. Forever if possible. I love the skincare, but don’t like the makeup.

I like buying the same brad of something every time, and I keep thinking to myself, it has to be easier this way right? I always buy Tide laundry detergent. My Mom and my older sister always have, and I have for my entire adult life. I never have to think about it, Tide is my brand. Until I read the Consumer Reports that says Gain is actually the best quality for the lowest price. Well nuts, now I have to completely rethink my laundry detergent!

Marmot does this with clothes too, and I’m jealous. His entire wardrobe made up of one brand for each item. Boxers are Gap. Jeans are J. Crew. Polo shirts are Ralph Lauren. White tshirts are Nautica. Dress shirts and dress pants are Brooks Brothers. That is his wardrobe. He has a little variation with socks and weird tshirts, but otherwise he sticks to his brands. Why can’t I do this?

I would love love LOVE to have 90% of my clothing be Gap (my favorite brand, and do-able with the local Gap outlet), I would love to have all my bras be Essential Bodywear, and I would love to have one line of makeup and skincare that I always use!

I’m quite confident that this is not a mental disorder. My life continues on and I’m able to enjoy it even when I’m not able to be so organized as to have my makeup and skincare be the same brad. I checked OCD amongst my textbooks and I don’t fit it. I could probably fit under anal-retentive, but Freud was never my favorite anyway and besides, my Mom said I was a dream to potty-train.

I think we can safely call it just another one of the weirdnesses of me.

Please don’t anyone with kids get offended. I don’t mean it to be snotty. I just need to say it. I think its the grown-up version of peer pressure. And I don’t think its intentional, but I’m just going to say it: I don’t like being treated as inferior to women who have kids.

But I’m not kidding, I get more comments from people about this. I’m not shy, if they ask when we’re going to start a family, I’ll tell them probably when Marmot has a job and we have a house. And I swear to god, everyone tells me ohhh, you don’t need to wait, why not have one now? Are my reasons not good enough? I keep hearing babies don’t really need that much in the first year anyway, and how they did it when they were homeless/destitute/didn’t have a pot to piss in, so apparently I should choose to do it that way too. I honestly don’t get it, why is it not ok that we wait? Given a choice, wouldn’t they have preferred to have their kids once they got the pot?

And it extends further than that. Its like there is the expectation that because I don’t have kids, I’m expected to accomodate those who do. Its frustrating to me. I feel like I get treated second-rate sometimes because I don’t have children. I understand that my friends who have kids don’t have the free time that I do. I understand that people who have kids have priorities that are different from mine. I understand that the relationship they have with their child isn’t something I can’t comprehend yet. I’m ok with that, and I think I do a good job of being understanding.

What I will never understand is the attitude I get when I comment on something like looking forward to sleeping in- and getting a snort and well, you obviously don’t have kids. Yep, I don’t. What’s your point? Its like I get sneered at for being able to have time to do things that they don’t. I like to meditate and make a point of setting aside time for that every day. But I don’t dare mention that, because they have kids and don’t have time to do that anymore. Oh just wait until you have kids. Yep, I’m pretty sure it will be different. But why isn’t it ok that I do that now? I know, you’re wonderful because you created life. Can’t it be ok for me to live mine until I choose to do the same?

I don’t have kids yet. I’m ok with that. Why can’t everyone else be?

Ahh, another interesting Thanksgiving with my family.

Marmot and I had an argument on the way to Mom and Dad’s (which exactly what they used to do on the way to my grandparent’s house) and weren’t speaking when we got there. Ah, the holidays.

My poor Marmot is from the very polite South, and my family seriously wigs him out. It starts off with the prayer. My family always holds hand around the table. We never plan it this way on purpose, but my Dad and Marmot always end up sitting next to each other. The first time it happened, the awkward looks on their faces as they so gingerly held hands was hilarious. Now they avoid sitting next each other, but today was classic. They just hooked pinkies, but we all started laughing, including Dad, so the prayer was delayed until the giggles subsided.

And the prayer we had a toast (over apple cider, my Mom is on narcotics for her arthritis) and everyone is supposed to say two things that we’re thankful for. My Mom starts off, saying how thankful she is for marriage (looking straight at my Dad) and narcotics. And there we go.

When you have a medical family, the dinner conversation inevitably goes to bodily fluids. And what happened last time Mom made her ‘famous’ potato salad. We discuss what microbial dangers lurk in badly thawed turkey, and how many ER visits we think there will be from deep frying turkey gone wrong.

