Embarking on a new hobby!

I was thinking I’m bored and after much (or was it really that much?) thought I decided to try something new. I can start cross stitching, crocheting, paper mache, oh the possibilities are endless, and so, what do I take on next?? Then, I saw my nephew drawing some funky robots and super heroes on paper and he was good. Aha! (light bulb flashing) I’ll take up drawing! How hard can it be? You just hold a pencil and start drawing right? Then I saw my first try, whoa! My nephew’s drawing looked much better than mine! It was kind of embarrassing for me. Who would have thought that a 7 year old can outdraw me, a full fledged adult? I thought maybe my nephew was just really that talented. But you know me, never one to back down from a challenge (even a self made one ).

So I thought to do something about it… What you say? Go where I always go, to my computer and surf the internet. For drawing lessons, and all that I can find about drawing, sketching, everything! I saw some tutorials online and some sites that taught drawing, some asks for donations, while other are for free. You can even find drawing tutors willing to teach you to draw. Wow! Was I psyched! You can even order your art supplies online, from pencils to brushes and paints, to paper and canvass where you can start your drawing.

Now, I’m studying to draw and finding great satisfaction that one day I might just outdraw that nephew of mine.

Shorter is sometimes better!

Lengthy is not always the best when it comes to great recipes. I’ve seen recipes that have three ingredients and some that have 20 and more. There are some recipes with directions as few as four and some lasting two pages.

Which would you think would be the best recipes? The shorter ones or the longer ones? Well, I have to say I have some really good recipes that take just a few minutes to cook and some really good ones that take hours to prepare.

I personally like the recipes that take fewer ingredients and take less time to cook. You would be surprised that some of the fanciest restaurants in town will use the simplest of recipes. If the food is plated properly, you would never know the difference.

I tried an experiment on my hubby. I made two dishes, one with just a few ingredients and directions and the other with 17 ingredients and almost two full pages if directions. It took only forty-five minutes to make the easier dish and almost four hours to make the other one. I put both dishes in front of my hubby and had him taste both and try to guess which one took the longest to prepare and which one was the best to him.

By the looks of both dishes, he could not pick the quickest to prepare, but decided that the one I made in forty-five minutes was the best. I also agreed with his taste buds. The forty-five minutes dish tasted so much better. They both were chicken and pasta dishes, but the lengthier dish just didn’t make the cut. It looked good, but didn’t taste as well.

So, when you need that special recipe for a super special meal, hit the internet and give some of the simpler ones a try.

The dead cell phone

I called my hubby this morning and it rang and rang and rang. He doesn’t work and hasn’t driven since his stroke, so he should be home. He always has his cell phone close by, so I don’t understand why he’s not answering.

A million things go through you mind, thinking all kinds of things have happened. But, I made myself slow down and not think the worse. I finally get off work and headed home. I walked in the door and there he sat, in his favorite recliner, with his cell phone next to him on the table. I asked him why he didn’t answer his phone, he replied, “It never rang.” I picked up his phone and the battery was dead as a door nail. I know he had put the phone on to charge the night before and now it was dead. I tried charging it again, but with no luck, so I sat down in front of the computer and shopped for a new phone. You see, I’m lazy when I get off work. I work as a medical assistant and on my feet all day.

So, the computer was the perfect place to shop for a new phone. My phone company has a huge site and even has better prices than when I called over the phone. I’m so glad my mobile phone company advertises on the internet, which makes it so much easier for my busy life.

Freelance Writing

I have been a freelance writer for 30+ years of and on. I have a great imagination and know how to do the research. I recently accepted an assignment in a different state than I live in. It was only a 7 hour drive away from home, so it wasn’t bad. I spent three two days driving and one full day doing the research for three articles. One was a restaurant review, one was about the antique shops in town and one was about the churches. Not hard to do, but I did need to do lots of research online.

A computer can be so awesome in the right hands. I have a desktop, my hubby has an old laptop, and I’m getting ready to get a new laptop. Since I will be traveling to Tennessee to do more restaurant reviews and articles for the magazine up there, I really need to have a laptop at my fingertips. On the last trip up, I used my hubby’s laptop and hated it. The M key sticks, think about how many time in one sentence you will need to hit the M key. There were four in the last sentence I typed.

You have to have a computer to buy things online, send emails, IM with friends and do your research if you are a freelance writer. I would say that one-half to two-thirds of my work for the Tennessee Magazine was done online. The rest was done in person, asking questions, taking lots of notes and tasting some wonderful food. These three articles will be published in the middle of December, being released to every resident in Midtown Memphis, Tennessee.