Photo Source: YouTube.com

It may seems strange to you that someone retired should write about STARTing anything. That’s certainly understandable, I suppose. For many of you just starting your career as a teacher or musician or marketing guru or whatever it might be, the idea of retirement is as foreign as learning to read and write Sanskrit perhaps. Maybe you’re newly married or newly a mom and the start of both still seem to be a grand adventure, with all of the complexity and confusion brought on by both and you can’t even begin to think past the beginning of either.

However, you should. Because it truly won’t be long before those fleeting moments are forty years in the past. And what will you do then? Will you be sad or mad that your beginnings now seem to be endings? Will you look upon your life as a series of lost or misplaced opportunities or mistakes? Will you mourn the loss of your youth and look upon age as a dreaded misfortune? Or will you START living your life today and do so in such a way that that negativity doesn’t happen?

In her column dated December 2, 1979 and reproduced in her book Eat Less Cottage Cheese, one of my favorite humorists, Erma Bombeck, penned these words of advice that might just help you avoid the failure to START living your life now. I encourage you to print them up and put them in a place where you will read over them once a day, once a week or at least once a month. You’ll be glad you did.

“Someone asked me the other day if I had my life to live over would I change anything. My answer was no, but then I thought about it and changed my mind.

If I had my life to live over again I would have waxed less and listened more.
Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy and complaining about the shadow over my feet, I’d have cherished every minute of it and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was to be my only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.
I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.
I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained and the sofa faded.
I would have eaten popcorn in the “good” living room and worried less about the dirt when you lit the fireplace.
I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.
I would have burnt the pink candle that was sculptured like a rose before it melted while being stored.
I would have sat cross-legged on the lawn with my children and never worried about grass stains.
I would have cried and laughed less while watching television … and more while watching real life.
I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband which I took for granted.
I would have eaten less cottage cheese and more ice cream.
I would have gone to bed when I was sick, instead of pretending the Earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren’t there for a day.
I would never have bought ANYTHING just because it was practical/wouldn’t show soil/ guaranteed to last a lifetime.
When my child kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, “Later. Now, go get washed up for dinner.”
There would have been more I love yous … more I’m sorrys … more I’m listenings … but mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute of it … look at it and really see it … try it on … live it … exhaust it … and never give that minute back until there was nothing left of it.”
Eat Less Cottage Cheese and More Ice Cream: Thoughts on Life From Erma Bombeck.

I don’t believe that there is failure in not finishing. Instead, I believe that the real failure is in the not STARTing. For how can you accomplish anything if you fail to START? And there are still lots of STARTs waiting on me in retirement because each and every day is a new opportunity to begin living life now, and I plan to seize every one of them.

And that, my friends, is a very good thing.

Debbie is a co-administrator of Arkansas Women Bloggers and blogs at Dining With Debbie. A native Arkansan, she spends much of her time traveling between the central area where she lives and the northwest area of the state where she plays with her perfect grandchildren . She hangs out with her Hubby of 44 years in both places.

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January 15, 2014

Wordless Wednesday {Start!}

by The Park Wife

I have been a lackadaisical spectator of the beauty that surrounds me.

In 2014, I choose to be an active participant in seeking experiences, recognizing and truly enjoying the beauty that surrounds me.

Follow The Park Wife on Instagram, that is where she is hanging out a lot these days.

January 13, 2014

Birthday Beginnings {Blogger of the Month}

Written by Miss January 2014, Whitney Sutherland

Back in September, I hit a milestone birthday. The big 3-5…yikes! Luckily I didn’t experience any of the emotional symptoms that can sometimes accompany milestone birthdays. Instead, something in me changed and I felt like it was time to START looking how I thought a woman my age should look. Since graduating college, I hadn’t really changed my routine; I was still fond of a cardigan and my makeup choices were still as simple as then even with my newfound wrinkles and gray hairs! For a long time, I felt like other women looked more put together and polished with cute outfits and perfect makeup. I won’t lie; it definitely impacted my confidence in some settings.

I slowly started to play with fashion and was inspired by a fellow Arkansas Women Blogger, Kelly of Delta Moxie. She rocked a fun outfit at this year’s Arkansas Women Bloggers Unplugged conference (stripes, polka dots, big accessories, and cowboy boots…oh my!) She made it look so simple and accessible compared to what you see in fashion magazines. The week following AWBU, I got startedand I tried to stay with patterns in the same color palette for my first forays into mixing patterns. I’m still developing this new facet to my style but I’m finding myself looking outside my normal box and putting together new looks with some of my trusty old cardigans! As a side note, Kelly wrote a great blog sharing how she developed her personal style with a little help too.