The argument over who has to do dishes (I refuse to since moving out) and then we all migrate to the living room. Minor scuffle over who gets to stand in front of the fireplace (Dad won) and we sat around talking, and laughing, making fun, and reading magazines.

Just another Thanksgiving, weird as it was, it was wonderful.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

Ok, I have a little beef about this. I don’t like it when people wish others a ‘Happy Turkey Day’. To me, saying that makes it seem like the day is all about food, and nothing else. What’s wrong with Happy Thanksgiving? Thanksgiving isn’t about religion. If you choose to thank a god, your god, or nothing at all, that’s not the point. Its about being grateful for what you have. This is a time to really look past yourself, and whatever may have gone wrong in your day/week/year that you want to gripe about, and the things you want but don’t have, and just be grateful for what you do have. No god required. Its not really about god if you choose for it not to be. But it can be if you do. But taking religion out of it really reduce the holiday down to having a day off and an excuse to eat like pigs?

So that’s my issue. I’ve said what I think, and I’m just going to smile and answer any well-wishers with ‘Happy Thanksgiving’. I’m going to be thankful that my day isn’t just about food- its about my wonderful husband, our families, and all the things in our world that make me happy. I’m going to be thankful, and probably not to anyone or anything in particular.

These little babies are amazing. Literally, melt in your mouth. I took a fresh batch of these in when I was still working in the ER, and had staff following their noses down the hall to the source of the yumminess.

Pecan Sandies – from my husband’s step-grandmother, an amazing Southern cook!

1 cup butter or margarine
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp water
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 cup pecans

I have black patent leather ones. I never thought I’d be in black patent anything, but I totally rock the black patent look with dress clothes. A nurse in finance is weird anyway, so I think most people just think the shoes go along with that weirdness. But honestly, I think they’re cute and I stand apart just a little bit, as yes a nurse, but also somebody really young in finance. Its way cool.

AND- I just bought a brown pair! My brown Born shoes were literally falling apart (as in literally, the top was detaching from the bottom) so I justified it as a need, not a want. Marmot kind of did that narrowed eyes thing when I said that, because I was smiling! And I’m in love with my new shoes. They’re already so comfortable, I’ve considered breaking my no-shoes-in-the-house-EVER rule, just to wear them more.

                                     

I’m in a cooking mood today. I think its hearing everyone at work talk about Thanksgiving food. I’m dreaming of mashed potatoes!

Ok, so Jiffy Corn casserole is way yummy (its got sour cream in it, helloo!) and is a great way to have a veggie at the meal, but not actually have it be good for you.

Jiffy Corn Casserole

1 can whole corn
1 can cream style corn
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup sour cream
2 eggs, beaten
1 box Jiffy corn muffin mix

Melt butter and add corn, eggs, sugar, and sour cream. Add muffin mix last and mix well. Pour into greased casserole dish or 9×13 pan. Bake for 60 minutes at 350 degrees, and let stand for 5 minutes after baking.

This lovely recipe came from a co-worker in the operating rooms- seriously. We talk about all sorts of stuff over open body cavities.

So Midwestern stuffing was a little bit of a shock to Marmot and his Southern eating habits (no cornbread? its not stuffing!) but he liked it because it had sausage. Can’t go wrong with sausage!

Its perfect for the crockpot. Last time I made it, it was way early in the morning and I just threw it in the crockpot, where it warmed deliciously and stayed that way until I served it. And its yum.

Midwestern Stuffing

4 boxes turkey stove-top stuffing
1/2 pound uncooked wild rice
2 pounds Jimmy Dean sausage, one mild and one hot
3 cups chopped celery
1 large onion, chopped
1-2 packages fresh mushrooms
2 cans chopped water chestnuts
2 Granny Smith apples, cored and chopped with skin on

Prepare stuffing as directed on the box. Cook wild rice. Add rest of ingredients and mix well. Put in crock pot on warm until serving.

We’ve moved!

So we’re now on Blogger, which is kind of nice for my Gmail account. AND, my new Twitter account! That’s right, I’m officially a twit now! Find me @thehoneyb and then get my posts in real-time. Lucky you!

So this new blogging operation just keeps this blog independent from others I have, and I’ve also decided to allow comments on my posts. Blogger also allows me to showcase the blogs that I follow, and anyone crazy enough to follow me!

Eventually I might get adventurous and start doing some giveaways and such, but otherwise its still just going to be whatever is happening in the Honey Bee household.

Hope you’re having a thankful week!