On the inside looking out...tales from an introvert

I scarcely think that anyone can understand the life of an introvert without actually being one.  I have always been, more or less, what some would call a loner.  As a child I was content spending hours in my room alone. One of my brothers would actally tease me for talking to myself while I was in my room.  In my defense, I wouldn't even realize I was talking outloud.
Personally, I don't feel that being introverted makes me anti-social.  I can interact with others. There is just a feeling of being very socially awkward most of the time. I have tried to force myself, on occasion, to attempt being more of a social butterfly. These fleeting moments have probably ending up making more than just me feel out of sorts.
As I grew older, I discovered that alcohol can make even a life long intovert more at ease around people. Coming from a familial lineage that includes more than one alcoholic and/or addict, the discovery of booze as a means to cope with social situations could not be good. There were a few years of frequently going out and being the life of the bar party. Naturally, these nights out were followed by mornings of wondering what all had transpired the night before. The feeling of morning regret turned to shame and wanting to withdraw further from the crowd. It was such a vicious cycle.
The years I worked in the world of mental health were perhaps a blessing in diguise.  I gained quite a bit of insight into why some of us function a little differently than others. I have finally come to terms with the fact that even though there might be a tiny extrovert sitting on one shoulder encouraging me to just get out there and talk to people, there is nothing wrong with preferring the slightly bigger intovert on the other shoulder telling me its okay to watch from a safe distance.

“I'm the type who'd be happy not going anywhere as long as I was sure I knew exactly what was happening at the places I wasn't going to. I'm the type who'd like to sit home and watch every party that I'm invited to on a monitor in my bedroom."
-Andy Warhol-

Hope Found in the Heartland

I went on a road trip this weekend. I wasn't exactly sure where I would end up other than I was driving in the direction of Tennessee. Isn't that the point of a road trip?
My final destination ended up being Chattanooga which I have visited multiple times. This weekend, though, I really took the time to drink things in. I kept my eyes open for photo opportunities. I paid attention to the feel of the air. And, I really paid attention to people. Since I was by myself, I had ample opportunity to watch how people interacted. There were visitors from several ethnicities and I heard many different languages being spoken. People of all ages walked the trails around me.
I saw a young man wearing  a shirt with a political slogan for one of the current presidential candidates but I never heard any off color comments made about it.  I heard a prop character in a park make a joke about a presidential candidate and a little girl said "hey you're voting for the wrong person", but no adult gave any feedback. I saw families of mixed race out enjoying the day together and they were not getting sideways stares. In short, all I encountered was people out enjoying a fall day.
In light of my last blog post, I believe this weekend is what my heart really needed. To spend a little time unplugged around other people who were also unplugged. While hiking at Lookout Mountian I even heard a mother telling her teenage daughter to put her phone away. I couldn't help but smile.  Maybe there is hope for us.

Thoughts from the Cat Lady

I would think that most anyone who spends much time on the internet has seen a meme that says something along the lines of "the more people I meet, the more I love my dog".  Well, I am that kind of person except I have cats. I haven't always been a cynic, though. Just turn on the television, or computer, for that matter. I know people have been mean to each other and talked about each other since probably the beginning of time, but what ever happened to having a little decorum? Long gone are the days of talk being confined to the water cooler or behind closed doors. Long gone are the days of differences of opinion being issues we begrudged but dealt with without completely bashing another in a public forum. And, apparently, long gone are the days of civilized debate. (*cough* politics)

Some might say that the internet or social media has been the downfall of our social skills. I don't think I can agree. Yes, it has nudged society into what we are today, but let's not give electronic devices and cyber space more power than they are due. A wall to hide behind while spewing forth hatefulness at friends and strangers alike is what we have created. The darker side of humanity has found it's platform and is running with it.

Now, back to those dogs and cats. Animals will love and not judge nor chastise. So, if I tend to sit on my front porch and talk to the stray tomcat who stops by for a free meal, I might be a crazy cat lady. Or, I might be one person holding out hope that we find our way back to Mayberry.

Falling out of love with carbs......

I have been a lover of all things carb for 40+ years. Bread, pasta, potatoes, starchy vegetables, I'm not real choosy. I have fought the low carb diet plan tooth and nail. Recently, however, my dear friend Michelle inspired me to join the low carb movement. I have now joined multiple low carb groups online. I am on my second week of low carb eating and I have to admit, I am enjoying it!

This evening I made a chicken dish for supper that I have to brag about.

