The One That Got Away!

This week is the one that got away! I didn't get a post written, but actually there wasn't much to say.

Let it Slow!

Isn't this a pretty gift?

I'm late, I know. But the good news is, things have slowed down a little and I can take a breath and look around to see all the minutia that needs my attention. How is it that I have two escrows that closed (one a week ago Friday and one today) and as I map out my bills, I'm broke again? Really?! Laughing! I know, I know, it's the American way! Hopefully though, as I pay off our bills from our move and the months I went without a paycheck, I will open and close some more transactions and start to rebuild our savings. So one of my favorite parts of my job is giving my buyers the keys to their new home, but sometimes it doesn't work out for me to do it. I would never make them wait for me so when I can't the listing agent will meet them. This happened with my buyers a week ago Friday and I was bummed. As it goes with life, I got to give keys to the buyers of my last listing, so that made up for it...a little. 

"Zoodles" or zucchini noodles made with the spiralizer.

In other news, make sure you are wearing your sunscreen! I have been very diligent about wearing it and I even took a 10 year hiatus from intentional tanning for 10 years (between 30 and 40). I have hounded Dave and Mason to wear it and Mason has been far more receptive than Dave through the years. Dave has been better of late, but this week he gets to go get a painful treatment for pre-cancerous melanoma. As much as we all like to be outside, it is so important to protect our skin, not only with the hope of growing old gracefully, but to prolong our lives and stay healthy.

In other news, Mason has his sauces back in stock and we are prepping some ready-made gifts for the holidays. I'm thinking two bottle sets with a recipe or two and a big bow. He also has a handful of spiralizers (turns vegetables into noodles) in stock, $45 out the door, they make great Christmas gifts! I I need to ship to you, we can work something out. I'll post pictures on his Facebook page as we put them together. 

So now I'm off to wrap up my file and look at all the stuff that needs doing, and there's plenty!

The "Kids Can Cook" Cooking Stage

The Gold Country Fair was a wild success! The “Kids Can Cook” Cooking Stage was a big hit and all the kids followed through and did their cooking demos. Abby, who is just 6 years old didn’t back out and my oldest newbie Blake, did a great job, too! Ryan and Dylan who are normally shy kids, did their demos and though they were on the quiet side, they followed through and served up some yummy bites for the audience to taste. 

I wanted to do the kids cooking stage because so many people tell me how extraordinary Mason is, and to some degree, I agree. I also believe that Mason has excelled because of the opportunities he’s had and I wanted to give other kids an opportunity, too. What I learned last weekend is that yes, there are other kids who can cook, but I also learned that Mason is extraordinary. He has a gift and he puts on a show (even from his very first demo) that the other kids lack. Yes, he’s gifted, in the kitchen and as a young entertainer and I couldn’t be more proud of him.

Now we have a little lull before the next big push on the cooking stage with the upcoming Auburn Home Show (Sept 30 - Oct 2) and then we go right into developing recipes for the Mandarin Festival (Nov 18-20). Dave is getting a new job with the Guard so his scheduled is in more flux than usual so it’s hard to know what he will be doing with us. I’m hoping he won’t have to be gone as much in December with the new position, but that remains to be seen.

Mason will be a celebrity judge at the Hot Chili Cool Cars event this Saturday in Rocklin and then we are looking at another opportunity with a television show. I’ll keep you posted here, but it you want up to date info as it comes out, be sure to like his Facebook page, that’s where updates are posted first. Have great week with lots of love! Kathy

Happy Labor Day Weekend!

It's Labor Day which to most people just means a day off from work and an opportunity to barbecue. Dave and Mason have been at Pacificon, a game convention in the bay area. Dave has been at a game convention during Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends as long as I've known him and now it's Dave and Mason. There are times when something special comes along that I wish we could go as a family, but for the most part, I look forward to having the long weekend to myself. 

This long weekend I worked, showed houses, ran errands, helped dig out the kitchen cooking stage supplies for the upcoming Gold Country Fair, I took care of a project in the backyard (that one was tricky by myself), got Dave's car washed, cleaned the house, and I took myself out to dinner last night and then relaxed in the hot tub. 

Speaking of the fair, I am running the cooking stage again this year, but the difference is I've got almost all kids doing the cooking demos. How fun is that? I know Mason has something special in his love and ability to perform and entertain, but I think we know this about him because he's had opportunities that other kids don't normally get. I want to give kids the opportunities to do a cooking demo, perform, entertain, and be in the spotlight. It's the perfect venue in that the local fair is smaller in scale and attendance but it's bigger than the stage in their living room. I've got four kids other than Mason, Abbey is the youngest at 6 years old and Blake is the oldest at 15. Ryan is 11 and Dylan is 12 and both have never done anything like this, but they really want to. Who knows how this will all play out, but I think it's really cool that we are creating an environment to empower our local kids. They may not keep cooking and performing, but they are going to move on in life knowing they can do it. I've arranged for each child to not only get rides at the fair, and our good friend Gary has donated Pampered Chef gifts to put in their goody bags as a thank you gift. The Auburn Journal did a story and included each of the kids photos and I will have lots of pictures next Monday after the fair. 

Dave and Mason are on their way home and I have to get the kids recipes formatted and printed for next weekend. I also need to get the schedules put together to be printed. It's going to be a busy week, but hey, what's new about that?! I hope you had a great weekend and as the new week approaches, target one thing you can do to move your dreams forward. It can be as small as starting to play your perfect holidays, or bigger, putting a down payment on your dream vacation for next year. Do it, you won't be sorry!

