Tuesday, August 1, 2017

A Belt, a Song and a Car

I had a few very different conversations recently with some people who are about as dissimilar as you get. I never would have thought these discussions were in any way related. And I certainly hadn't drawn the correlation between them and a belt I lost about a million years ago. Until the realization took hold.

About the belt. I loved it. It was a thin belt, covered in stripes of all different widths in varying colors. It went with pretty much anything. Because it picked up different hues in whatever outfit I paired it with, it never really looked the same. I wore it pretty regularly.  

Many years ago, when returning from my yearly trip to Marco Island, the airline lost my luggage. If you've ever had luggage lost you know that it is a huge pain in the butt. They don't bother looking for it (even if your favorite belt is inside, apparently) and they make the paperwork for reimbursement into a full time endeavor. It wasn't the reams of paper I cared about, I mourned that belt. Yes, you read that right. Put it in perspective and it's pretty absurd, but not everything needs to have a deep and inner meaning, I loved that belt. Simple as that. And there's value in that.

The first of the aforementioned (yes, I used that word) conversations was a music observation by my son. College Boy is very into music. He appreciates almost all genres, gives a lot of thought to how they influence each other. He has a sampler musical production center, even bought a turntable, his record collection is extensive and diverse. I love his respect for and appreciation of jazz and rock and folk and all kinds of music. Through artists' background and songs' stories he's opened up my mind to hip hop.

I was baking and, of course, missing an ingredient. College Boy was home and had come for a ride to the store with me. 

Lemon Berry Muffins, moist muffins flavored with lemon and raspberry and bursting with fresh460 blueberries. Lots of fun ingredients, this recipe comes together in minutes. | Recipe developed by www.BakingInATornado.com | #recipe #muffins #breakfast

Lemon Berry Muffins
Lemon Berry Muffins, moist muffins flavored with lemon and raspberry and bursting with fresh blueberries. Lots of fun ingredients, this recipe comes together in minutes. | Recipe developed by www.BakingInATornado.com | #recipe #muffins #breakfast

We were heading back home when a teeny bopper, bubble gum, meaningless 1980s era song came on the car radio. I turned it up and sang along. Yes, I caught the eye roll and disapproving head shake, didn't stop me. Apparently I have no shame. When the song ended and I returned the decibel level to this stratosphere College Boy wanted me to explain what I liked about such a meaningless song. He was right of course in his perspective; there is no deep, thought provoking, existential value to this song. I had no specific story to tell about when I first heard it, no significant personal association to it at all. Not everything needs to have a deep and inner meaning, I liked the beat. Simple as that. And there's value in that, a concept which he did understand.

The second conversation came from a very difficult situation involving a blogging friend. She's been through all kinds of hell in the past few years starting with the murder of her beloved niece on her birthday, and more recently including almost losing her husband, now necessitating her being his caregiver. They had taken an overnight trip to the beach and on the way back got into a bad car accident. She and her husband were battered and bruised. The car was totaled.

She was scared and sore and heartbroken about their beloved car. Friends jumped in to say that it's just a car, cars can be replaced, people cannot. They were right of course, in their perspective. But they were also wrong, it was not just a car, these people loved it, loved having it, loved driving it. The loss had an emotional impact. Not everything needs to have a deep and inner meaning. Simple as that. And there's value in that. 

In this current societal climate, when just turning on the news can seriously raise the blood pressure of the healthiest among us, there is merit to anything (even a rock) that makes us smile. We do not have to rationalize it. In fact, giving it serious thought can be a detraction. There is value in just blindly accepting, enjoying.


A Belt, a Song and a Car, what makes you smile? | www.BakingInATornado.com | #life #happiness



The next time you hear a silly song, wear a belt, walk out the door to see your car and it makes you smile, don't analyze. Enjoy.

{{turns up the music and sings at the top of her out-of-tune voice "but girls just wanna have fun, yes girls just wanna have. . . That's all they really waaaaaaaaant. Some fuuuuuuun . . ." }}

Baking In A Tornado signature | www.BakingInATornado.com | #MyGraphics





PS: Thoughts, prayers and good wishes for my friend and her husband are greatly appreciated.

Lemon Berry Muffins
                                                                          ©www.BakingInATornado.com
 
 
Ingredients:
6 oz fresh raspberries
10 Lemon flavored Oreos 
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar 
1 TBSP baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup Greek lemon yogurt
1/2 cup oil
2 tsp lemon extract
1 egg
6 oz fresh blueberries

1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup Lemon Oreo cookie crumbs


Directions:
*Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease or line 18 muffin cups.
*Mash the raspberries and push through a strainer. You should have about 1/3 cup of juice. Discard the seeds.
*Crush the cookies in a food processor until they are crumbs.
*Mix together 1/2 cup of the cookie crumbs, the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. 
*In a separate bowl, whisk together the juice from the raspberries, milk, yogurt, oil, lemon extract and egg. 
*Pour the liquids over the dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated.  Carefully fold in the blueberries. Divide into the 18 prepared muffin tins.
*Mix together the brown sugar and 1/4 cup of the cookie crumbs. Sprinkle over the top of the muffins.
*Bake for approximately 25 minutes or until the center of the top springs back to the touch.


12 comments:

  1. The muffins look wonderful. Just one of the reasons I love having you as my friend, is you GET IT. It was more than a car to us. It changed our lives in many ways for the better. <3

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, it clearly was so much more than a car for you. I'm so sorry you lost it, and in such a traumatic way.

      Delete
  2. Using Aforementioned and Existential in one blog and then Oreos in a recipe, oh you went there! I wish the best for your friend. Some things do have special meaning to us and that can't be swept away by saying it is just a thing. It is the harbor of good memories, of good fortune or just makes us happy and we can't feel bad about some THING that does that!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Some songs we just like can't say why we just do and some songs we hate for no reason we just do and by we I mean me, just saying.

    Never had lost luggage hope I never do but the more one fly's the more likely it will happen and by one I mean me...........

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. In my family 2 out of the 4 of us has had luggage lost. Pretty sad. And the airline does nothing to find it. My son's luggage I actually was able to track down myself and get them to send it to us. Unfortunately the brand new bag was mangled but luckily he got his belongings back.

      Delete
  4. Oh, I love this! Find the joy!
    I did that with my daughter. CCR came on. And you have to listen to it loud. And with the car windows open. Yeah, she still talks about it . . .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, CCR is another one, love the beat in their songs!

      Delete
  5. Wow. Not sure where I would get lemon flavored Oreos, but whatever. I love muffins. I love blueberry muffins. OK, I'll just make blueberry muffins with lemon yogurt! Or something like that. I wish the best for your friends. I lost my luggage many years ago, by the way, and it "sort of" changed my life. I should blog about that one day. And, finally, I will wish the best for your friend. I've been there, not quite in the same way, but I've been there. Alana ramblinwitham.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'd love to hear that story about the lost luggage that sort of changed your life, hope you do blog about it.

      Delete
  6. Love that post. Sometimes a belt, a car, a song, even a rock are more than just things. I certainly cherish my special things.
    Oh, and Cyndi Lauper? She was our friend during the 80s, "girls just wanna have fun" is every woman's hymn! Our kids, especially sons, can't get it, and that's OK.
    Sending positive vibes to M&M all the time 💖🍀

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, it's not all about things, but sometimes things make us smile, and that's OK.

      Delete

Warning: Comment at your own risk. I have Comment Moderation, meaning I approve all comments before they show up here. So go ahead, I'm not scared!