Yesterday I cooked chicken breast in the crockpot and had plenty left over for today. The chicken had cooked all day with a little butter, cream cheese, garlic pepper and BACON. We all know that bacon makes everything better.

First I sautéed onions and peppers in olive oil until just tender. The smell of each of those ingredients alone says comfort food. Together, over heat, it is amazing.

While the veggies were cooking, I sliced one chicken breast. The chicken was so tender that it fell apart as much as it was sliced. During this time I also added a little of the broth from the cooked chicken in with the peppers and onions.

When the vegetables were just starting to soften, I added the sliced chicken to the skillet to heat and absorb all of that extra flavor. I must admit, my mouth was starting to water.

Just before plating, I added a small amount of pepperjack cheese to melt over this low carb chicken happiness. I know this isn't a pretty meal but it made me forget that there was no bread or pasta in sight.

My one downfall is that I don't measure when I cook. A little dab of this and a little dab of that for a one time event. None the less, I believe this one would be easy to replicate. Happy eating!

Bitten by the Bug

I have always had a certain amount of interest in photography, but I now feel that I have been bitten by a big shutter-bug.

About a month or so ago, I decided to look into purchasing a starter camera.  I was just tired of always taking pictures with the out of focus camera on my phone.  As some may know, I have quite a habit of getting really fired up about a new hobby, investing too much money in it, then losing my fire. This time I decided to be a little smarter about it.  I began watching a local "buy sell trade" page on social media. Behold, I found my perfect starter camera.

A gently used gem for a price I couldn't beat.  The woman selling it even gave me a few pointers on how to use it.  I took that as a sign of pure fate.

I started out taking a few pictures here and there around the house. I flipped through the owners manual. Finally, this past Sunday, I took my new camera on a road trip. We perused the rural roads. I knew my first stop would this bridge near Pennington, AL. From the first time I saw it, I knew I would be back to capture it on film. From there we hit a dirt road to find somewhere to get closer to the river. The satisfaction of that perfect day did my soul good.

I am already planning the next camera ready road trip. Fall foliage in all its splendor is calling out to me like a long lost love. "I'll see you soon, my sweet", is my earnest reply.

The other side of life......

I have had a very long hiatus from blogging and so much has changed.
So much, in fact, that I have considered changing the title of the entire blog to the title of this post!
Over the course of the past year I became an empty-nester. Then, my little birdies who had left the nest, left the state! Yes, my daughter and grandson moved to Alabama.
I grieved considerably for a while. In fact, I threw myself quite a pity party. It was borderline shameful. As the old saying goes though, this too shall pass.
I eventually began to get over myself and appreciate the growth and maturity I have seen in my beloved babies. Oh how they have blossomed out on their own in the big world!
My daughter graduated from MUW with her bachelors in nursing. My grandson started kindergarten and lost his first tooth all in less than a weeks time.

With all of this being said, I am on to "the other side of life". I don't have anyone but the cat at home to answer to now. (oh yea, I'm not married) I must admit I have discovered it is kind of liberating to either come straight home from work and have cereal for supper while watching anything I want on television or not come home until late because I just didn't feel like it. And I didn't have to tell anyone! 40-something is the new 20-something!!

I am so excited to share the adventures of this side of life as it unfolds. Oh yea, I even bought a camera to capture it in living color! Woohoo!!

Foodie Friday....Crockpot Apple Butter

Last night I tried my hand at crockpot apple butter. Can I just say.......OMG Yummy!
There is a little work involved (as a disclaimer). But the time you invest peeling coring and slicing the apples so very worth it.

Crockpot Apple Butter
6# apples cored, peeled, sliced
1 cup white sugar
1 cup lighted packed brown sugar
1 TBSP cinnamon
2 TSP nutmeg
1TSP ground cloves
1 TBSP vanilla

Mix all of your dry ingredients together well. I just tossed the vanilla on the apples before adding the dry ingredients. (No rocket science cooking for me!) Coat the apple slices well with the dry ingredient mixture.
Pour apples into crockpot. It is going to be a pot full! Cover and cook on low for about 10 hours. I cooked mine over night. I did get up once during the night and stirred the apples, but only because I randomly woke up.
At the end of cooking, I used a cup to dip out some of the excess cider from the apples, then used my immersion blender to blend until smooth. The smell of this makes me think of how heaven must smell!
The apples do cook down to about half of what you start with. I had 3 jars of apple butter plus about 3/4 of a jar of the spiced cider that I saved to use for something later.
This would make a wonder gift for the holidays or hostess happy for a holiday party.

Happy Crocking!