He Doesn't Want A Kids Menu

Having an accomplished kid cook provides for some interesting experiences dining out. Tonight we were out and the first thing they ALWAYS ask, "Do you think you want a grown-up menu, or a kids menu?" I get it, but it doesn't matter that he's a kid cook (of course they don't know that), he looks more like a teen than a child. Then when he orders, most of the time the server gets that he has a better understanding of food than most kids his age. Not last night. Mason ordered like this, "I would like such-and-such burger, absolutely pink, all the produce, with sweet potato fries with a chipotle aioli please." The server, "Oh honey, are you sure you want pink, you know that's rare? And we don't have chipotle aioli, we have Sriracha, they are the same, I bet you will like it." Mason replied politely, "Yes, thank you, I know pink is rare." he looked at me and rolled his eyes as she walked away. 

My favorite part comes when they ask him how his meal was... "The burger was seasoned beautifully, but well done, absolutely not pink like I ordered. The sweet potato fries were cold, but the mozzarella sticks provided an epic cheese pull! My mom had to take it for me because my arm was not long enough to keep it going. Other than the meal taking a really long time to come out, which is probably why the fries were cold, it was okay." 

I guess I'm just trying to say, if we give our young people a little more credit, listen to them, I bet they will rise to whatever the occasion is and impress the heck out of us adults. #SayYes #EmpowerYourKids#HeDoesntWantAKidsMenu

When Doubt Paralyzes Me

I wrote the last week or two about how I attended BlogHer16 in L.A. I went because as someone who has been writing blogs for many years, I wanted to learn the business side of it, and I want to know what I don't know. I learned plenty, but one of the things that was said to me over and over is, "Why aren't you doing more live and video streaming?" My answer was, "I don't know that I have anything that interesting to broadcast." Of course, the replies were everything from hysterical laughter (I hope in a good way), to why/what do you write about? A week ago Friday I posted a live spot on Facebook, a little motivational piece and then last Friday I went live from Moonraker with The Menace playing a concert. That gave me the idea to do a weekly "woman on the street" type of show where I can go to different places and review food, showcase a special event, answer a question someone has about a place (by going there and showing the who or what), or any number of other things. The idea is to do something consistently so people who are interested know when to be tuning in. Why blog and broadcast live? For me it is a creative outlet, a way to share with people who I am, my interests, their interests, and ultimately document my journey. That's how the Monday Motivator (really all my blogs) started and why I keep writing them. I love the idea but when it comes time to take action, I get nervous and think, "this is stupid. Nobody is interested in me, what I am doing, my life, my activities." As far as writing my blogs, if no one reads them, who cares? I write them as documentation for myself and my family. If I go live, will people think, "Really? Who does she think she is?" #InsecuritySucks! But then I also think, "Why not me?" There are many people with far less interesting lives than I live that seem to hold an audiences attention. Or the people who broadcast inaccurate or really stupid content...I can do better than that. So with that said (seriously, I get nervous! I'm nervous at the thought of hitting post!) I'm going to do it, I'm going to set a day and time to go live and start finding some interesting places to go, people to talk to, things to show you, I don't know, something. I'm going to do it. I am. Yes. Me. And you. I'm stalling to hit post. Why does doubt paralyze me? And then I copied this as I had to ask Dave to read it and tell me if he thinks I'm crazy, which I know he does. And he confirms it. He also thinks I hesitate because I know I am busy and committing to one more thing will add pressure to my already busy life. As I think about what he's said and I even agree with him, I mentally protest. Yes, I am someone who takes on lots of projects, some because I have to and some because I want to. If I only do the things I have to do, my life would be made up of just making ends meet and getting by. To accept that would mean there is no hope for something to look forward to, something new. I can't live like that, I need more. I want a life that is extraordinary in people, in love, in experiences, in every way. To have the life I want, I have to take chances, work extra hours sometimes, I have to put myself out there to the opinions of others and likely rejection. I've failed, you all know that! You've experienced it with me with ZipperBack Gloves as one example. I've started lots of projects that never came to fruition, but I learned something or met someone each and every time. I don't know how to live my life any other way than all in. I don't start a project or investigate a new idea with the thought that it might not work. I move forward with the vision that it will work, it will succeed, it will be. In the event it is not to be, I experience that and the emotions that come with it if it comes. I suppose it's not just about being in the moment, it's about feeling what is appropriate for what is happening right now and being able to move through those highs and lows. With all of this said, I'm going to do it. I'm going to figure out what I want to do, say, and share and I'm going to do it. Yep, I am. Soon. Laughing! Real soon.

Just Keep Paddling...

This week has been OFF THE HOOK! I have been so busy getting Mason back on a schedule for school and guess what else? Football! Yep, #52 is back in action. He got the all-clear to play and not a moment too soon. His team really needs kids, so much so that they were in danger of needing to dissolve the team. Mason goes to his first practice tonight and I know it won't be easy. He's been sitting on his butt all summer long eating snacks and playing video games, to say he's out of shape would be an understatement. All the other boys have been practicing for the last few months, so he will have some catching up to do. If I were a good football mom, I would get out there and practice while he does, practice = work out at the park next to his practice field.

In the meantime, I am getting more work. I am still stuck in an escrow from hell (one bad seller/agent, same person can spoil the whole shebang) and all I pray for every night as I close my eyes is, "Dear God, please let all the lender conditions be met so my buyer can finally sign, close escrow, get their house, and I can get paid. Amen." I really shouldn't snivel, I have another one that has been a dream, great people, smooth process and in reality, may pay me before the other one that started before it. Either way, I love what I do and the people I do it with.

Now I gotta run, I have a crazy busy week and I'm setting my intention for no more problems to crop up on that one, you know, THAT one? Yeah, you know. :)