Book Review: The Matchmakers

The other day I was feeling miserable and picked up a book I'd brought home from the library, and was delighted I did. One of Debbie Macomber's first books that's been reissued, THE MATCHMAKERS is a sweet romance that made me feel better reading it.

The story is about two lonely people. One a widow who's son wants her to find him a new father, the other a bitter divorced man who's daughter wants the same thing. These two children contrive to throw their parents together and to, hopefully, make all their dreams come true.

Like most of Macomber's books, this one is set in Seattle in the fall and holiday season. The story isn't really deep, it doesn't ask much of you beyond coming along for the ride, but I found it to be an enchanting little book (I read it in an afternoon) and found the characters and situations realistic. None of that the governess falls for the rich prince situation here!

Anyway, if you're looking for a good story to make you feel good when you're battling, as I was, a headache or a cold, I'd recommend THE MATCHMAKERS. It'll make you forget your troubles for awhile.

Chorizo Mexican Rice

This is a favorite at our house. Tonight we're celebrating a birthday and having a Mexican dinner. Stan is making his famous cheese and onion enchilladas, and I'm making this fabulous rice dish to accompany it. I first got this recipe in 1981 and have been making it ever since. It's very easy, and the taste is not like you'll find in any restaurant. (Please keep in mind that at higher altitudes it may cook faster.)

CHORIZO MEXICAN RICE

1 lb. chorizo (pork or beef) (I prefer pork)
¼ cup lard (or shortening)
2 cups uncooked rice
½ cup minced onion
1/3 cup tomato puree
4 cups regular strength beef or chicken broth

Skin chorizo and brown in lard. Mash with a fork; remove and reserve.

Brown rice and onion in the same fat. Add chorizo back in with tomato puree, and stock. Cover.

Cook on top of range over medium heat for roughly 2 hours, or in a 350º oven for 2-3 hours, until rice is fluffy.

Note: you need to check it periodically, stopping cooking when the consistency you like is reached. Add more stock if needed; and you may add salt to taste if desired.
Serves: A Lot!

A THOUGHT FOR THE WEEKEND

People everywhere confuse what they read in the newspapers with news.

A.J. Liebling

American Journalist

1904-1963

A New Blog

Just to let you know, I have started a new blog to spotlight my writing.

It's called Plotting It Out and you can access it on the Blog List on this blog.

I hope you'll visit it, read the first short story I've posted there, and offer feedback and support as I work on becoming a published author.

Thanks!

It's How You Look At It

Just Thinking

This has been a tough decade. Not only for my family, bur for everyone I know. And you know what I've decided? You know that old saying, "only the good die young"? Well, that's just a dumb saying as far as I'm concerned. But I do believe that the good are tested to the limit of their capabilities. And those of us who are trying to do the right thing, to live well and honorably, helping each other and serving others, I think we're all being put on the block right now.

Things are hard, but I also believe that as long as we view things with a positive and hopeful heart we will be alright. Remember that song from "Santa Claus is Coming to Town?" I think it says it all .......

Put one foot in front of the other
And soon you’ll be walking cross the floor
Put one foot in front of the other
And soon you’ll be walking out the door

You never will get where you’re going
If you never get up on your feet
Come on, there’s a good tail wind blowing
A fast walking man is hard to beat

Put one foot in front of the other
And soon you’ll be walking cross the floor
Put one foot in front of the other
And soon you’ll be walking out the door

If you want to change your direction
If your time of life is at hand
Well don’t be the rule be the exception
A good way to start is to stand

Put one foot in front of the other
And soon you’ll be walking cross the floor
Put one foot in front of the other
And soon you’ll be walking out the door

If I want to change the reflection
I see in the mirror each morn
You mean that it's just my election
To vote for a chance to be reborn

Jules Bass
“Santa Claus is Coming to Town,” 1970

A THOUGHT FOR THE WEEKEND

Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society.

Mark Twain

1835 - 1910

I'm Hooked!

I've made no secret of the fact that I love Pokemon. Yes I do. I love playing my Game Boy, but there aren't many games that I am that interested in outside of Pokemon and the Golden Sun games.

But my kids have now introduced me to Professor Layton, and I AM HOOKED!! It is a "mystery" game played by solving puzzles, and it is addicting. I think it's probably good for my grey cells to be challenged like this too.

For example, one puzzle said that baby mice can reproduce every two months and have five babies. (I'm paraphrasing here.) If you brought a baby mouse home, how many mice would you have in a year?

Sometimes I have to ask AJ or Kevin for help because the solution eludes me, even after looking at the hints! It's sad, but I console myself by telling myself that there are worse addictions in life. I'm not sure what, exactly ........

Spousal Support

My sweet husband Stanley! He is the best. He always supports me in whatever endeavor that I take on, be it sewing Halloween costumes, teaching a Relief Society Class or working at becoming a published writer.

Since my falls last year and the increase in my arthritis, most things are difficult for me. Especially sitting in the basement on the office chair and working on the computer. My joints ache so that I can only sit for a short time. Not conducive to writing, let me tell you. I haven't written anything new since last August.

But Stan gave me my birthday present early. He bought me a notebook computer. It's very simple, nothing special on it like a DVD R/W or anything like that. Just the Word program and a keyboard and a port for my flash drive. I'm in heaven!

Now I can write anywhere and anytime I want to. I've started my fourth book, and it feels SO GOOD to be writing again! Happy happy me!

Lucky Us!

Stan and I recently came into a little extra money. Seems that for the past five years his company has only been paying straight time for overtime and have now upgraded him so he'll receive time and half. They paid him the difference for the past two years and we got the money (or what was left after they took HALF for taxes!) last week.

Yipee! We can fix the cars, get the boys some new shoes and slacks for fall, and maybe take the family out for dinner. Yeah, right ....

First my chair, which is a recliner so that my poor achy joints can have relief, broke. There went some of the money to pay for that. Then the garage door broke and there went another huge chunk. Then the jeep, which I'd estimated would cost $300 to fix wound up costing $1,000!

But, Lucky Us! I feel so blessed. First of all, we had the money to fix the jeep so it's ready for winter and Stan's long drives out to the base in the middle of nowhere. Secondly, the garage door broke with the van outside so we still had it to use while we waited five days for someone to come fix it. And the chair was an easy repair job and we didn't have to buy a new one.

No, we don't have any left to fix the van, but we'll start saving up and Stan has a couple of OT days coming up in October. I feel very blessed, very much like we are being looked after. And when you have so much good happening to you, how can you be upset by the small stuff?

After all .... it's all small stuff, isn't it?