A few weeks after AWBU, I made an offhand comment to one of my close friends about how awesome her eye makeup looked and how I wished that I could do my eyes like that. I wassurprised when she called me the next week and scheduled a trip to Ulta with me. I was not prepared for the colors that she directed me towards…they were much richer than what was currently in my makeup bag. We took my purchases and did a makeover lesson. I had the right technique but had spent my adult life buying eye makeup colors that were the same as my skin tone…no wonder you couldn’t tell I was wearing any makeup.

The next morning after our makeup lesson, I spent extra time working on my makeup and trying not to be scared by the color that I wasn’t used to having on my eyes. I was surprised when coworkers noticed and complimented me. More surprising than getting compliments, was the change in how I felt with my new makeup and fashion choices. Almost immediately, I felt more professional and like my outside appearance matched how I felt on the inside.

I have always heard that you’ll ask for help when you are ready and I guess that’s true for me. I finally felt ready for my style and appearance to match my age. Don’t get me wrong…35 is a great age but my style and makeup weren’t conveying the personal image that I felt on the inside. This year my birthday happened to be the wakeup call that I needed to start looking like the Whitney that I felt like on the inside. I’m so grateful to the ladies who helped me START the change process. It’s really never too late to develop your personal style!

January 12, 2014

Sunday Link-Up {January 12, 2014}

January 10, 2014

Julie and Julia: My Adventures with French Food {Foodie Friday}

Written by Julie Kohl of Eggs and Herbs

When it is cold outside I crave warm food with SERIOUS flavor. Like hardy soups and stews that simmer for hours. Foods whose scent slowly builds into something so tempting that your mouth is watering long before the meal is ready to serve. I’m talking about Boeuf Bourguignon.

In the forward of Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Julia Child states that the reason that many foods fall far below good French cooking is “just this matter of elimination of steps, combination of processes, or skimping on ingredients such as butter, cream-and time. “Too much trouble,””Too expensive,” or “Who will know the difference” are death knells for good food.”

Oh, what a wise women she was! We live in a society of microwaved convenience foods, canned condensed soups and drive-through meals. Now, don’t get me wrong! All of those things have a place! I have a beloved family casserole recipe that calls for cream of mushroom soup, I regularly pack a microwavable Lean Cuisine meal for lunch at work and I LOVE McDonalds Cheeseburgers! We are busy and on MOST nights the convenience of shortcuts in the kitchen is a welcomed necessity.

That being said, I strongly believe that GOOD food takes time and patience and is truly a labor of love. It harkens back to a time when things were simpler and the world seemed to move at a slightly slower pace. I must have been French in a former life because every recipe I have ever fixed from Mastering makes me feel like I have come home.

I believe that French cooking is the epitome of farm cooking. French cooking is based on simple, farm fresh foods that are cooked to perfection, low and slow, for a deep and complex taste. French cooking doesn’t have to be difficult but it often takes time. Boeuf Bourguignon is not a dish that should be rushed. In fact, I highly suggest cooking it the day before you plan to serve it. As it rests overnight in the fridge, the flavors will intensify.

I first made Boeuf Bourguignon a few years ago just before the Julie and Julia book and movie craze hit hard. I had read the book before it became the cool thing to do and, having been a fan of Julia Child since childhood and since my name is Julie, I felt compelled to have my own little “Julie and Julia” adventure. My husband purchased me Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and I began experimenting with many of the recipes. Boeuf Bourguignon was the first thing I made and while I continue to fall in love with many of the other recipes it is the one to which I keep coming back.

In Mastering the Art of French Cooking, the main recipe for the Boeuf Bourguignon spans three pages and includes two sub-recipes from elsewhere in the book. This recipe is not likely something you will whip up on a whim! The recipe below is based on Julia Child’s recipe for Boeuf Bourguignon. While it is mainly the same, I have (probably much to the chagrin of Julia) streamlined it and made a few changes to the recipe based on modern ingredients and product availability. If you are a foodie or have a foodie friend I would highly recommend purchasing Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Your friends’ and families’ tummies will thank you!

Boeuf Bourguginon

2013-12-29 10:52:50

Serves 6

Beef Stew in Red Wine with Bacon, Onions, and Mushrooms

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Ingredients

¼ pound of bacon
3 ½ Tablespoons oil, divided
5 ½ Tablespoons butter, divided
3 pounds. stewing beef
1 carrot, sliced
1 onion, sliced
18-24 broiler onions, peeled
1 Tound fresh mushrooms, quartered
2 tablespoons flour
4 ½ cups of a good red wine (I used Burgundy but Chianti is also a favorite)
3 cups beef stock
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
2 cloves of garlic, minced with a micro plane
2 bundles of fresh herbs (I use thyme, oregano, bay and rosemary)
Fresh Parsley for garnish
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Chop the bacon and brown in a medium to large enameled cast iron Dutch oven until crisp. Remove the bacon and set aside. Add one tablespoon of oil to the bacon fat. While the oils heat up dry the stew meat with a towel to remove excess moisture the sauté the meat a few piece at a time until it is browned on all sides. Remove and add to the bacon.
Next sauté the carrots and sliced onion in the bacon fat until they brown and begin to soften. There is no need to cook them all the way through now.
Add the beef and bacon to the vegetables and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the mixture with 2 tablespoons of flour and toss to coat. Place the Dutch oven, uncovered into the oven for 4 minutes. Toss the meat and return to the oven for 4 additional minutes. Remove the casserole from the oven and turn the temperature to 325 degrees.
Add 3 cups of wine to the dish plus enough beef stock to slightly cover the meat. Add tomato paste, minced garlic and herbs to the mix and bring to a simmer. Cover the dish and return to the 325 degree oven for 3 hours. The meat should pierce easily with a fork.
While the beef is cooking in the oven place 4 tablespoons of butter and 1 tablespoon of oil into a lidded skillet. Once the butter has melted and foamed, add one pound of quartered mushrooms. Sauté the mushrooms 5-6 minutes until they begin to brown. Remove from heat and set aside.
Add 1 ½ tablespoons of butter and 1 ½ tablespoons of oil to the skillet. Add the broiler onions and sauté for 10 minutes until the onions begin to brown. Pour in 1 cup of red wine and ½ a cup of beef stock. Add the herb bouquet, cover and simmer for 40 – 50 minutes.
When the stew meat is tender remove the dish from the oven and add the mushrooms and the onions. Taste the seasoning and adjust as necessary.
Serve immediately or refrigerate for later serving. Reheat on the stove top for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Notes

I usually serve this with egg noodles, green peas and some fresh homemade bread.

By Julie Kohl from Eggs and Herbs

Adapted from Julie Child, Mastering the Art of French Cooking

Arkansas Women Bloggers https://arkansaswomenbloggers.com/

Julie Kohl blogs at Eggs and Herbs. Connect with her on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram.

January 9, 2014

START the New Year

Written by Kimberly Campbell

The word start is one of the most anticipatory words and also one of the most terrifying. But, every January millions of people vow to start many projects, attain goals, or project the outcome of the new calendar year with words like “resolution” and “goals”.

What is most exciting about January is the prospects of what this new year can hold: will it bring success or failure, love or separation, weight gain or weight loss, or any other possibility that avails itself to you. What is most terrifying is pretty much the same as the above. But, with it comes a sense of failure.

I personally love the start of a new year. It allows me to get a new calendar for blogging, cooking, photography, writing, and weight goals and plans. It allows me to set attainable plans for the coming year. Also, it is my birthday in January, so I not only have a new calendar year, but a new year of life! It is very exciting to start January!

How do you plan on starting (and continuing what you start) the New Year? Do you plan to start a new exercise routine, new cooking goals, continuing education classes, or maybe you are going to start doing less. Having goals is not about filling your life and schedule with more things to do. Some of us are completely too busy in life; we need to orient our lives to be less busy and focus on what is most important.

How do you make these plans and goals?

Start by reviewing the past. What did you like about yourself in 2013? What do you wish you could change about what happened in this last year? In order to view the new year with correct lenses, you need to look back at last year.
Start by asking your heart what is important to you. This is important. Especially when you spend a lot of time on blogs and other forms of social network, your heart can get pulled in so many directions that you lose sight of who you are. Look at yourself in the mirror and journal; spend some time by a fire or with a cup of coffee. Explore your mind, desires, and what drives you!
Start by seeking the advice of others. It is clearly important to have a supportive community around you. These are friends or family that can help you attain these goals by first helping you plan the goals. These are people who may see some things in you that you might not see in yourself. These insights will help you in your planning.
Start writing attainable goals. Goals are not easy to accomplish if they are too grandiose or too vague. Make them specific and time sensitive. Here is an example:

A bad goal for a blogger would be: I want to be blog more
A good goal for a blogger would be: I want to post three blogs a week
A great goal for a blogger would be: I want to blog 3 times a week and include a photograph that I’ve taken with each one and post each post on social media sites to increase my blogger influence
See the difference?

So, what are you going to start doing in this New Year? And if you don’t get all of your goals started on January 1 – it’s ok. Any day of any year is a GREAT time to START living and being who you are Designed to be!

Kimberly Campbell is a wife and mom in Little Rock, AR. Her husband is a worship pastor and she has two boys less than 2 years – adorable! She loves to blog over at http://kd316.com and enjoys living creatively with cooking, writing, and photography. She loves being outdoors with her family and running!

January 8, 2014

START Exercising Daily {Wordless Wednesday}

Jacqueline Presley is a stay-at-home/ sometimes work-from-home mama of 2. She is a professional organizer & novice seamstress. She writes at Creative Outpour.

January 6, 2014

The Starting Line

Written by Miss January 2014, Whitney Sutherland

Where will you go in 2014?

It’s a new year and if you are like many of us then you are working on resolutions that you want to accomplish for the year. For me when I think about a New Year beginning, this Thoreau quote has always inspired me. As an athlete, my dreams usually have to do with a race or performance goal. Here’s how I will be putting together my racing goals for 2014.

I start with an old school spiral bound calendar book. This lets me lay out race ideas on the monthly pages. I research online for different races and also lay out any personal commitments like the annual Arkansas Women Bloggers conference or professional obligations like travel or meetings. Here’s a fun link to a 2014 calendar download to get you started.

Once I have races penciled onto my calendar, I start looking at the timing to build a training plan. There has to be realistic timing to train for a specific goal or distance which is why I make sure that my calendar is a mix of races for fun and goal races. This helps me protect myself from injuries and ensure that I allow for the safe buildup of mileage or speed as well as recovery after big races.

Finally after I have done my pre-work, I’m ready to start putting together specific goals for the year. I usually like to give myself goals that are measurable but not necessarily finite. I might set a goal that is for a race finishing time within a time range or I might set a goal for how I run a race. No matter what my goals is though, I make sure to lay out a plan for how I’ll tackle thegoals for the year through a training plan. My calendar helps keep me accountable to the plan and track my progress towardseach of my goals.

If I do the pre-work and set realistic goals and follow my training plans then when I reach the starting line for my goal races I can treat it like my victory lap. The race becomes a celebration of all the work that I have put into making it to that starting line instead of a nervous mess of stress and pressure for the race. Baron Baptiste speaks of this in his book Being of Power. “Set the intention for growth, but hold it lightly. Often we get caught up in a goal, which can get very serious. We add heaviness and significance to it, and then this leads to all kinds of stress.” I have definitely learned this lesson the hard way and it helped me change the way that I lay out my racing goals for the year. I see lots of others get caught up in rigid training plans and then if they miss a workout or don’t hit a time in a workout then they become overcome with a sense of failure. I’ve been there before too and thankfully after making some tweaks to my process I have finally found a system that allows me to accomplish my goals with flexibility.

So you are not a runner, don’t worry these tips can still apply for you. No matter what type of goal you want to tackle in 2014, you should take time to plan. I recommend that you research and understand what is involved in taking on your dreams. Make sure that the plan you lay out for the year is realistic and that you have the resources necessary for the journey. I hope these tips can help you as head in the direction of your dreams in 2014.

January 5, 2014

Sunday Link-Up {January 5, 2014}

January 3, 2014

Beer Braised Beef Short Ribs {Foodie Friday}

By Lisa Mullis of Frenetic Lisa and Arkansas Outside

My family loves braised short ribs and I have a collection of short rib recipes like this one from Better Homes and Gardens. Braising uses a combination of high dry heat searing with a long moist cook. Many people use slow cookers for braising and recipes like this one have been adapted for the ease of using a slow cooker but if I’m going to be home I prefer to use my 3 qt. Lodge Enamel Dutch Oven.

I’ve used enough braised rib recipes that I have a pretty good idea of ingredient combinations that I like. I discovered a bottle of Samuel Adams Harvest Pumpkin Ale in my refrigerator. I remembered that it was a little sweet and thought it would be a perfect beer for braising my ribs so I decided to make up a recipe with ingredients I had on hand. Short ribs are a fatty cut so I used butternut squash and carrots to give the dish a slightly healthier twist while keeping a hearty texture, plus I thought the combination of the pumpkin ale and the butternut would be nice. I scaled the recipe to fit my three member family and my Dutch oven dimensions.

Braised Short Ribs

2014-01-01 17:24:26

Serves 3